Slow Rolling McChrystal

Well, speaking as a country, it’s not our fault, we inherited his complete lack of experience and leadership.

Welcome to the Obama military policy of voting present.

Whom here is surprised?

(Crickets)

Larry,

What is it with all your enthusasism for esculate the “war” in Afghanistan?

Are you 100% convinced that is the way to go?

I would love to hear your explanation why putting more troops in Afghanistan is the right way to go and what exactly it is going to do?

You are an opinionate person. Give us your opinion on Afghanistan and what your strategy would be and what you would hope to accomplish. You run this blog to give the world your opinion, so give us your solution to Afghanistan.

What is your exit strategy and what do you hope to accomplish in Afghanistan and at what cost and over what time line? Would you send your son or daughter to Afghanistan?

Easy to critize, as you do, but what is your solution?

Just read a CBS news report on this decision. In the body of the report was that by the time Obama’s term ends, there should be 100,000 troops in Afghanistan. McChrystal’s plan is to build the troop number over 4 years, but to what end? What’s the game plan?

It would be nice to know what they’re going to do over there. Nobody has ever explained that. I thought we weren’t supposed to be getting involved in civil wars. Time to close up shop and make a hasty and careful departure. This will become known as O’s Vietnam.

Does this make sense: President Oxymoron wants to appear tough yet not do too much, to appease the far-left a smidgen?

Is his decision more political than what is best for our national security?

I read [think Martha Raddatz] that the high number on McChrystal’s troop request was really 80,000 for low risk, 40,000 for moderate risk and 20,000 for high risk on the ground.

Looks as if Obama is trying to split the difference to satisfy all, only to satisfy none.

This is “not” the move of a real leader.

An this is why inexperience is “not” a virtue. Not that it ever was.

Disheartening!

He was, and is definitely not ready for that 3am call.

Obama is conflicted. The famous quote from the Audacity of Hope, p. 261 re: in effect….standing with the muslims should the political winds change… is the key.

How can he send troops in who may kill the very people that share points of ideology that he agrees with? It’s ideology that he was raised on and immersed in through his family, Frank Davis Marshall and Jeremiah Wright. Those chapters of Obama’s personal history cannot be ignored.

He’s straddling the fence because he’s caught in an ideological web. His left of left wing coffee house prophesies are coming into play and he has to decide. Is he president of the United States or is he a radical wannabe?

Note to Obama: Voting ‘present’ is not an option.

Stepping off the soapbox now…

Is this what they’d call a “slow surge”?

Loved the link to the Times article from 2007. It seems they knew who he was back then. All changed when they fell in love last year.

It’s an historically proven GOOD thing that we didn’t immediately evacuate Japan, Germany, and S. Korea. Leaving Viet Nam too early led to the killing fields, executions in the millions.

Winning the physical battle in Afghanistan is possible, but it will require more troops, and take 1-2 years. Winning the psychological battle in a country takes at least a generation until new ways of doing things become familiar and accepted. This was true with Japan, Germany, and S. Korea. They weren’t operating efficiently, and mostly on their own, until the new paradigm was understood and dependable. The hearts and minds of the general public need to be won, and it takes time for this to happen. This is actually almost a repetition of McChrystal’s report.

Is this what they’d call a “slow surge”?

Is that akin to being partially-erect? Kinda hard to !@#$ that way!

Obama is conflicted. The famous quote from the Audacity of Hope

Question: Since we know he allegedly “borrowed” words from Governor Deval Patrick, it stands to reason he did not write “The Mendacity of Hype.”

LOL! You would think but apparently, that too has “changed.”

Good points, Larry. As usual, this like giving the patient half their meds and expecting them to get better faster. I guess we should leave him alone: Barack is too busy working on his golf game to get his hands dirty with governing.

Sad thing is, Dems have no clue that in the next two elections they are going to get “trucked” (run over) as they say. We all already scraping by, and the best they could do with healthcare is to force us to buy insurance from a for-profit corporation? Heckuva a betrayal, guys!

He (Obama) may not have written it, but he put it out as his own work. In other words, he claimed it.

So whether he recycled words from Deval Patrick, Jeremiah Wright, Alexrod, or plagiarized from some old, dead commie, he claimed what was written as his own.

He owns it and it owns him.

I agree with you.

Hahaha. good one.

It’s not really inexperience that is the issue. It is the inability to gain experience that is the issue. One gains experience by choosing, going with the consequences, and through it all, have it turn out. If a man votes present and will not choose, something is wrong with him. He’s dangerous. A leader like this is positively unnerving – like he has the position but is a non-leader.

Frankly, enduring an Obama presidency is one very upsetting, anxiety-producing experience.

