30,000 more to Afghanistan

[mat1583]

Obama is sending 30,000 more troops to Afghanistan: http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/12/01/obama.afghanistan/index.html

Forget about the past 8 years and the previous administration. This move just seems like a disaster in the making.

-The United States is $12 Trillion in debt
-We've been fighting this war for 8 years, and Obama hopes to end it in 3...a total of 11 years.
-The US Armed Forces are already having resource problems. Weapons and vehicles are in short supply and are not getting there soon enough.
-Obama wants the troops there in 6 months; it's a rather short time, but the Army says "We can do it."

Whether or not I feel like we should be fighting this war, I just don't believe the US can sustain a war like this for 3 more years and come out victorious. It is my perception that although this wasn't a rushed decision, it is a desperate rush to action once the decision was made. I see nothing good coming out of this, but hopefully I'm wrong.

When will the US realize it can't and shouldn't be the police of the world?

[Aussie3rddayfan]

Obama is sending 30,000 more troops to Afghanistan: http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/12/01/obama.afghanistan/index.html

Forget about the past 8 years and the previous administration. This move just seems like a disaster in the making.

-The United States is $12 Trillion in debt
-We've been fighting this war for 8 years, and Obama hopes to end it in 3...a total of 11 years.
-The US Armed Forces are already having resource problems. Weapons and vehicles are in short supply and are not getting there soon enough.
-Obama wants the troops there in 6 months; it's a rather short time, but the Army says "We can do it."

Whether or not I feel like we should be fighting this war, I just don't believe the US can sustain a war like this for 3 more years and come out victorious. It is my perception that although this wasn't a rushed decision, it is a desperate rush to action once the decision was made. I see nothing good coming out of this, but hopefully I'm wrong.

When will the US realize it can't and shouldn't be the police of the world?

Putting aside the argument of whether or not the US should be there, isn't it a good thing that if the US Army is under-resourced in Afghanistan that they are getting more troops, vehicles and weapons?

[mat1583]

Putting aside the argument of whether or not the US should be there, isn't it a good thing that if the US Army is under-resourced in Afghanistan that they are getting more troops, vehicles and weapons?

They are sending more troops. That doesn't necessarily mean they are getting all the vehicles/weapons they need to do the job correctly.

My future cousin is at Ft. Benning right now and on standby for immediate deployment to Afghanistan. He was supposed to be deployed in February following our wedding (Whitney & I), but it could be any time now.

[Evanescence]

Joke...

[Aussie3rddayfan]

I don't think it's a joke. Obama is in a difficult situation in which he is likely to be damned if he does and damned if he doesn't. He has inherited a highly criticised and unpopular war in Afghanistan where American troops are stationed in a foreign country against the wishes of both the UN and the US. Even if he pulled out every troop tomorrow (which just isn't possible) and things went sour (and they would) he'd cop a mauling from both the media and the opposition. On the other hand, if he keeps them there he is accused of simply following on from what Bush did and of costing America billions of tax-payer dollars from which the people get no tangible return. That's what I hate about public opinion and the media; everybody thinks they're an expert, that they could do so much better and that things are always simple and straightforward. Ignorance is bliss I guess (I am starting to sound like you, E!).

[Musicdude]

Obama is in a difficult situation in which he is likely to be damned if he does and damned if he doesn't.

Maybe now he knows how GW felt post 9/11.

I agree with all of your post, btw.

[Aussie3rddayfan]

Maybe now he knows how GW felt post 9/11.

I agree with all of your post, btw.

Being a political leader must be the job from hell. No matter what you do you can never please everyone (and often no one). There will always be some group complaining about how a particular policy is wrong or that it upsets some tiny minority. And then of course you have the greatest political force in all existence - the media - ready to cast judgment on your every move which the public then absorb and use to vote or keep new leaders.

[Jesuslove]

Maybe now he knows how GW felt post 9/11.

I agree with all of your post, btw.

It is a difficult situation. I had no issue with GWB sending troops into Afghanistan to go after bin Laden and the Taliban, however, he lost my support when he felt it necessary to send US troops into Iraq.

