Joe Biden-Realist
Nancy Youssef at the McClatchy Washington Bureau has really good National Security sources and she points to the possibility that Joe Biden and NSC head James Jones may bring a voice of reason to the Afghanistan debate.
The officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to talk to the media, said Biden has argued that without sustained support from the American people, the U.S. can’t make the long-term commitment that would be needed to stabilize Afghanistan and dismantle al-Qaida. Biden’s office declined to comment.
“I think they (the Obama administration) thought this would be more popular and easier,” a senior Pentagon official said. “We are not getting a Bush-like commitment to this war.”
Word is that Biden has been suggesting a move towards a counter-terrorism strategy that would rely on drones and small special operations teams to continue to rout out Al Qaeda cells in Afghanistan and Western Pakistan. According to Youssef, Jones has already told General McChrystal not to ask for more troops. I have written before about Biden’s healthy skepticism about Karzai and his corrupt regime. The parallels between our situation with Karzai and the equally corrupt Diem regime we were stuck with in Vietnam are spooky.
Other than making sure Al Qaeda doesn’t reestablish training bases in Afghanistan, we have no overwhelming national security interest to support another ten year occupation of the country. Pulling troops out and instituting a counter-terrorism strategy would be totally consistent with President Obama’s pledge: “And our new strategy has a clear mission and defined goals—to disrupt, dismantle and defeat al Qaeda and its extremist allies.”
Now is the time to change policy and get out.
Disrupt. Dismantle. Defeat. War will drone on. An adequate brigade of tipsters will be put on a dole as we cherry pick threats with sensors and robots. Even so, war is macabre. I hope we pay well and pay attention to families. One day.
Disrupt. Dismantle. Defeat. War will drone on. An adequate brigade of tipsters will be put on a dole as we cherry pick threats with sensors and robots. Even so, war is macabre. I hope we pay well and pay attention to families. One day.
Disrupt. Dismantle. Defeat. War will drone on. An adequate brigade of tipsters will be put on a dole as we cherry pick threats with sensors and robots. Even so, war is macabre. I hope we pay well and pay attention to families. One day.
The most honest thing, Obama could do is admit his support for the war there was really him just trying to not look like a pacifist. To bad he’s not so honest (just like Bush on oil).
It is CRUCIAL he make it clear :
1. we COULD WIN, we have the power.
2. but there is NO STRATEGIC value in ensuring the land is held day to day by our allies. There are no oil pipelines that can be blown up by Taliban, which gives them less power and makes them more likely to cut deals with us.
3. We will focus on forming a military partnership with Pakistan to keep the baddies out of that country.
Then, he should TURN AFGHANISTAN into a DARPA goldmine…. to look strong. Allow the US MIC to enjoy a petri dish of remote eyes on, surgical activities.
——
Now that that is solved, can we please get back to the health care debacle.
f-o-c-u-s.
The most honest thing, Obama could do is admit his support for the war there was really him just trying to not look like a pacifist. To bad he’s not so honest (just like Bush on oil).
It is CRUCIAL he make it clear :
1. we COULD WIN, we have the power.
2. but there is NO STRATEGIC value in ensuring the land is held day to day by our allies. There are no oil pipelines that can be blown up by Taliban, which gives them less power and makes them more likely to cut deals with us.
3. We will focus on forming a military partnership with Pakistan to keep the baddies out of that country.
Then, he should TURN AFGHANISTAN into a DARPA goldmine…. to look strong. Allow the US MIC to enjoy a petri dish of remote eyes on, surgical activities.
——
Now that that is solved, can we please get back to the health care debacle.
f-o-c-u-s.
The most honest thing, Obama could do is admit his support for the war there was really him just trying to not look like a pacifist. To bad he’s not so honest (just like Bush on oil).
It is CRUCIAL he make it clear :
1. we COULD WIN, we have the power.
2. but there is NO STRATEGIC value in ensuring the land is held day to day by our allies. There are no oil pipelines that can be blown up by Taliban, which gives them less power and makes them more likely to cut deals with us.
3. We will focus on forming a military partnership with Pakistan to keep the baddies out of that country.
Then, he should TURN AFGHANISTAN into a DARPA goldmine…. to look strong. Allow the US MIC to enjoy a petri dish of remote eyes on, surgical activities.
——
Now that that is solved, can we please get back to the health care debacle.
f-o-c-u-s.