Frankly, enduring an Obama presidency is one very upsetting, anxiety-producing experience.

Generically speaking, now Bush supporters know what us against Bush went through — and now on to the next bastard and the same upsetting, anxiety-producing feelings regarding President Oxymoron!

I believe President Obama is doing the right thing but not rushing into war like Bush did back in 2003. And it seems some people prefer to rush back into Afghanistan. This is a complicated issue and President Obana should take as long as needed to make the right decision. I’d rather see President Obama take a year and make the right decision, than rush into it and make the wrong one.

I think the incident at Fort Hood, but the alleged shooter have complicated matters. President Obama wants to be careful with the appearance of acting too hastily in increasing troop levels, as it would be seen as a backlash against Muslims. Inflaming the Islamic street would not be smart diplomacy right now. As we have learned from Bush, inflaming the Islamic street resulted in the radicalization of many, otherwise, moderate Muslims, which would ultimately place us and the troops in danger.

Obviously, FF, you have no one you care about who is now stationed in Afghanistan. Because if you did, I doubt that the year-long decision making meme would hold.

No one is expecting Obama to “rush.” But there’s a median between rushing and diddling.

And btw, the scoop right now is that he’ll be sending 34,000, stringing it out over the next year.

Which, I guess, is an attempt to satisfy everyone. Which, in the end, will satisfy no one.

Not the decision of true leadership.

Oh, I know. You disagree.

Exactly, Unabashed Galt.

We suffered 8 long years of non-leadership. Only to get another 4 years to endure.

Oh, happy days!

Agreed, Larry. Executive skills and experience sorely missing in the fraud.

“I’d rather see President Obama take a year and make the right decision, than rush into it and make the wrong one.”

I’d like to see him do this with Stimulus, Son of Stimulus, healthcare, and cap and trade…..

So, what was the excuse before the Ft. Hood incident, FF? McChrystal’s request has been sitting on the POTUS’s desk since August.

A backlash against Muslims??? Excuse me, who exactly flew those planes into the WTC and the Pentagon and ditched a plane into that barren field in Pennsylvania?

Irish Catholics? German Protestants? Borneo Pygmies?

No!!! Muslim extremists.

Will you get real? As for “moderate” Muslims? I’m still waiting for the group howl, the Mothers for Murdered Daughters and Wives, Muslim Men Against Terrorism. A complete denunciation of violence here, around the world, anytime, everywhere with out the qualifying “but,” or you must understand . . .

No! I do not need to understand the mind of murderers. Not whether he/she is a Muslim, an Irish Catholic or a Christian fundamentalist.

Wrong is wrong. There is no excuse, no mitigating circumstances.

A murderer is only one thing . . . a murderer.

And we should be afraid of inflaming the Islamic street?

What a frigging joke!

I would love some reporter to specifically ask him about this line in the book, particularly with respect to the current situation with the Major at Fort Hood.

“Oh the pain!”
—Dr. Smith

And we should be afraid of inflaming the Islamic street?

Yeah, just like if Oxymoron wasn’t “elected” there would be rioting by blacks. Makes me wonder why did not all the white people riot when McCain wasn’t elected?

The fact so many people failed to see the racism in the threat of black riots by astounds me still to this day.

Yea lorac! People need to understand the malicious nature of this administration that is clearly demonstrated by it’s mad rushes toward dubious goals, and it’s foot dragging toward crucial goals. This administration intentionally spends a great deal more time creating false priorities, than it does substantially addressing the real priorities. It’s nothing more than a pacifying bread and circus distraction, aimed at pleasing the bozos who put them in power.

Since he campaigned on the fact that this is the “necessary war” and committed to a strategy back in March that he is now trying to renege on, it really doesn’t make much sense to imply Obama would be rushing if he gave McChrystal his troop request all at once.

Further, an important point about McChrystal — he is hot the big troop incursion guy, he is the stealth counterterrorism guy — who has always made a lot happen with few troops. If HE is asking for this, Obama should listen.

Remember what happened when Bush didn’t listen to his Generals on the ground at the beginning of Iraq? We got 4 more years of diddling and death. Then, finally, the surge worked like gangbusters (regardless of the fact that I wish we hadn’t gone in in the first place). You cannot underfund what your people on the ground are telling you to do — Afghanistan was always the place that got ignored.

Comment on both of the above: Two options….fight this war….or get out. The delaying and partial course of action is so similar to the prosecution of the war in Viet Nam I think I’m experiencing deja vu. Obama needs to make timely, decisive, and effective decisions. If he is going to prosecute this war more horsepower is needed all the way to the end. A less vigorous approach puts the troops already engaged in increased peril. In my mind, ‘timely’ means really, really soon….not another year or even another 2-3 months. In addition, I believe our military leadership needs to proceed with far less political inhibitions. PC is inappropriate in this war. And if it is decided to give up this area and quit the fight….then get them all out of there before more needless deaths and injuries occur.

