Making the turn safely

I had an interesting experience in traffic this afternoon, and I think that it illustrates my philosophy on how we should handle (and should have handled) things in Iraq.

Now, I know many of my fellow Democrats feel that the only thing to do now in Iraq is pull all of our troops out and do so quickly. I happen to disagree with an immediate pull-out. I feel that a complete immediate pull-out poses several problems and risks, ones that could result in making things worse in the Middle East.

on to the analogy:
As I was heading west on East Broadway approaching Kolb road in the middle lane I noticed that traffic in my lane ahead, so I moved into the far left lane. As I got closer to the light, I noticed a copper colored PT Cruiser in the middle lane with what I assumed at first to be its hazards flashing. I seemed like the car had stalled, backing up traffic, forcing people to change lanes and thus creating . As I passed the vehicle, I realized that it was the left turn light that was blinking. as I proceeded down Broadway, I watched in my rear-view mirror as the PT Cruiser proceeded to go from the middle lane into the left turn bay. Apparently the driver wanted to turn into the shopping center there.

The driver had found herself (yes, the driver was a woman, but this is not about gender stereotypes and driving) going in the wrong direction and decided to make an immediate correction in her course without regard for the safety and well-being around her. She should have assessed her situation, realized that she couldn't safely or legally make the turn from her current location. She should have proceeded a bit further, made sure she had the right-of-way and then moved into the left lane then the turn lane. A legal U-turn would have then had her heading back towards her destination, all with only a minor delay in reaching her goal but doing so in a manner safer for her and all around her.

This is a clear analogy to our present situation in Iraq. It applies to both how we ended up in this mess and how we should work to make our way out of Iraq. Bush (et al), like the driver, had a specific goal they sought to achieve. Both then proceeded to go after that goal, ignoring the safety of those in the area, the law (international law in Bush's case, traffic laws in my analogy) common sense.

As in our current situation, the driver found herself on the wrong course, and decided to make an immediate correction, ignoring potential dangers and common sense.

As we look to change course in Iraq, we need to carefully assess the best way to change direction, not just make that impetuous left across traffic. It is more than just a handful of drivers at risk, it is potentially the stability of a majority of the middle east at stake.

(as far as a turn to the left for Congress and the White House goes, the sooner the better)