The most honest thing, Obama could do is admit his support for the war there was really him just trying to not look like a pacifist. To bad he’s not so honest (just like Bush on oil).
It is CRUCIAL he make it clear :
1. we COULD WIN, we have the power.
2. but there is NO STRATEGIC value in ensuring the land is held day to day by our allies. There are no oil pipelines that can be blown up by Taliban, which gives them less power and makes them more likely to cut deals with us.
3. We will focus on forming a military partnership with Pakistan to keep the baddies out of that country.
Then, he should TURN AFGHANISTAN into a DARPA goldmine…. to look strong. Allow the US MIC to enjoy a petri dish of remote eyes on, surgical activities.
——
Now that that is solved, can we please get back to the health care debacle.
f-o-c-u-s.
Close buddy just got back from the Afghan mountains. Told him of Geo Will’s take and my agreement. Said that my take was pull all the troops out and send in the Peace Corps – build schools, hospitals, roads, bridges, infrastructure and plan on a multi-generational effort. He jumped right in my face and told me I was exactly right. That my solution was perfect for what really needed to be done there.
My friend is one of those no real rank, service or job description specialists. I can trust him to not spew any official BS. He’s been there, seen it and done it. He says time to come home and solve the problem from the ground up.
Come to think of it, we should do that here at home, too.
Close buddy just got back from the Afghan mountains. Told him of Geo Will’s take and my agreement. Said that my take was pull all the troops out and send in the Peace Corps – build schools, hospitals, roads, bridges, infrastructure and plan on a multi-generational effort. He jumped right in my face and told me I was exactly right. That my solution was perfect for what really needed to be done there.
My friend is one of those no real rank, service or job description specialists. I can trust him to not spew any official BS. He’s been there, seen it and done it. He says time to come home and solve the problem from the ground up.
Come to think of it, we should do that here at home, too.
Close buddy just got back from the Afghan mountains. Told him of Geo Will’s take and my agreement. Said that my take was pull all the troops out and send in the Peace Corps – build schools, hospitals, roads, bridges, infrastructure and plan on a multi-generational effort. He jumped right in my face and told me I was exactly right. That my solution was perfect for what really needed to be done there.
My friend is one of those no real rank, service or job description specialists. I can trust him to not spew any official BS. He’s been there, seen it and done it. He says time to come home and solve the problem from the ground up.
Come to think of it, we should do that here at home, too.
Close buddy just got back from the Afghan mountains. Told him of Geo Will’s take and my agreement. Said that my take was pull all the troops out and send in the Peace Corps – build schools, hospitals, roads, bridges, infrastructure and plan on a multi-generational effort. He jumped right in my face and told me I was exactly right. That my solution was perfect for what really needed to be done there.
My friend is one of those no real rank, service or job description specialists. I can trust him to not spew any official BS. He’s been there, seen it and done it. He says time to come home and solve the problem from the ground up.
Come to think of it, we should do that here at home, too.
Here’s a link to the Pres.’s Afghanistan speech in Mar http://www.usnews.com/articles/news/2009/03/27/president-obamas-speech-on-afghanistan-and-pakistan.html
What’s changed in five months? A disgruntled public?? Most typically don’t tune in until after Labor Day, so it’s safe to assume most haven’t a clue to what’s happening in Afghanistan. So why all the posturing?
Stalled health care reform legislation. Worst case, legislation implodes never to be seen for at least another decade. Best case, Obama’s signs something certain to enrage all sides. So why all the posturing? Best put a bone in place for the most outraged.
Skipping ahead a few months, any guesses on what the foam column crowd will put together for Obama’s “Mission Accomplished” pronouncement? Maybe he can borrow Bush’s flight suit.
Here’s a link to the Pres.’s Afghanistan speech in Mar http://www.usnews.com/articles/news/2009/03/27/president-obamas-speech-on-afghanistan-and-pakistan.html
What’s changed in five months? A disgruntled public?? Most typically don’t tune in until after Labor Day, so it’s safe to assume most haven’t a clue to what’s happening in Afghanistan. So why all the posturing?
Stalled health care reform legislation. Worst case, legislation implodes never to be seen for at least another decade. Best case, Obama’s signs something certain to enrage all sides. So why all the posturing? Best put a bone in place for the most outraged.