The truly sorry fact is that LJ is correct; our ‘Commander’ is not much of a military leader and doesn’t appear to be able to sort out the recommendations of his own appointed military leadership. Does this make anyone wonder if he doesn’t even trust his own military appointees?

BO is like the light bulb in the Pink Panthers basement.
Drip…Drip….Drip…

I’d rather see President Obama take a year and make the right decision, than rush into it and make the wrong one.

FF, You obviously have not read SunTzu’s “Art of War”

Strategy without tactics is the slowest route to victory. Tactics without strategy is the noise before defeat.

Thus, what is of supreme importance in war is to attack the enemy’s strategy.

BO has NO military knowledge. None. Zip. Chairman for Nato affairs in Afghanistan. Not even present. Drip Drip Drip

Obama talked about Afghanistan being the focus, but he also was talking about a bigger strategic focus. It was never only about more troops. Go back and read the statements.

By the way, the troops that are being request would take up to 1 year to be put in place. It is not like all of sudden they were going to pop-up in August in Afghanistan.

I also think there has been to much listening too to the generals at times. Often just like in Vietnam. Franks had zero exit plan for Iraq. And they listened to some generals more than others. They should have listened to Shinseki and others.

McChyrstal is just one opinion. There are others in th military also giving their opinion.

Your blame game or gotcha is BS on this very important issue. I again say to you, would you send your son or daughter to this war right now? That is the only test that matters.

Bloomberg reports: “Reports that President Obama has made a decision about Afghanistan are absolutely false,” Jones said in a e-mailed statement today. “Any reports to the contrary are completely untrue and come from uninformed sources.”

Why am I not surprised.

Yes indeed, playing hostage with civil rights, as if they would only apply to one race of Americans. The PC-ing and media desensitizing of rampant racism. You have been voicing for a bit now Galt, it is time to let down our hair so to speak, and just be truthful. Like it or not being the receiver on many occasions by black and Muslim and anti-war supporters, I find myself now seeing the development of some full blown biases within; which I can live with at this point in time. I know when I can “listen” and when I cannot. I don’t know if it is the fact my B.S. meter is repaired, or that I know I was irrational in a previous total hatred of all things Republican; but now I see, when I couldn’t before. I knew logically no one party is right or wrong, etc. It took being marginalized as a women, concurrent with being rejected by a party I was “devoted” to.

There is more than one seed planted by independent thought; I am experiencing the growth of those seeds, allowing me the comprehension of many perspectives, within the construct of my “opinions” and viewpoints. Spring cleaning as it were; interesting, most opinions have morphed but a few always remain the same.

You know changing my perspective, once again, has reminded me who is in charge of developing my ability to “see”.

It is liberating to no longer be a strict partisan, that’s for sure.

Folks should ask this to themselves: when was the last time I changed my viewpoint on an important issue?

If they scratch their noggin and go “Hmmmmm” that’s a sure sign of intellectual/spiritual lack of growth / stagnation.

As reminded by the Exodus thread last night: At one point I used to side with Israel, probably due to the fact I have Jewish blood in my heritage as well as swallowing the propaganda whole. Now I side with the truth, which is much more complex than any simple “us versus them” mentality.

Did it hurt when I forced myself to change my views based on logical analysis of new evidence presented to me or uncovered? Sure did! But that is a pain well worth suffering!

Most people are scared to death of changing their views. We see it on this blog in the comments.

Obama says he wants to visit Hiroshima in future

Malcolm Foster,
Associated Press Writer
Tue Nov 10, 2009
TOKYO
– President Barack Obama says he wants to visit Hiroshima and Nagasaki sometime during his presidency but won’t have time during this week’s trip to Japan to go to the cities devastated by U.S. atomic bombs at the end of World War II.

No sitting U.S. president has visited the two cities largely because of the controversy it could raise at home.

In an interview with Japanese broadcaster NHK that ran Tuesday, Obama said he would be unable to visit the cities on his trip to Japan this weekend due to time constraints but would be willing to do so in the future.

“The memories of Hiroshima and Nagasaki are etched in the minds of the world and I would be honored to have the opportunity to visit those cities at some point during my presidency,” Obama said in the interview, done Monday at the White House.

Calls have grown in Japan for Obama to visit the two cities since his April speech in Prague envisioning a nuclear-free world and since he was named Nobel Peace Prize winner last month.

