Good morning, Netizens…
Through the razor-sharp drawing of David Horsey, this morning we fire right off with President Obama and the War in Afghanistan. Recently President Obama sent his “think tank” of advisors back to the drawing board, suggesting that he didn’t feel he had enough options on the table. Some will quickly agree, it takes more guts and sheer belief in oneself to make such an unpopular decision than it does to make a decision that the majority supports.
What we also have to remember is that President Obama inherited
both the Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and he simply has to decide how best to conclude them. He is going to conclude them, one would hope, or perhaps he will be doomed to leaving them for the next Presidential campaign.
Not that they particularly make good campaign material. I personally think President Obama needs to make getting Americans back to work his top priority, thus fixing the economy.
Now that we’re back to writing in my favorite word processing application again, that seems to be the question of the day.
What do you think should be President Obama’s top priority?Dave
Spokane7
26°
Ron_the_Cop on November 14 at 2:11 p.m.
He needs to lead as the Commander in Chief that he is. Sucks to be him he won the office. Some times you have to make a decision when there is no political viable option to cover your play. Hence he needs to stop the campaign mode and lead.
ChefGus/ John Olsen on November 14 at 4:54 p.m.
Ron T … it seems to me he IS leading the way some of us want.. ie to turn down all options that do not have a viable exit strategy …. Read Maxwell Taylor ( Ambassador to Viet Nam and retired General also like the Afghan ambassador) who is giving sound on the ground NON military advice…. then Remember as I do that Mr Johnson chose to follow the advice of General William Westmoreland… History that is not remembered is all to oft repeated…
My guess is that if there were a military draft to effect the troop level increases the whole country would be thinking/feeling a bit more like those of us that served during 1968-1970 because of General Westmoreland….
Deciding not to decide in a bad way… and allow other options to arrive on your desk is the sign of a good administrator.. john
Ron_the_Cop on November 14 at 5:09 p.m.
Yes ChefGus you’re correct. However don’t forget that Gen Abrams came after Gen Westmorland that implemented a counterinsurgency strategy with a degree of similarity to Gen. McChrystal’s new plan. Remember Obama chose McChrystal to change the strategy on the ground. Lincoln did this several times. If you read the real military history, we actually won the ground war in Vietnam after Tet but lost it politically when we squelched our support for the So Viet government.
The problem that Obama crew have now is that Obama chewed up Bush over Afghanistan. They now are dithering over political cover to justify whatever they choose to do on the ground. This just plain sucks if you’re on the ground dodging the bullets. Obama needs to make the fricken decision one way or another instead of dithering to protect his political backside. That’s my objection.
Ron_the_Cop on November 14 at 5:41 p.m.
ChefGus
Of course some other folks are much more specific then I am and question the underlying motivation of Obama:
The Man Who Despises America
http://spectator.org/archives/2009/11/11/the-man-who-despises-america
Rifleman__Dodd on November 14 at 7:28 p.m.
The question I have is Obama getting the real story or just smoke and mirrors from his flappers that keep him isolated from the real America? It would be nice to get a REAL speech from Obama rather than something that was ginned up by the NAACP.
Why isn’t there more news coverage? The American Sheep just write the checks and move on. Most people dont care because our elected officials dont care. I’d like 100 people write letters to McMorris/Murray/Cantwell and see what percentage of return responses they get.
Anyone seen any CHANGE and I dont mean the dwindling coins in my pocket either?
spokelooneh on November 14 at 9:23 p.m.
We simply can’t afford to be the next Empire that went to die in Afghanistan.
Either the President comes up with a detailed strategy ala the Powell Doctrine, including a detailed exit strategy, or we’ll go down to defeat, and for what, a narco state that never has and never will have a strong central government, and what government it has is as corrupt as the night is long (these days).
EVERYONE knows you can’t maintain an occupation indefinitely when the America public does not support it. Hell, the troops on the ground are having reservations, as more and more die, not dodging bullets, Rocket Brains, but getting blown up by IEDs.
Support the troops, bring ‘em home.