Skipping ahead a few months, any guesses on what the foam column crowd will put together for Obama’s “Mission Accomplished” pronouncement? Maybe he can borrow Bush’s flight suit.
Come to think of it, the Karzai/Diem parallels are there, aren’t they. Oh, dear.
Come to think of it, the Karzai/Diem parallels are there, aren’t they. Oh, dear.
Morgan- No one–the Brits, the Soviets, the Americans–has ever “won” in Afghanistan. It can be a DARPA laboratory with our soldiers stationed on ships in the Mediterranean.
Morgan- No one–the Brits, the Soviets, the Americans–has ever “won” in Afghanistan. It can be a DARPA laboratory with our soldiers stationed on ships in the Mediterranean.
Morgan- No one–the Brits, the Soviets, the Americans–has ever “won” in Afghanistan. It can be a DARPA laboratory with our soldiers stationed on ships in the Mediterranean.
Morgan- No one–the Brits, the Soviets, the Americans–has ever “won” in Afghanistan. It can be a DARPA laboratory with our soldiers stationed on ships in the Mediterranean.
Jon, Obama needs to make clear we could win… that’s it, no reason not to.
Jon, Obama needs to make clear we could win… that’s it, no reason not to.
Jon, Obama needs to make clear we could win… that’s it, no reason not to.
Ah, such a pity that nation-building has such a bum rep. Had we done some–or, better, a lot–after Ivan quit the Khyber, we’d not be so behind the 8-Ball now, and might not have been in the crosshairs on 9/11. I wish I could say, with Jon’s confidence that a war-by-wire is possible, similarly that nation-building is still within our grasp. But I really don’t know. We could try, but to try we have to have people in-country, on the ground, and defense forces to protect them.
When the U.S. rebuilt Japan and half of Germany, we were dealing with willing sophisticates. Importantly, we exerted military governance of those lands until we, not they, decided that the training wheels could come off.
Afghanistan, by comparison, is embryonic. I can’t imagine when we might be able to teach it to ride a bicycle. Were we to upbuild that country–the Soviets actually gave it the old college try–we’d have to make a very popular commitment to a very long, somewhat bloody, and fairly costly effort. More pointedly, we’d have to be cheek-by-jowl with them, or else the money would be no more targeted than had it been air-dropped from high altitude.
Morgan’s right: the President would have to make this argument, showing how that part of the world can be pacified and prospered long-run. I don’t see how he can so show.
I must insist that we sow the poppy crop with salt before we go.
Ah, such a pity that nation-building has such a bum rep. Had we done some–or, better, a lot–after Ivan quit the Khyber, we’d not be so behind the 8-Ball now, and might not have been in the crosshairs on 9/11. I wish I could say, with Jon’s confidence that a war-by-wire is possible, similarly that nation-building is still within our grasp. But I really don’t know. We could try, but to try we have to have people in-country, on the ground, and defense forces to protect them.
When the U.S. rebuilt Japan and half of Germany, we were dealing with willing sophisticates. Importantly, we exerted military governance of those lands until we, not they, decided that the training wheels could come off.
Afghanistan, by comparison, is embryonic. I can’t imagine when we might be able to teach it to ride a bicycle. Were we to upbuild that country–the Soviets actually gave it the old college try–we’d have to make a very popular commitment to a very long, somewhat bloody, and fairly costly effort. More pointedly, we’d have to be cheek-by-jowl with them, or else the money would be no more targeted than had it been air-dropped from high altitude.
Morgan’s right: the President would have to make this argument, showing how that part of the world can be pacified and prospered long-run. I don’t see how he can so show.
I must insist that we sow the poppy crop with salt before we go.
Whatever you do in Afganistan will be watched closely by the rest of the world. you may not take that into account but in the long run unjust wars have unknown outcomes. Global works both way.
I would be very carefull with the international context on this issue. What does winning in Afganistan really means ?
Whatever you do in Afganistan will be watched closely by the rest of the world. you may not take that into account but in the long run unjust wars have unknown outcomes. Global works both way.
I would be very carefull with the international context on this issue. What does winning in Afganistan really means ?
Whatever you do in Afganistan will be watched closely by the rest of the world. you may not take that into account but in the long run unjust wars have unknown outcomes. Global works both way.
I would be very carefull with the international context on this issue. What does winning in Afganistan really means ?