[mat1583]

I don't think it's a joke. Obama is in a difficult situation in which he is likely to be damned if he does and damned if he doesn't. He has inherited a highly criticised and unpopular war in Afghanistan where American troops are stationed in a foreign country against the wishes of both the UN and the US. Even if he pulled out every troop tomorrow (which just isn't possible) and things went sour (and they would) he'd cop a mauling from both the media and the opposition. On the other hand, if he keeps them there he is accused of simply following on from what Bush did and of costing America billions of tax-payer dollars from which the people get no tangible return. That's what I hate about public opinion and the media; everybody thinks they're an expert, that they could do so much better and that things are always simple and straightforward. Ignorance is bliss I guess (I am starting to sound like you, E!).

If we want to talk about policy, Obama's campaign was focused on the vague idea of "change". Nearly nothing has changed since he took office, except the economy. 'Inheriting' a war does not mean you have to continue it.

I believe that if the first 6 months - year of this campaign goes sour, we're going to see a similar reaction in Congress that Gerald Ford got in the mid 70's - Congress will cut funding to military operations in Afghanistan. Some Democrats are already switching gears and expressing discontent with Obama's decision. It's already an unpopular war, and when your nation is trillions in debt and losing thousands of sons and daughters, it's only a matter of time before someone pulls the plug.

[HumanityisSaved]

Obama= Epic Fail!

[Aussie3rddayfan]

If we want to talk about policy, Obama's campaign was focused on the vague idea of "change". Nearly nothing has changed since he took office, except the economy. 'Inheriting' a war does not mean you have to continue it.

I believe that if the first 6 months - year of this campaign goes sour, we're going to see a similar reaction in Congress that Gerald Ford got in the mid 70's - Congress will cut funding to military operations in Afghanistan. Some Democrats are already switching gears and expressing discontent with Obama's decision. It's already an unpopular war, and when your nation is trillions in debt and losing thousands of sons and daughters, it's only a matter of time before someone pulls the plug.

Problems cannot be fixed overnight. The economy in the US will take years to fully recover, the health-care system will take a considerable amount of reworking (and agreement by Congress) and the situation with American troops overseas is a lot more complicated than most voters would like to admit. The fact of the matter is this - Obama has had only one year as President and yet people are already condemning him for not fixing the war in Afghanistan, not fixing the economy and not fixing the health-care system. Many people aren't interested in giving him a fair go but rather looking for an excuse to blame him for something because they didn't like him in the first place.

There is no such thing as a quick fix to these problems however people in their ignorance and prejudices think there are. :rolleyes:

[mat1583]

Problems cannot be fixed overnight. The economy in the US will take years to fully recover, the health-care system will take a considerable amount of reworking (and agreement by Congress) and the situation with American troops overseas is a lot more complicated than most voters would like to admit. The fact of the matter is this - Obama has had only one year as President and yet people are already condemning him for not fixing the war in Afghanistan, not fixing the economy and not fixing the health-care system. Many people aren't interested in giving him a fair go but rather looking for an excuse to blame him for something because they didn't like him in the first place.

There is no such thing as a quick fix to these problems however people in their ignorance and prejudices think there are. :rolleyes:

Let's not bring health care and the economy into this, except for the fact that spending billions more on this war is certainly not going to help strengthen our economy.

I agree there is no quick fix for a war like this, but I do not believe the fix is to extend an 8 year war another 3 years. I do not believe it is worth fighting the Taliban and trying to bring democracy to Afghanistan. I do not believe we should be meddling in the affairs of other nations (We have troops stationed in over 130 different countries). In my eyes, this is a political move on the part of Obama. He's hoping that he can win the war in 3 years and get re-elected.

[Howlin' Wolf]

Let's not bring health care and the economy into this, except for the fact that spending billions more on this war is certainly not going to help strengthen our economy.

