I watched Obama sign into law a sweeping reform of our veterans' health care programs. I applaud that along with all the work that went in to making it possible.On the flip side, if we'd stop wars we could get control of the need and therefore the cost. Oh well, it was a thought. It doesn't seem to be in the human gene pool. Humans solve their differences with war. Period.
So. If we're going to wage war, let's commit the troops necessary to win it. That means developing a strategy and sticking with it. One can make adjustments within a strategy I should think.
That's why I agree with former Vice President Cheney's rather terse admonition of the President. We have troops in Afghanistan waiting for help and clarification of their mission. Reports of injuries and casualties come out on a daily basis. Adding to the costs for the Veterans Administration! The war isn't put on hold just because Washington isn't sure which direction to go. It would be nice. Okay, everyone go home for the Holidays while we decide what to do and we'll send the appropriate number back.
The excuse that we don't know how the new election will play out doesn't seem to me to be a valid excuse. Karzai is likely to win and we already know what we're dealing with, with him. He's corrupt up to the tip of his Karakul hat! Re-election will only validate it in his mind. Should Abdullah Abdullah pull an upset we may find a more accommodating leader, but the war will continue.
Is our mission not different than theirs? We want to secure Afghanistan from again becoming the training headquarters for al Qaeda. That means picking them off as they try to exit Pakistan. One way or another. It really has nothing to do with who runs Afghanistan because they have nothing to give to our fight.
Then there is the problem if al Qaeda decides to stay put in Pakistan. What then? The Pakistan army is busy fighting the Taliban. Oops. Time for a new strategy. Put the war on hold while we decide what to do. Don't worry about those left holding the fort who still get picked off on a daily basis. We'll figure it out in time.
It is said "War is Hell". How true. And you know who makes it so? The leaders who wage it. Not the men and women asked to fight it. There seems to be something terribly wrong with this picture.
8 comments:
This war needs to be over. The British couldn't win this country and neither could the Soviets. The terrain is such that no one can win it.
Furthermore, no one can tell the Taliban from the citizens. They're all in civilian clothing.
We are sacrificing our men and women needlessly. We need to bring home our soldiers to protect the homeland right here in the USA.
If the president doesn't decide to bring our troops home, he has lost my loyalty. If he caves to the military on this, I am thoroughly disgusted.
And, by the way, Cheney has a stake in this war and nothing he would say besides "bring the troops home" would impress me.
Since the President has said withdrawal is not an option, the least he can do is give the Generals the forces they need to do the job - whatever it is!
and during the almost eight years that Cheney and Bush were in charge of the war they did exactly what? Cheney had 8 years to develop a strategy, and failed … miserably.
War is old men sending young men out to die. It always has been and always will be. It won't end as long as the military industry in this country can buy a congressperson and I don't see that ending until all elections are publicly financed and there are strict rules about who can contribute. Probably not in my lifetime. After all this country is the biggest arms dealer in the world so we have to make sure there is a market for our industrial barons.
No matter who is in charge over there, al Qaeda could care less. Unless it is them...
I am mad as hell with Obama's wait and see what he wants to do. I didn't want him to make a rash decision..but a month...come on!!!
Also what are we going to do if we in fact do keep the al Qaeda out of there? Are we going to chase them from country to country...galloping across each one of them?
We need to decide what we want out of this... then do it, get out and let the countries take care of themselves... because this is all going no where... and the more he plays the fiddle as Rome burns... the more useless he looks.hense us too.
Mark, I don't see it as a case of what Cheney or the Bush administration did or did not do, but where do we go from here. It's Obama's war now. He claimed it as a war of necessity. He must have had a reason why!
I'm in favour of whatever it takes to keep Obama from becoming JFK, because if he does get U.S. troops out of Iraq and Afghanistan against the wishes of the Military Industrial Complex, that's exactly what will happen to him.
Afghanistan has shown what will happen if we leave. It happened in 1989, when we withdrew support of the mujahedeen after they defeated the Soviets. It left a vacuum for the Taliban to move in. There is no way the American military is going to "cut its losses" on this one because it could have major repercussions in our future if we leave a destabilized Afghanistan.
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