Very good, bernard. Very good observations indeed.
I don’t want us to abandon the women and especially the girls of Afghanistan. The work done by the U.S. on their behalf, and also the constitutional work, is noble. It was lacking in the Soviet efforts. If quit we must, then let’s do it sooner rather than later.
How best to help? Excepting the abiding and costly efforts of Great Britain and the United States, shouldn’t the world community step up to the plate in helping to free Afghans from this unrelenting predation by murderers fixed on the notion that it alone among nations is the most promising place for neo-Medievalism?
If the others want us out of there, then let’s hear their alternative proposals for turning the place into something other than an abattoir, a heroin factory, a hell for females and a funhouse for Islamist fantasists.
Very good, bernard. Very good observations indeed.
I don’t want us to abandon the women and especially the girls of Afghanistan. The work done by the U.S. on their behalf, and also the constitutional work, is noble. It was lacking in the Soviet efforts. If quit we must, then let’s do it sooner rather than later.
How best to help? Excepting the abiding and costly efforts of Great Britain and the United States, shouldn’t the world community step up to the plate in helping to free Afghans from this unrelenting predation by murderers fixed on the notion that it alone among nations is the most promising place for neo-Medievalism?
If the others want us out of there, then let’s hear their alternative proposals for turning the place into something other than an abattoir, a heroin factory, a hell for females and a funhouse for Islamist fantasists.
Very good, bernard. Very good observations indeed.
I don’t want us to abandon the women and especially the girls of Afghanistan. The work done by the U.S. on their behalf, and also the constitutional work, is noble. It was lacking in the Soviet efforts. If quit we must, then let’s do it sooner rather than later.
How best to help? Excepting the abiding and costly efforts of Great Britain and the United States, shouldn’t the world community step up to the plate in helping to free Afghans from this unrelenting predation by murderers fixed on the notion that it alone among nations is the most promising place for neo-Medievalism?
If the others want us out of there, then let’s hear their alternative proposals for turning the place into something other than an abattoir, a heroin factory, a hell for females and a funhouse for Islamist fantasists.
Very good, bernard. Very good observations indeed.
I don’t want us to abandon the women and especially the girls of Afghanistan. The work done by the U.S. on their behalf, and also the constitutional work, is noble. It was lacking in the Soviet efforts. If quit we must, then let’s do it sooner rather than later.
How best to help? Excepting the abiding and costly efforts of Great Britain and the United States, shouldn’t the world community step up to the plate in helping to free Afghans from this unrelenting predation by murderers fixed on the notion that it alone among nations is the most promising place for neo-Medievalism?
If the others want us out of there, then let’s hear their alternative proposals for turning the place into something other than an abattoir, a heroin factory, a hell for females and a funhouse for Islamist fantasists.
What is this win you speak of? People are increasingly questioning U.S involvement because evidence of any useful acheivement is lacking.
The comparisons with prior British and Russian failures are pointless because the avowed ambitions of those Empires were different.
The U.S has an even less likely to acheive ambition in so much as any coherent ambition has been articulated.
Eliminating radicals willing to attack U.S interests will never happen, and building a cohesive Afghanistan that will police its citizens to U.S satisifaction will never happen.
Those things just will not happen and claims that they could are nonsense.
Even if one did harbour a fantasy in which something useful could be acheived by sustained and expensive expenditure of U.S treasury it’s still unreasonable to expect U.S citzens to support such spendthrift waste of wealth better put to use for the more direct benefit of the U.S citzens taxed to collect it.
What is this win you speak of? People are increasingly questioning U.S involvement because evidence of any useful acheivement is lacking.
The comparisons with prior British and Russian failures are pointless because the avowed ambitions of those Empires were different.
The U.S has an even less likely to acheive ambition in so much as any coherent ambition has been articulated.
Eliminating radicals willing to attack U.S interests will never happen, and building a cohesive Afghanistan that will police its citizens to U.S satisifaction will never happen.
Those things just will not happen and claims that they could are nonsense.
Even if one did harbour a fantasy in which something useful could be acheived by sustained and expensive expenditure of U.S treasury it’s still unreasonable to expect U.S citzens to support such spendthrift waste of wealth better put to use for the more direct benefit of the U.S citzens taxed to collect it.
The time for nation building is when it’s welcomed by proven allies (such as Afghanis immediately post Russian occupation) and not at an occupiers later convenience.
