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Nation-building is misuse of our troops
Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2009 | 2:02 a.m.
War is hell.
While at war there is one single objective: winning the conflict (this might include, regrettably, civilian deaths). The result is the complete and unconditional surrender of the enemy.
Regime change and nation-building are completely different. In these endeavors, winning the conflict and the complete and unconditional surrender of the enemy are set aside because the end result is political.
For a commander in chief to use troops, which have been trained to win military conflicts, for regime change and nation building is unconscionable. That would be the equivalent of asking Rocky Marciano to fight with one hand tied behind his back. I sure that had Rocky been so handicapped his record would not be 49-0.
This is exactly what our commanders in chief have asked American troops to do since the last time Congress declared war, in 1941. Our record since World War II stands at 0-1-1, with Korea the tie. Currently we are involve in two political conflicts for a period approaching eight years.
Where might we be had Congress declared war on Afghanistan on Sept. 12, 2001? Might al-Qaida now be extinct? Might Osama bin Laden be dead or in prison? Might the Taliban no longer be a threat to Afghanistan or Pakistan?
These are questions that can never be answered because troops were sent to Iraq for a political purpose at the expense of a war in Afghanistan.
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make no mistake...
you simply can not start a war based on lies...
you can not send 4,000 americans to their death...
you can not kill 100,000 innocent iraqis...
just can not do it...
w the scum bag liar loser clown...
and cheney the evil doer...
and those who voted for them...
have blood on their hands...
and their after life will be rather...
well..
warm!!!
No mistake here - as Obama sends more troops into Afganistan and does not see pulling all troops out of Iraq for many years. Maybe Obama realizes the advantage of taking the conflict to them rather than having it on our shores - like Bush did. No attacks on the homeland since we went over there and took the fight to them rather than waiting for them to come back here.
Yeah, that Taliban navy is a real threat to "our shores." And that al qaeda air force can strike at any time!
Get real. As long as we keep wasting money on useless wars we compromise our ability to increase our security by not inspecting cargo and securing our borders. The longer we continue the Bush screw ups the higher the risk of a small nuclear device being detonated in America increases. I would say a terrorist chemical attack is next and probably inevitable due to our inability to spend on better security.
I'm not too concerned about an invasion of Manhattan from an Iranian fleet in the Hudson River. Be realistic with that "fight them over there" stupidity. They're everywhere and they're not wearing uniforms.
We have had no business in Iran, Iraq or Afghanistan to build democracies there. These are ancient, tribal based nations and democracy is not what they want or will eventually accept. We are wasting our blood, treasury, time, national reputation, and effort.
These people do not want us there. They were satisfied making camel-hair carpets, milking goats and beating and brutalizing the hell out of their women as is their tradition; until oil was discovered there and the French and British decided to steal it by any means possible no one in the western culture could have given a fat rat's a-- about that!
Only 100 years ago they lived as wandering desert tribes herding goats and sheep. Today, because of the oil they own the world; they want our technology for their purposes but not our democracy. We have no business trying to convert them to western ways; that is not their life style and it never has been, nor will it ever be so.
Why should we care if they punish their criminals with beheading or stoning them to death? It is none of our business... It is their culture and their way, not ours, nor any of our business.
We need to get the hell out of these countries. We need to protect ourselves because we will never be able to negotiate with terrorists. The only thing they understand is power.
Make no mistake we are in a life or death struggle with these dark ages cultures. They want all western culture destroyed by any means possible. We need to be strong to defend ourselves against any future attack or threat inside of this country.
We need to make it clear to any terrorist nation that an attack on the U.S. will bring a rain of death and destruction which will turn their country into a barren nuclear wasteland like an empty parking lot. We will defend our allies with the same vigor with which these terrorists desire to destroy them.
So instead of tax dollars being spent on stimulus and health care, why doesn't the Obama admin spend money on increased port inspections and securing the border? Oh, I remember, that was not part of his campaign agenda. In fact, I have not heard one word from this admin on borders or increased security.
brownln4 Because, at the time the crumbling economy was more of a threat to our country than terrorists were. Now, out of control health care costs threaten individual Americans every day as "medical bankruptcies" are a major crisis and individual workers won't acknowledge the increased costs of employer health care, co-pays, and prescription drugs.
Wayne- your trying to tell me that the terrorists were not a threat in January ? That only since January, health care costs are out of control and are causing medical bankrupcies? Gee, how about stimulus money creating jobs for port security, with medical benefits. How about stimulus money hiring auditors, with medical benefits, to check on gov't waste and medicare fraud? No, we have to use the money for democrats earmarks to study the sex life of a beetle. Makes sense to me.
The wailer states: "Where might we be had Congress declared war on Afghanistan on Sept. 12, 2001?"
Afghanistan did not attack the U.S. so why in the world would we declare war on them? Afghanistan is/was a broken nation and terrorist organizations were using it as a training base to launch attacks against the U.S. and other nations. We launched attacks against those terrorist organizations within Afghanistan.
Hey Wayne-Didn't the Taliban Navy successfully attack the US Cole and blow a 40x60 foot hole in it and kill a number of sailors? Yeah, they only had a small inflatable but it worked real well. Imagine what a small submarine could do in New York Harbor planting a number of bombs on ships berthed there. You don't need an aircraft carrier to wage war. Anything that floats does just fine.
I see a major attack coming fairly soon which will kill many more than 9/11 did. After Obama stands around and looks stupid for a while he will do nothing but talk and that will effectively end his presidency.
For decades, if not centuries, other countries have tried to 'civilize' or 'westernize' Afghanistan and have failed: The British, Russia, and now the U.S.A.
It is not going to happen in our lifetime. Theirs is a tribal nation based on tribal loyalties and rivalries that we do not really understand or appreciate. This is the way it has been for over 2,000 years. They are a primitive nation, with no industrialization, central authorities of any worth and that is the way it is going to be for eons of time to come.
They are basically suited for their stone-age or Dark Age culture and thinking. That is the way they have wanted it or it would have changed long ago. Essentially they are satisfied to live this way or there would have been internal revolution and eventual change.
Why should we care if they beat the hell out of their women and treat them like cattle? It is not our business. So what if they behead or stone to death disidents, criminals and violaters of the Muslim code of living? It is not our concern. So what if they are satisfied to live in caves or mud huts infested with rats, roaches, lice and ticks, drink from muddied wells, don't bath daily,don't go to formal school? It is not our concern... They are satisified to live like they do and that should be good enough for us.
We have no right to impose our ways, morals, ideas, religion or anything else upon these or other people. Other cultures have invaded Afhganistan and have tried to change it...no success for them and there will be no success for us.
We should not try to be building a colony there or imposing western ways there... We are not intended to be building a new nation there; it is not our concern and the sooner we realized it the better. We need to mind our own business and get the hell out of there ASAP. Let other "civilized" decide to do their part for once.... Let mighty France or Great Britain have a go at it ... They have screwed up the near east for so long that they may as well give this another try.
The orignal 9-11 attack did not come from there it came from Saudi Arabia...that is where it was planned and the terror support originated. We should have nuked the crappola out of that country if we wanted revenge...
Don't look for a Taliban sub to attack Atlantic City. Read the Hart Rudman report on terrorism given to G.W. when he took office. You'll probably find it in his trash can with the wrapper still on it.
Wayne: GREAT POSTS
The only common sense posts here today.