I think McCain may have helped win the Spanish-American War. 
What are you talking about? McCain’s won lots of awards.
Just a few days ago he won this:
http://rawstory.com/news/2008/Stewart_McCain_wins_Dick_Move_of_0801.html
It’s kind of weird reading this thread, had to check the dates a few times. Thought this might have been from a year or so ago.
OK, just to help out those who get their news from the NYT and other MSM here’s a few things you might have missed out on:
McCain has been in favor of an increase in ground troops since the beginning of the war.
When GWB did what McCain suggested, initiating the surge, the war turned around within months and it’s now almost completely a win.
So this is one war that McCain has proven he knows how to win.
BTW, there are pretty much two ways to end a war: quit or victory. If it’s a democracy fighting a tyranny I’m in favor of victory. It worked pretty well in the Civil War and WWII. And it seems to be working out pretty well in Iraq. It’s nice to say there are now two democracies in the Middle East.
Who gives a shit? The CORRECT position is to bring the troops home.
What “war” are yoiu referring to, and what do you mean by “win?” Win fucking WHAT, exactly?
Also, the decrease in violence had fuck all to do with the escalation of troops. Also, the escalation in troops has failed to achieve its goal.
Agaian, “win,” and “war,” are not applicable terms with regard to Iraq, and the escalation has been a failure and a wate of time.
You don’t just drink the kool aid, do you? You fucking POUND it. It’s like this, Brojangles – the US is not fighting a war in Iraq. We are attempting to hold an occupation while multiple factions slug it out in a civil war. There is no democracy in Iraq. There isn’t really even an Iraq.
And then what? What happens then?
It appears that the two most significant power centers, the al-Maliki Shia and the al-Sadr Shia have come to a rough understanding, and that understanding does not, repeat, does not include a permanent, semi-permanent or even prolonged American presence in Iraq.
And the Sunni? Kind of between Iraq and a hard place, aren’t they? Outnumbered four to one in the new! improved! Iraqi democracy, their negotiating positions are limited to supine or prostrate, they can either beseech or implore. They must rely on the generous forbearance of their Shia brethren, Iraqis all. Perhaps they can after all, they didn’t seem to hate each other that much until we showed them how. But a pessimist is likely to opine that the Shia relationship to the Sunni will be, to one degree or another, oppressive. And we pessimists are usually right.
Their only other option is a futile and suicidal rebellion, and they would be creamed, and forced to submit to an even more oppressive regimen. Unless, of course, their Sunni co-religionists come to the rescue, but they are far more likely to content themselves with writing checks and expressing concern. Plenty of money for guns and ammo, you supply the blood.
Peace may break out in Kurdistan, if Jupiter aligns with Mars. There will be a Kurdistan, they already have it, and they ain’t about to give it back. And Kirkuk is theirs as well, and the Arab families who took houses there when Saddam forced the Kurds out, they are going to be suddenly homeless. There will be ethnic cleansing, the only question is how genteel it will be. Still, possible. A peaceful, sovereign Kurdistan, friendly as all git-out to America. Mortal enemy of America’s NATO ally, Turkey. Tricky, delicate and sensitive diplomacy will be required to avoid a bloodbath. From us. Oh, dear.
We spent a hundred godzillabucks, snuffed an unknown number of innocent lives and sent honorable soldiers to die for a fool’s errand. So, tell me…what have we won? After the victory dance, the chest-thumping and hooting displays, what will we have then?
McCain seems to cast dewy eyes at the “Korean model”, a very friendly pro-American colony in Asia. Perhaps he has forgotten that it was purchased by installing one of the most ruthless police states ever, Syngman Rhee would make the average tin-pot South American dictator look like Mrs. Butterworth. (But a dandy place for investment, labor negotiations were minimalist, and conducted in an air of servile gentility…)
Is that it, then? The best we can hope for, if all goes well? For this we flushed a hundred thousand innocent lives down the crapper?
I love it! Just like capturing Bin Laden is a success that hasn’t occurred yet.
They do if enough stupid people vote for them.
An increased bottom line for Halliburton.
Yabbut, he didn’t actually say that there is a democracy in Iraq. He said that it’s NICE TO SAY [that there is a democracy in Iraq].
And it is nice to say. It’s nice to say that there’s a democracy in Jordan, too. Go ahead, try it with any of them.
“It’s nice to say that there’s a democracy in Qatar.”
“It’s nice to say that there’s a democracy in Saudi Arabia.”
Isn’t that NICE? Don’t you just get the urge to paper the entire SDMB with smilies when you say that?
I sure do. 
Okay, I’ll stop.
The sword isn’t real until it collapses the waveform of your face.
You know, BG, others may disagree, but I really think that was worth waiting a week for.
Well played.
There have been many, many great one-liners on this board over the years.
But this has to be one of the best ever.
And neither is death until it kills you.
On the last day of your life, don’t forget to die?