The time for nation building is when it’s welcomed by proven allies (such as Afghanis immediately post Russian occupation) and not at an occupiers later convenience.
The drones and special ops have had minimal success in an COIN-centric environment in which intelligence is far more available than it would be if the war was fought from afar. Additionally, the Taliban would take the urban centers and spread like mad through the countryside as soon as Western troops left and no amount of cruise missiles would prove effective when this happens. I’m afraid it’s all or nothing in Afghanistan.
The drones and special ops have had minimal success in an COIN-centric environment in which intelligence is far more available than it would be if the war was fought from afar. Additionally, the Taliban would take the urban centers and spread like mad through the countryside as soon as Western troops left and no amount of cruise missiles would prove effective when this happens. I’m afraid it’s all or nothing in Afghanistan.
damn. that sux.
damn. that sux.
The only thing that comes out on the news are the Kairzai corrupt gov. the parties at the embassy the private contractors the fraudulent elections ect.. maybe there is an information problem I haven’t seen anything positive. The Afgans have lived for hundreds of year the way they do and females have a bad time there, so they do in Saudi Arabia. On the drug problem that’s an other story. How to help them out of neo-Medievalism is a very difficult task that will take some generations.
The only thing that comes out on the news are the Kairzai corrupt gov. the parties at the embassy the private contractors the fraudulent elections ect.. maybe there is an information problem I haven’t seen anything positive. The Afgans have lived for hundreds of year the way they do and females have a bad time there, so they do in Saudi Arabia. On the drug problem that’s an other story. How to help them out of neo-Medievalism is a very difficult task that will take some generations.
The only thing that comes out on the news are the Kairzai corrupt gov. the parties at the embassy the private contractors the fraudulent elections ect.. maybe there is an information problem I haven’t seen anything positive. The Afgans have lived for hundreds of year the way they do and females have a bad time there, so they do in Saudi Arabia. On the drug problem that’s an other story. How to help them out of neo-Medievalism is a very difficult task that will take some generations.
Once the cultural habits are lost man become sub servant and all kind of corruption enter into their lives and they loose their ” Raison d’etre”. I have seen it happen in the Amazon with the Catholic missions . Its like immunology.
Once the cultural habits are lost man become sub servant and all kind of corruption enter into their lives and they loose their ” Raison d’etre”. I have seen it happen in the Amazon with the Catholic missions . Its like immunology.
Once the cultural habits are lost man become sub servant and all kind of corruption enter into their lives and they loose their ” Raison d’etre”. I have seen it happen in the Amazon with the Catholic missions . Its like immunology.
Once the cultural habits are lost man become sub servant and all kind of corruption enter into their lives and they loose their ” Raison d’etre”. I have seen it happen in the Amazon with the Catholic missions . Its like immunology.
America was born out of the European religious tribalism. With so many problems in your own yard and with the opportunity to change things for the better I would rethink the whole strategy. There must be a better way.But again I no expert on wars nor on religion.
America was born out of the European religious tribalism. With so many problems in your own yard and with the opportunity to change things for the better I would rethink the whole strategy. There must be a better way.But again I no expert on wars nor on religion.
America was born out of the European religious tribalism. With so many problems in your own yard and with the opportunity to change things for the better I would rethink the whole strategy. There must be a better way.But again I no expert on wars nor on religion.
America was born out of the European religious tribalism. With so many problems in your own yard and with the opportunity to change things for the better I would rethink the whole strategy. There must be a better way.But again I no expert on wars nor on religion.
“a hell for females and a funhouse for Islamist fantasists.” So what’s the game plan for Saudi Arabia? Oh, that’s right — that’s an “enlightened modern state” that at least has male supremacist oil-controlling terrorism-funding guys whose beards are at least neat and who only crush the people they are torturing with SUVs. They get a pass because the official faith-based policy is “Don’t drink and drive?” Gonna “abandon” women and girls there, where little hormone-induced slips of the gaze or display of too much ankle can get you stoned (with rocks, not dope) or beheaded? Can you spell “Wahabbist”? And how about those bin Ladens? Good friends to democracy and the West…
“We” set the conditions for the ascendancy of “the Taliban,” funded in part by US cash, drug distribution, extortion, kidnap-for-ransom and more of the skill-developing that “policies” and “prohibitions” have fostered on places like nearly-failed-state Mexico and what’s that place, Somalia? and Lebanon?
