Stop the Escalation

[Joseph & Ana 0]

And where were you when Iraq was invaded?? Surely not asking your Congressman to fight against it... or where you?

Why aren't you asking your congressman to stop this escalation of violence?

[HAL 9000 96]

And where were you when Iraq was invaded?? Surely not asking your Congressman to fight against it... or where you?

Why aren't you asking your congressman to stop this escalation of violence?

I'm curious about your perspective pre-Obama. What was it?? A simple question. This is not about me.

[Joseph & Ana 0]

You either pay for things you break or at the least... fix them.

So I would assume that the experts and Generals feel it is a good strategy to announce a 30,000 troop increase in Afghanistan, then tell the enemy that they'll be gone by 2011 "if conditions on the ground warrant it" ---catch my drift Mr. Terrorist man? Hint hint? Just stop attacking until the end of that timeframe, and we'll be gone and you can go back to what you were doing before. If you're real good, we can get out alltogether and hand over the country to you! How's that!

[HAL 9000 96]

Oh brother.

[Joseph & Ana 0]

And where were you when Iraq was invaded?? Surely not asking your Congressman to fight against it... or where you?

Why aren't you asking your congressman to stop this escalation of violence?

I'm curious about your perspective pre-Obama. What was it?? A simple question. This is not about me.

This is not about me either.

[HAL 9000 96]

And where were you when Iraq was invaded?? Surely not asking your Congressman to fight against it... or where you?

Why aren't you asking your congressman to stop this escalation of violence?

I'm curious about your perspective pre-Obama. What was it?? A simple question. This is not about me.

This is not about me either.

So no answer. I smell more than a Red Herring... I smell Hypocrite, pure and simple.

[Joseph & Ana 0]

And where were you when Iraq was invaded?? Surely not asking your Congressman to fight against it... or where you?

Why aren't you asking your congressman to stop this escalation of violence?

I'm curious about your perspective pre-Obama. What was it?? A simple question. This is not about me.

This is not about me either.

So no answer. I smell more than a Red Herring... I smell Hypocrite, pure and simple.

You're right. There's a hypocrit here. What was your position on the "escalation" that Bush pulled?

[one...two...tree 2,762]

I'm thoroughly disappointed in Obama over this...seriously.

[HAL 9000 96]

And where were you when Iraq was invaded?? Surely not asking your Congressman to fight against it... or where you?

Why aren't you asking your congressman to stop this escalation of violence?

I'm curious about your perspective pre-Obama. What was it?? A simple question. This is not about me.

This is not about me either.

So no answer. I smell more than a Red Herring... I smell Hypocrite, pure and simple.

You're right. There's a hypocrit here. What was your position on the "escalation" that Bush pulled?

Which one?

Afghanistan - I accepted it for what it was.

Iraq - No.

See? Simple. I don't need to cry like a baby and certainly not avoid the issue.

[Joseph & Ana 0]

And where were you when Iraq was invaded?? Surely not asking your Congressman to fight against it... or where you?

Why aren't you asking your congressman to stop this escalation of violence?

I'm curious about your perspective pre-Obama. What was it?? A simple question. This is not about me.

This is not about me either.

So no answer. I smell more than a Red Herring... I smell Hypocrite, pure and simple.

You're right. There's a hypocrit here. What was your position on the "escalation" that Bush pulled?

Which one?

Afghanistan - I accepted it for what it was.

Iraq - No.

See? Simple. I don't need to cry like a baby and certainly not avoid the issue.

The democrats were in unison that an "escalation" would not improve things in Iraq. How will it improve Afghanistan where it wouldn't have worked in Iraq? (which it did)

[nowhereman 1]

You either pay for things you break or at the least... fix them.

So I would assume that the experts and Generals feel it is a good strategy to announce a 30,000 troop increase in Afghanistan, then tell the enemy that they'll be gone by 2011 "if conditions on the ground warrant it" ---catch my drift Mr. Terrorist man? Hint hint? Just stop attacking until the end of that timeframe, and we'll be gone and you can go back to what you were doing before. If you're real good, we can get out alltogether and hand over the country to you! How's that!

So you preferred the Bush approach... write a blank check to the Afghan & Iraq governments, with no defined end state or benchmarks for success? All military operations should have a "commander's intent" (tactical level) or a strategic end state... an open ended, undefined end state isn't an end state at all. Moreover the statement "if conditions on the ground warrant it" is key; 2011 is a goal but not set in stone. Finally I haven't seen details of President Obama's plan but I imagine it will include a sizable force (maybe a division) that is nearby & ready to respond quickly if something flares up after troops are withdrawn.

[Joseph & Ana 0]

You either pay for things you break or at the least... fix them.

So I would assume that the experts and Generals feel it is a good strategy to announce a 30,000 troop increase in Afghanistan, then tell the enemy that they'll be gone by 2011 "if conditions on the ground warrant it" ---catch my drift Mr. Terrorist man? Hint hint? Just stop attacking until the end of that timeframe, and we'll be gone and you can go back to what you were doing before. If you're real good, we can get out alltogether and hand over the country to you! How's that!

So you preferred the Bush approach... write a blank check to the Afghan & Iraq governments, with no defined end state or benchmarks for success? All military operations should have a "commander's intent" (tactical level) or a strategic end state... an open ended, undefined end state isn't an end state at all. Moreover the statement "if conditions on the ground warrant it" is key; 2011 is a goal but not set in stone. Finally I haven't seen details of President Obama's plan but I imagine it will include a sizable force (maybe a division) that is nearby & ready to respond quickly if something flares up after troops are withdrawn.

Lock-stock-and-barrel once again eh? Pull out, and then if it goes wrong, go in again.. This from a veteran? Ridiculous.

[HAL 9000 96]

And where were you when Iraq was invaded?? Surely not asking your Congressman to fight against it... or where you?

Why aren't you asking your congressman to stop this escalation of violence?

I'm curious about your perspective pre-Obama. What was it?? A simple question. This is not about me.

This is not about me either.

So no answer. I smell more than a Red Herring... I smell Hypocrite, pure and simple.

You're right. There's a hypocrit here. What was your position on the "escalation" that Bush pulled?

Which one?

Afghanistan - I accepted it for what it was.

Iraq - No.

See? Simple. I don't need to cry like a baby and certainly not avoid the issue.

The democrats were in unison that an "escalation" would not improve things in Iraq. How will it improve Afghanistan where it wouldn't have worked in Iraq? (which it did)

Because Iraq is not the same place as Afghanistan.

Still evading the question... hmmmm...

Don't let too many posts go by OK??

[nowhereman 1]

The democrats were in unison that an "escalation" would not improve things in Iraq. How will it improve Afghanistan where it wouldn't have worked in Iraq? (which it did)

From the very beginning (to include during his campaign) Obama said he would beef up Afghanistan. His message has been very consistent concerning Iraq & Afghanistan & the facts have supported his position (i.e. a link was found between 9/11 and Afghanistan but even Cheney himself stated no credible link was ever found between Iraq and 9/11). The democrats are fractured on this issue & many more, so it is highly inaccurate to paint the picture that all democrats oppose additional troops in Afghanistan.

[HAL 9000 96]

Well it IS Joe you're replying to... don't let fact disturb that Red Herring.