Comments on: Oh Afghanistan http://politicsandpress.com/2009/oh-afghanistan/ The interaction of the press and politics; public diplomacy, and daily absurdities. Sun, 05 Feb 2012 03:44:03 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: rhode island credit repair http://politicsandpress.com/2009/oh-afghanistan/comment-page-1/#comment-14540 rhode island credit repair Wed, 09 Dec 2009 10:27:10 +0000 http://politicsandpress.com/?p=392#comment-14540 <strong>rhode island credit repair...</strong> Wow This place is great. I have to bookmark it and come back here again!... rhode island credit repair…

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]]> By: Jeff http://politicsandpress.com/2009/oh-afghanistan/comment-page-1/#comment-14481 Jeff Wed, 02 Dec 2009 22:12:22 +0000 http://politicsandpress.com/?p=392#comment-14481 i actually think he kicked the can down the road largely in response to domestic political realites. As it is he is crapped on today by the McCainiacs for telling the world that we are getting out and by the moveoniacs who want to pull out at once. I don't think a longer stay is viable politically or economically and if McCain and his pals think anyone out there does not understand that they are even stupider than i think. and that is pretty stupid. In any case, a longer stay would probably just stick us the way ten years of involvement stuck the Russians. I would have liked to hear him talk more about Pakistan and its nuclear arsenal in relation to his strategy and I break my rule of "never assume" by assuming that he is actually constructing a strategy around the needs of Pakistan rather than Afghanistan. As for the terrorists - they are going to be with us for a very long time no matter what we do and the effort to control and confront them will continue by ways both open and covert. So, John raises serious questions that will be answered in due time - by events and domestic politics. Probably we are already in trouble.... i actually think he kicked the can down the road largely in response to domestic political realites. As it is he is crapped on today by the McCainiacs for telling the world that we are getting out and by the moveoniacs who want to pull out at once. I don’t think a longer stay is viable politically or economically and if McCain and his pals think anyone out there does not understand that they are even stupider than i think. and that is pretty stupid. In any case, a longer stay would probably just stick us the way ten years of involvement stuck the Russians. I would have liked to hear him talk more about Pakistan and its nuclear arsenal in relation to his strategy and I break my rule of “never assume” by assuming that he is actually constructing a strategy around the needs of Pakistan rather than Afghanistan. As for the terrorists – they are going to be with us for a very long time no matter what we do and the effort to control and confront them will continue by ways both open and covert. So, John raises serious questions that will be answered in due time – by events and domestic politics. Probably we are already in trouble….

]]> By: John http://politicsandpress.com/2009/oh-afghanistan/comment-page-1/#comment-14480 John Wed, 02 Dec 2009 20:37:04 +0000 http://politicsandpress.com/?p=392#comment-14480 Obama gives a good speech - no question - and it is a relief [and a welcome, a very welcome, change] to have a president with the apparent skills up to the task. But the decision Obama has made on Afghanistan assumes that, within a two-year period, 30,000 more troops will be enough to obliterate Al Qaeda and put the Taliban back into the box. Then we leave, right? If the situation were to worsen over the next two years, will Obama add still more troops or will he decide the game is over and pull the troops out? If it's possible for him to decide that the game is over, what does that say about the argument he made last night that our national security requires the addition of troops and the successful resolution of the problems in Afghanistan [and Pakistan]? If 30,000 more troops is the right answer, then they will all come home after building up the Afghanistan government. But if 30,000 more troops is not the right answer, Obama [and we] are in trouble. Obama gives a good speech – no question – and it is a relief [and a welcome, a very welcome, change] to have a president with the apparent skills up to the task. But the decision Obama has made on Afghanistan assumes that, within a two-year period, 30,000 more troops will be enough to obliterate Al Qaeda and put the Taliban back into the box. Then we leave, right? If the situation were to worsen over the next two years, will Obama add still more troops or will he decide the game is over and pull the troops out? If it’s possible for him to decide that the game is over, what does that say about the argument he made last night that our national security requires the addition of troops and the successful resolution of the problems in Afghanistan [and Pakistan]? If 30,000 more troops is the right answer, then they will all come home after building up the Afghanistan government. But if 30,000 more troops is not the right answer, Obama [and we] are in trouble.

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