There are times when the human world is in flux, and the choices made by a few end up setting the limited number of future paths available for the many, until the next upheaval, interregnum, whatever you want to call it. Jefferson, the leaders of The Terror, Hitler, John Foster Dulles, Kissinger… Of course, even the inventive spiritual lead of a Gandhi or Kenyatta or Mandela or Walesa somehow gets torqued by the “interests” of others into something altogether different…
If your only tool is a Hellfire or brigades of troops, everything looks like a compelling reason for “us” to “become involved.”
“a hell for females and a funhouse for Islamist fantasists.” So what’s the game plan for Saudi Arabia? Oh, that’s right — that’s an “enlightened modern state” that at least has male supremacist oil-controlling terrorism-funding guys whose beards are at least neat and who only crush the people they are torturing with SUVs. They get a pass because the official faith-based policy is “Don’t drink and drive?” Gonna “abandon” women and girls there, where little hormone-induced slips of the gaze or display of too much ankle can get you stoned (with rocks, not dope) or beheaded? Can you spell “Wahabbist”? And how about those bin Ladens? Good friends to democracy and the West…
“We” set the conditions for the ascendancy of “the Taliban,” funded in part by US cash, drug distribution, extortion, kidnap-for-ransom and more of the skill-developing that “policies” and “prohibitions” have fostered on places like nearly-failed-state Mexico and what’s that place, Somalia? and Lebanon?
There are times when the human world is in flux, and the choices made by a few end up setting the limited number of future paths available for the many, until the next upheaval, interregnum, whatever you want to call it. Jefferson, the leaders of The Terror, Hitler, John Foster Dulles, Kissinger… Of course, even the inventive spiritual lead of a Gandhi or Kenyatta or Mandela or Walesa somehow gets torqued by the “interests” of others into something altogether different…
If your only tool is a Hellfire or brigades of troops, everything looks like a compelling reason for “us” to “become involved.”
“a hell for females and a funhouse for Islamist fantasists.” So what’s the game plan for Saudi Arabia? Oh, that’s right — that’s an “enlightened modern state” that at least has male supremacist oil-controlling terrorism-funding guys whose beards are at least neat and who only crush the people they are torturing with SUVs. They get a pass because the official faith-based policy is “Don’t drink and drive?” Gonna “abandon” women and girls there, where little hormone-induced slips of the gaze or display of too much ankle can get you stoned (with rocks, not dope) or beheaded? Can you spell “Wahabbist”? And how about those bin Ladens? Good friends to democracy and the West…
“We” set the conditions for the ascendancy of “the Taliban,” funded in part by US cash, drug distribution, extortion, kidnap-for-ransom and more of the skill-developing that “policies” and “prohibitions” have fostered on places like nearly-failed-state Mexico and what’s that place, Somalia? and Lebanon?
There are times when the human world is in flux, and the choices made by a few end up setting the limited number of future paths available for the many, until the next upheaval, interregnum, whatever you want to call it. Jefferson, the leaders of The Terror, Hitler, John Foster Dulles, Kissinger… Of course, even the inventive spiritual lead of a Gandhi or Kenyatta or Mandela or Walesa somehow gets torqued by the “interests” of others into something altogether different…
If your only tool is a Hellfire or brigades of troops, everything looks like a compelling reason for “us” to “become involved.”
“a hell for females and a funhouse for Islamist fantasists.” So what’s the game plan for Saudi Arabia? Oh, that’s right — that’s an “enlightened modern state” that at least has male supremacist oil-controlling terrorism-funding guys whose beards are at least neat and who only crush the people they are torturing with SUVs. They get a pass because the official faith-based policy is “Don’t drink and drive?” Gonna “abandon” women and girls there, where little hormone-induced slips of the gaze or display of too much ankle can get you stoned (with rocks, not dope) or beheaded? Can you spell “Wahabbist”? And how about those bin Ladens? Good friends to democracy and the West…
“We” set the conditions for the ascendancy of “the Taliban,” funded in part by US cash, drug distribution, extortion, kidnap-for-ransom and more of the skill-developing that “policies” and “prohibitions” have fostered on places like nearly-failed-state Mexico and what’s that place, Somalia? and Lebanon?
