What's the deal?

OK, so I've been here for about two and a half months so far and I have to ask, "What's the deal?" What do you mean, Bill? I mean simply that I don't understand why the citizens of Ramadi don't step up and help themselves. We are here to help them learn to govern themselves and they seem to be willing to simply allow their lives to be manipulated like pawns in a chess game. No, strike that. It's more like marbles in a game of Chinese Checkers. There seems to me that there are more than two players and the "rules" have alot of sublties involved. On the surface of course, are the Multi-National Forces, led by America on one side and the terrorist insurgents (many of them from outside of Iraq) on the other, with the citizens of Ramadi caught in the middle. But that's not the whole story. When we roll through town, the townspeople are pro-America, until they disappear from our rearview mirror. Why? They don't want to get shot. When we leave, they turn pro-insurgents. Why? Again, they don't want to get shot. While I can understand the instinct for survival, I can't understand the logic. Survival, as an end to itself, is not enough. You have to stand for something or you will fall for anything. If you're an insurgent, then step up and we'll either capture or kill you in a quasi-fair fight. That way, your integrity is intact and we can clean this place up that much faster. If you're on our side, then talk to your friends and get out and vote! If you don't vote for your young government then, in my opinion, you don't have the right to bitch about it. Vote. Make your convictions known. Take a stand for crying out loud.