Take it easy on Obama’s war making decisions. As I reminded people constantly during the Bush eras, there are a
whole mess of big-picture facts we don’t hear from the news. He also gets security briefings every day – or at least Bush did.
With that said, I – like most people, am anxious about this president’s backbone. I wouldn’t be surprised if he takes the same approach to fighting a war as he has everything else in his career: politically optimal. And seriously, there is at least a perceived lack of leadership. Hell, the attention I pay to the news is borderline unhealthy and I’m confused about what his actual strategy is. The last thing I remember hearing was something from one of Obama’s advisors about not needing to leave Afghanistan with an actual democracy. Yeah great, lets just squeeze the bastard country for what essential interests we need…
Emanuel is talking about how it would be irresponsible for the President to make a decision about war fighting before the election was resolved – and that quite frankly blows my mind. Where do people like this come from? I’d like to visit one day. I bet orange there tastes like blueberry.
In the real world the Taliban and Al Qaeda watch the news. The word “emboldened” gets thrown around quite a bit, but in this case it’s appropriate. They’re getting the upper hand and all they need is a little more time and encouragement.
We’re talking about troop numbers. We’re talking about a strategy that was determined months ago. (I know it’s ambiguous amongst the defeatist chatter, but it does exist) And we’re talking about General McCrystal, an expert in this type of warfare who has balls enough to walk around town without his sidearm, organ-armor, or brain-bucket. This is the guy who wants our troops not driving
100 mph down the road bumping everyone out of the way and shooting the pavement in front of jerks getting to close. And if you think that’s a reasonable request you’re unreasonably uninformed about guerilla warfare.
McCrystal would also like to cut out the damn drone assassinations, you know, the thing Biden wants to rely on entirely, somehow without on-the-ground intelligence? Apparently killing an Al Qaeda leader along with his family and neighbors does something negative to the neighborhood attitude toward cooperating with us.
So indeed, some leadership is missing. No one is afraid of Obama. Iran, Russia, and N Korea are all jerking him around. Europe won’t throw him a bone, unless you count the symbolic. And his advisors and fellow Democrats are spouting all kinds of illogical conclusions about how Afghanistan should be handled. I head someone say we shouldn’t send more troops – instead we should train more Afghan troops. Ha! Yeah right. Let’s announce our lack of commitment and resolve. That will get people lining up to join our side, since their very lives and lives of their families are dependent on such decisions.
And sending more troops isn’t “putting more troops in danger”. 
No real shooter is more worried about being needlessly sent in to harm’s way than he is about not being there to support his fellow soldier who is in harm’s way – regardless of politics. The more troops McCrystal has the safer and more secure everyone will be, and the faster Afghanistan will finally be shaped up into a free democracy. Iraq. Surge. Mc Cain.
It would be a true shame if w
e decided to lose this thing. Or, if we decided to half win with some BS “power sharing” back-room deal or halfsies between McCrystal and the hard Left. The Afghans don’t want to live under Taliban-like rule. But mostly, they just want to live. Most of them don’t care what’s going on. They just want to make a damn living. And right now two ways of doing that are growing poppies or joining the Taliban. McCrystal understands this stuff. Unlike Mr. Diplomat Biden, Mc Crystal knows how to achieve the goals Obama has set out. (Assuming at least he knows for sure what those goals are.)
So Obama, take what time you need. Please – ignore your hysterical left and those pullout-Libertarians. Make some solid goals – ones you’ll be proud of being read in history books (not the revisionist America-hating books of course) – ones that will free
Afghanistan from oppression and violence. Make a strategy based only on bleeding dust breathing experience, a clear strategy, one that doesn’t need your poetry to sell, one that will likely be politically bitter. Then back it the fuck up! No, don’t make sure you have the support first. Win! That’s how you get support. Otherwise your just horse trading with idiots that can’t ride.
Show America you know how to protect her. Cheney calls your prudence “dithering”. Is it? Well man, it sure the hell looks like it from here. Healthcare, cap and trade, Olympics… Give us a poem about victory. Recite 
awe-inspiring tear-jerking limerick about how we WILL FREE Afghanistan. Convince the world with that charm of yours that it’s happening. Send troops, be part of the historical event – tell them. Give the Afghans some of that Yes We Can®. Come down on the enemy with some of that Fox-hurt-my-butt anger. Who can win against that combination?
Because we CAN do it damnit. WE CAN. WE ARE ABLE TO. And
if we don’t we’ll be less safe and Afghanistan will once again be abandoned by a great power for reasons of political convenience and left only to foster a hateful whirlwind of revenge that will bite us on our peaceful-green healthcare-entitled post-racial chronically-obese wealth-spreading fairness-loving asses. So take your time, but make it snappy. Ricky-tick.
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Raging Kitty