There are times when the human world is in flux, and the choices made by a few end up setting the limited number of future paths available for the many, until the next upheaval, interregnum, whatever you want to call it. Jefferson, the leaders of The Terror, Hitler, John Foster Dulles, Kissinger… Of course, even the inventive spiritual lead of a Gandhi or Kenyatta or Mandela or Walesa somehow gets torqued by the “interests” of others into something altogether different…
If your only tool is a Hellfire or brigades of troops, everything looks like a compelling reason for “us” to “become involved.”
NATO Strike Kills 90, Including Up to 40 Civilians
And, as time passes by, things are not getting better and the prognosis is , it will get worse.
NATO Strike Kills 90, Including Up to 40 Civilians
And, as time passes by, things are not getting better and the prognosis is , it will get worse.
NATO Strike Kills 90, Including Up to 40 Civilians
And, as time passes by, things are not getting better and the prognosis is , it will get worse.
NATO Strike Kills 90, Including Up to 40 Civilians
And, as time passes by, things are not getting better and the prognosis is , it will get worse.
Condescend all you want Morgan, but the facts remain: Western troops leave Afghanistan, the Taliban retake the urban centers they occupied prior to the war, they regain free reign over the rural areas while our intelligence-gathering methods get reset to pre 9/11 standards. Then Jon and your proposed DARPA live-fire lab would be paid for with the blood of Afghan civilians and achieving strategic goals like blowing up empty training camps would be pinnacles of success, a la Clinton.
Condescend all you want Morgan, but the facts remain: Western troops leave Afghanistan, the Taliban retake the urban centers they occupied prior to the war, they regain free reign over the rural areas while our intelligence-gathering methods get reset to pre 9/11 standards. Then Jon and your proposed DARPA live-fire lab would be paid for with the blood of Afghan civilians and achieving strategic goals like blowing up empty training camps would be pinnacles of success, a la Clinton.
Condescend all you want Morgan, but the facts remain: Western troops leave Afghanistan, the Taliban retake the urban centers they occupied prior to the war, they regain free reign over the rural areas while our intelligence-gathering methods get reset to pre 9/11 standards. Then Jon and your proposed DARPA live-fire lab would be paid for with the blood of Afghan civilians and achieving strategic goals like blowing up empty training camps would be pinnacles of success, a la Clinton.
Fentex,
You make a crucial point, that nation-building is an RSVP affair or else is a fiasco of untimely straight-arming. What an excellent caveat.
Fentex,
You make a crucial point, that nation-building is an RSVP affair or else is a fiasco of untimely straight-arming. What an excellent caveat.
Fentex,
You make a crucial point, that nation-building is an RSVP affair or else is a fiasco of untimely straight-arming. What an excellent caveat.
Fentex,
You make a crucial point, that nation-building is an RSVP affair or else is a fiasco of untimely straight-arming. What an excellent caveat.
JTM,
WHICH Dulles?
JTM,
WHICH Dulles?
JTM,
WHICH Dulles?
JTM,
WHICH Dulles?
That was just off the top of my head, there’s a long parade of other examples of human socio-catalysis. Now I guess the jury will want to know whether the rest of my testimony is suspect too, right, Mr. Cross-Examiner?
Do you have any argument with the real point, about some kindly soul letting the butterfly keep beating its wings or some inane-evil monster squishing it against the screen?
That was just off the top of my head, there’s a long parade of other examples of human socio-catalysis. Now I guess the jury will want to know whether the rest of my testimony is suspect too, right, Mr. Cross-Examiner?
Do you have any argument with the real point, about some kindly soul letting the butterfly keep beating its wings or some inane-evil monster squishing it against the screen?
That was just off the top of my head, there’s a long parade of other examples of human socio-catalysis. Now I guess the jury will want to know whether the rest of my testimony is suspect too, right, Mr. Cross-Examiner?
Do you have any argument with the real point, about some kindly soul letting the butterfly keep beating its wings or some inane-evil monster squishing it against the screen?
That was just off the top of my head, there’s a long parade of other examples of human socio-catalysis. Now I guess the jury will want to know whether the rest of my testimony is suspect too, right, Mr. Cross-Examiner?
Do you have any argument with the real point, about some kindly soul letting the butterfly keep beating its wings or some inane-evil monster squishing it against the screen?
No, JTM, I’ve no real argument about it.
No, JTM, I’ve no real argument about it.