Comments on: ‘Surge’ And ‘Escalation’ Are Not Synonyms

By: Offending the Most People the Least « Just Above Sunset

Offending the Most People the Least « Just Above Sunset — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 07:38:19 +0000

[...] And sooner or later those who say that all this was too little, and too late, will look at the facts. Take Spencer Ackerman calling out the Wall Street Journal: [...]

By: CutnPaste

CutnPaste — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 05:09:47 +0000

Yes, this is all very depressing. I'm listening to Chris Matthews on MSNBC right now and he's calling the escalation and handoff to the Afghans “The Obama Doctrine.” Spencer, you need to do that article.

By: saltcity

saltcity — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 04:40:34 +0000

rogerthat,
I think the 30,000 number (if true) is disingenuous as well, as if it were some kind of “half way point” between the hawks and the one's who want us out. 40,000 was the alleged request number-as if he can tell the left “look here, it's an increase but NOT all the generals want”
btw
generals always want more troops (more tanks, more planes, more ships, etc-more $400/gallon gasoline/diesel)

By: uberVU - social comments

uberVU - social comments — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 03:44:09 +0000

Social comments and analytics for this post…

This post was mentioned on Twitter by FooteSteppes: RT @attackerman: ‘surge’ and ‘escalation’ are not synonyms. Here’s how to distinguish them. http://bit.ly/7JMseG...

By: CutnPaste

CutnPaste — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 00:15:44 +0000

I tend to agree with you, SaltCity, and the news coming from your friend is alarming. This is the speech I would like to hear Obama give tonight: The Afghan Speech Obama Should Give (But Won't) http://www.thenation.com/doc/20091214/engelhard....

By: CutnPaste

CutnPaste — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 00:09:47 +0000

By: saltcity

saltcity — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 23:40:34 +0000

By: CutnPaste

CutnPaste — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 19:15:44 +0000

By: saltcity

saltcity — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 19:06:24 +0000

As a side note one of my friends will be deploying to Afghanistan later next year with his civil affairs unit. He told me that they were told they would be doing a little “payoff” scheme like we used with the Sunnis in Iraq/anbar. He also said they would be doing retina scans, fingerprinting and cataloging those paid to stay neutral to make sure they weren't working both sides or involved in any way.
I think,(if what he says is true)this is a sad state of affairs concerning where we are in Afghanistan.

By: saltcity

saltcity — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 18:58:51 +0000

I defy anyone to find the term “surge” in any military manuals/histories from before the Bush years. Seriously, it sounds like a term that was “focus grouped.” It's no different than when we call the Iraq invasion the “liberation of Iraq” or other such nonsense.
We can mince words all day, but we will still be there and the killing will continue. I'm no peacenik but I'm tired of good people dying to keep crooks in power. We could send a million folks in and it wouldn't change the odds.
I think we need to wake up to the fact that we're being played. They need the uncle sam gravy train to keep running. They need us to get our people killed and do the fighting. What would motivate them to step up? I say we pack up one night and leave a nice note and some gift certificates.
there is no military solution to afghanistan!