Is Iraq Like General Sherman Capture of Atlanta and Are Catholic Voters Paying Attention

Wheat & Weeds has thoughts here at Victorious In Spite Of Themselves?

While we are on the topic of Iraq when are American Catholics going to start doing what the Bishops want them to on this. That is partly start to pay attention. The American Bishops said inn their latest statement:
We do not have specific competence in political, economic and military strategies and do not assess particular tactics, but we can, as teachers, share a moral tradition to help inform policy choices.

Our Catholic teaching on war and peace offers hard questions, not easy answers. Our nation must now focus more on the ethics of exit than on the ethics of intervention.The grave moral concerns we and others raised prior to the war now give way to new moral questions. In the current situation the traditional principles of “noncombatant immunity” and “probability of success” suggest these questions: How can we minimize the further loss of human lives? What actions will do the most good and least harm? What elements of a responsible transition are attainable? How can they be achieved? What actions should be avoided? How can decision makers take into account both the realities and setbacks in Iraq and the likely human consequences of rapid withdrawal?

Part of this is paying attention. Many Catholics, especially those that oppose McCain, on the blogs say the Vatican is for a rapid US withdrawal? Really?

Part of looking at the probability of success is not just ignoring the significant developments that have occurred in the last months and indeed last weeks. Just commenting on when something bad happens does not cut it.

ON that note I suggest Wheat and Weeds other post which is a slight roundup on the WOT in Iraq and elsewhere at Accelerating Success