The mayors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki have invited Obama to their cities before a U.N. review of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty next May. Japanese newspaper editorials and anti-nuclear activist groups have also called for Obama to come, pointing out that previous Nobel Peace Prize winners have visited the cities.

Many Japanese were impressed when new U.S. Ambassador John Roos visited Hiroshima last month, just weeks after he arrived in Tokyo.

continued…..

Speaking of “change”: Many folks in the last GE swallowed the whole nebulous “change” PR mantra whole – yet in their personal lives are still scared to death of it and do not actually embrace it.

NEXT ON THE “APOLOGY TOUR”:

Obama Says He Wants To Visit Hiroshima In Future

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091110/ap_on_re_as/as_japan_obama_hiroshima

Well Charles Blow from the New York Times called Obama a fence straddler on MSNBCs Morning Joke earlier today. He said that Obama is afraid of making a decision that might be wrong so that he doesn’t ever really make a decision.

Sometimes you got to shit or get off the pot. You can only talk something to death for so long. Make a decision Present Obama (and yes, that’s intentionally “Present” instead of President) and let the chips fall where they may. A supreme narcissist like himself will be able to spin any results as positive so I don’t understand the fear to act. Maybe because it opens him up to criticism which is something Obama trys to avoid.

Twelve years of that sucking sound in DC is going to be terribly difficult for someone who is even marginally qualified to overcome.

“Me? No, I’m nothing like those guys,” she/he said. “You can believe me.”

The war in Afghanistan is unnecessary and evil. We should leave. Yesterday.
McCrystal is no military genius/ saint either. He’s stationed half the troops in freaking Bagram. Nuristan? Camp Keating? He signed off on the lies about Tilman for which he should have been court martialed and demoted. He was responsible for Task Force 6-26 at Camp Nama.
He was appointed by BHO. If he were not doing what BHO wanted then BHO would replace him even as he did McKiernan. They aren’t talking Long War strategy for nothing. The plan is to make it last as long as possible. All 80,000 troops and then some will be deployed before all’s said and done. I don’t know why everyone acts so doubtful. He’s a warmonger bought and paid for, same as the last pos.

The war in Afghanistan is unnecessary and evil.

President Oxymoron said the war in Afghanistan was necessary. Now it appears he is waffling or never believed that in the first place.

He should take one position or the other and stick with it and show some backbone.

Yes indeed, it was much easier for him to pretend to be President while he was campaigning and perpetrating fraud to gain the office. Karma rules.

Without commenting on the pros and cons of staying in Afghanistan, Obama is making the worst choice possible. It’s like telling a builder who is trying follow the plan to a house being told by the owner, “I know you need this much lumber and cement, but you’ll have to make do with half that.” What is a half built house going to do for anyone?

I might do a toon on this…

If the Telegraph report is straight, he went with a slightly reinforced middle option. Completely filling that request and only slightly short of the maximum. I’m willing to give it a shot.

After a seventh meeting with senior advisers on the thorny issue of reinforcements, officials said he favoured the middle of three options presented by Gen Stanley McChrystal, the Nato and US commander in Afghanistan.

At the meetings – totalling 20 hours – Gen McChrystal had presented scenarios involving 40,000 more troops, 30,000 more and 20,000.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/afghanistan

Good analogy, Pat. There seem to be three schools of thought on this:

1) The “whole housers” want an entire house, with plumbing, electricity, and all the amenities.

2) The “no housers” want to leave the lot vacant, regardless of what kind of varmints may come to infest the empty acreage.

3) The “half-housers” want to placate and please everybody.

“So then because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew you out of my mouth.”

I might do a toon on this…

Some sort of waffle(r) metaphor?

Or Larry’s “punting” metaphor?

The basic problem with the suspense as to how many additional troops Obama will ultimately decide to send to Afghanistan, comes from the Administration’s failure to control their public relations strategy. They should never have allowed Obama to publicly appear to be indefinately pondering the decision. There are plenty of other issues the White House could have focused on to divert attention from the appearance of presidential indecision.

As far as any ultimate decision he will reach, it is imperative that the twenty-seven other members of NATO be pressured to contribute, if not more troops, certainly more military aid, trainers, etc. The George W. Bush era is over. If necessary, the U.S. should pull additional troops for Afghanistan out of some bases in Europe. That should hopefully send a strong signal of displeasure to the other NATO members.

For people who favor the complete withdrawal of US troops out of Afghanistan, I think that it is safe to assume that if the Taliban regains control of Afghanistan, Al-Quada’s terrorist bases will then be on both sides of the border, in Afghanistan, as well as Pakistan. Do we really wish to go back to a pre-911 situation?