Comments on: McChrystal Wants More Troops, More Billions for War in Afghanistan

By: james

james — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 18:54:45 +0000

McChrystal was in charge of the special forces troops who were working with Dostum when this atrocity involving the container full of people occurred.

And Obama promoted him.

By: Winski

Winski — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 15:59:34 +0000

Who’d a thunk it !!??

…never saw this a comin down the road…the guv’rnment wants more money for tanks and bombs??…hummm…must be gettin forgetful in my advanced age…hhuuhh…what are these dumb asses asking for in the next supplemental for the new war in iran??? Ahh..right now just more money for netanyaya….

By: redfish

redfish — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 14:28:39 +0000

Afghanistan is not Iraq. I question not the morality of us being there, there is no question that we should be. The question is whether or not we can win.

By: sporkovat

sporkovat — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 05:46:47 +0000

allright, we are into a much wider discussion, which probably neither of us has the time for.

but, if this was chess, my next move would be:

any other ‘predators’ in this wide world of ours we should deploy aerial weapons against?

if this is some anti-predator mission, why are the Afghan people so lucky as to have us ‘helping’ them, rather than other afflicted people around the world?

or - how are these flyboys supposed to distinguish between Taliban ‘predators’ and the population from which they arise from the safe standoff distances they prefer?

and, how is this anti-predator project conceivably worth it to the American people, when California cannot pay the janitors to mop the floors of government buildings?

and so on.

and just tangentially, both ‘pry’ and ‘owe’ are somewhat galling, considering what is being done over there.

By: macaquerman

macaquerman — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 05:16:47 +0000

What I was concerned about was that you thought I was satisfied with us merely killing fewer innocent folks than the people we’re opposing.
My idea of what we can do is to pry the predators off the population and provide them with an opportunity to keep what they work for. I’m not quite dumb enough to think that Helmand is going to become Palm Springs, but it needn’t stay the way it has become.
Up to now, we sure as shit have failed, but i think we have a few things to do, that we owe, before we go.

By: x174

x174 — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 05:08:24 +0000

Welcome to ‘the graveyard of empires,’ General.

i hope you enjoy your stay.

By: sporkovat

sporkovat — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 04:54:11 +0000

ok, I see you also include that “I also can see lots of reasons why it can fail” and I wasn’t addressing that part.

but, to me, it has already failed, has no legitimacy, and the loss of innocent life is a fucking tragedy, whether missionless or not, and lets face it, there is no credible mission in Afghanistan.

so, what’s the framework? what is ’success’? is there a timeframe? 100 years and 9 trillion dollars and the Pashtuns are wearing khakis and golfing on irrigated courses?

10 years and 1 trillion and the USA controls pipelines through a dysfunctional kleptocracy?

By: macaquerman

macaquerman — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 04:34:23 +0000

I don’t have a problem with you disagreeing with what I do say, but if you disagree with I didn’t say, I’m at a loss.

By: annamissed

annamissed — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 04:23:53 +0000

McChrystal is just the latest (in a long line of) imperial wizards called upon to apply his special formula of the magic elixor. Or in other words, the magic formula of American exceptionalism as applied, that will liberate the little American held hostage deep in the soul of the Afghan people, and cause them to reject thousands of years of indigenous culture, religion, and tribal identity and suddenly develop a need to go shopping, watch a NASCAR race, or plan a trip to Disney World.
I’m afraid that we’re living in a new dark age of alchemy where the Powers That Be are demanding lead to be turned into gold through spreading the mythic belief and incantations of the American way throughout the world. Of course there are legions of true believers, experts, careerists, opportunists, charlatans, and hucksters all to willing to offer up their particular contribution to the simmering cauldron that we are “the last great hope for mankind”.
As far as I see it we’ll continue to mindlessly pour blood and treasure into this fools concoction until we stop believing that it will save us, or save Afghanistan, or save Iraq. There is no magic formula that will turn these people into us, never has been, nor ever will be.

By: sporkovat

sporkovat — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 04:02:26 +0000

heh, as long as the USA kills fewer civilians than the Taliban, thats good enough for you?

Least Worst-ism is so versatile.