A distinguishing trait of Texans is our determination. We do not shy away from our responsibilities, and we are resolute in the face of challenges. My recent Listening Post survey concerning our country’s foreign affairs agenda revealed as much. A comment indicative of the overall response said, “Freedom should not just be limited to the U.S.”
Texans support our effort to help bring freedom to Iraq. Most agree that our presence there is critical to the long-term security of the United States and are against the notion of withdrawing our troops now.
One constituent wrote, “A free and democratic Iraq is essential now more than ever since we have a huge threat from Iran.” Another said, “We have planted the seeds not only of democracy but of morality, justice and freedom for the people.”
Some support our mission without approving of military action. “I do not like the fact that our military is in a foreign country fighting and dying. My hope is that we get out of Iraq as soon as possible, but I would not want Iraq to fall into the hands of extremists or terrorists.” Another said, “I do not support the decision or the reasoning for our commitment. However, after two tours in Vietnam without the public support, I support the troops and think we have to stay the course.”
Many comments indicated a preference to have military leaders, not elected officials, determine when our troops should start coming home. A sampling of these comments include: “Let our generals decide on when the job is done so we can withdraw our troops,” and, “Those with the intelligence should decide when we withdraw. To pull out or evacuate without a plan to continue the progress of democracy in Iraq would allow our fallen soldiers to have done so in vain. See that the Iraq people finish the job or plan to.”
Texans are concerned with the threat of a violent civil war in Iraq following any withdrawal of our troops. Sixty-four percent of respondents agree that a free, democratic Iraq is essential to long-term stability in the Middle East. “Similar to the way our presence in West Germany after World War II kept the USSR in check, I believe our presence in Iraq will deter further terrorist regimes in the Middle East.”
The notion of standing up as the Iraqis stand down was supported overwhelmingly by readers. One person said, “I am glad our President took the mad man [Saddam Hussein] down. The Iraq people are and will be better off. Now they need to stand up to the mad men that we and they are fighting every day.”
Iraq is not the only hotspot that Texans feel our country should be monitoring. Many constituents think that our country should be especially concerned with North Korea’s nuclear weapons program, Iran’s nuclear ambitions, and the pace of China’s increasing economic and military strength. “I really believe we should be keeping an eye on North Korea and Iran's nuclear weapons program. We should not overlook them while dealing with Iraq,” one person wrote. Another agreed, but stressed, “Being concerned should not be confused with forcing our will on other peoples and with trying to undermine the progress of other countries.”
Texans agree that international trade boosts our economy by expanding access for American companies to overseas markets and promoting peaceful relations with foreign countries, but there was some disagreement on how to best promote it. While 52 percent of respondents support regulating international trade with tariffs to ensure our overseas competition observes the same health and labor laws that we do, 47 percent believe that international trade is most successful when the free market is left alone.
There are also conflicting opinions on how to best prevent the spread of weapons of mass destruction (WMDs) and their delivery systems. Seventy percent of respondents agree that prevention is best addressed by building international consensus on WMD proliferation through diplomacy, while 64 percent think that prevention is dependent upon our willingness to use military force, when necessary.
Thank you for all of your thoughtful responses, and I will soon provide another Capitol Comment responding to my Listening Post concerning immigration.