I agree there is no quick fix for a war like this, but I do not believe the fix is to extend an 8 year war another 3 years. I do not believe it is worth fighting the Taliban and trying to bring democracy to Afghanistan. I do not believe we should be meddling in the affairs of other nations (We have troops stationed in over 130 different countries). In my eyes, this is a political move on the part of Obama. He's hoping that he can win the war in 3 years and get re-elected.
+1

[HumanityisSaved]

Let's not bring health care and the economy into this, except for the fact that spending billions more on this war is certainly not going to help strengthen our economy.

I agree there is no quick fix for a war like this, but I do not believe the fix is to extend an 8 year war another 3 years. I do not believe it is worth fighting the Taliban and trying to bring democracy to Afghanistan. I do not believe we should be meddling in the affairs of other nations (We have troops stationed in over 130 different countries). In my eyes, this is a political move on the part of Obama. He's hoping that he can win the war in 3 years and get re-elected.

RON PAUL and Mat1583 in 2012!

[mat1583]

RON PAUL and Mat1583 in 2012!

:) I had a chance to meet my hero last year, but not enough money to attend the conference he was at. I'm in Auburn, AL, the home of the Mises Institute - a Libertarian think tank. They held a conference and he was one of the speakers. My friend Russ got to meet him and his wife.

[Aussie3rddayfan]

Let's not bring health care and the economy into this, except for the fact that spending billions more on this war is certainly not going to help strengthen our economy.

I agree there is no quick fix for a war like this, but I do not believe the fix is to extend an 8 year war another 3 years. I do not believe it is worth fighting the Taliban and trying to bring democracy to Afghanistan. I do not believe we should be meddling in the affairs of other nations (We have troops stationed in over 130 different countries). In my eyes, this is a political move on the part of Obama. He's hoping that he can win the war in 3 years and get re-elected.


So what should he do then? I would find it difficult to believe that Obama believes he can win a war in three years that Bush could not in eight years. If he wanted to be popular all he'd have to do is announce a gradual troop pullout over the next 12 months. Of course, he'd then have to brace for the inevitable criticism when Afghanistan and Iraq go to hell.

[phil_ur_friend]

Obama is sending 30,000 troops after being informed that we require 60,000 troops to effectively finish what we started.

I think that a parallel could be drawn with a doctor who prescribes exactly half the amount of antibiotics necessary to eliminate a deadly infection.

Anything less than an effective dose is worse than nothing at all.

I think that Obama and Osama are in league with each other to cripple America.

A very sad state of affairs...

Phil, your friend

[Aussie3rddayfan]

Obama is sending 30,000 troops after being informed that we require 60,000 troops to effectively finish what we started.

I think that a parallel could be drawn with a doctor who prescribes exactly half the amount of antibiotics necessary to eliminate a deadly infection.

Anything less than an effective dose is worse than nothing at all.

I think that Obama and Osama are in league with each other to cripple America.

A very sad state of affairs...

Phil, your friend

Twice the troops means twice the money. If Obama did that they'd hang him from the Washington Monument.

[HumanityisSaved]

:) I had a chance to meet my hero last year, but not enough money to attend the conference he was at. I'm in Auburn, AL, the home of the Mises Institute - a Libertarian think tank. They held a conference and he was one of the speakers. My friend Russ got to meet him and his wife.

Awesome! I'd love to have his autograph he is a true Constitutional Conservative.

[Grank]

it's a plan that has a chance to work... don't forget about the extra nato troops as well.

if we really can cripple what's left of the taliban in the next three years AND strengthen Afghanistan AND get the Pakistani people to cooperate against the taliban then I'd say we have a good shot.

hope so anyway, i'm headed that way in Oct. Either there or Iraq, but my money's on Afghanistan... better pack some hoodies

[phil_ur_friend]

Twice the troops means twice the money. If Obama did that they'd hang him from the Washington Monument.

I think that the days of Obama worrying about what this country thinks were over the second he was sworn in.

[Aussie3rddayfan]

I think that the days of Obama worrying about what this country thinks were over the second he was sworn in.

What makes you say that?