Did Biden say we're in a "25-yr war", a "generational war" this morning?

[Brotherjohn]

I was listening to GMA, I think, but out of the room. I know he was on the show, but I don't know if he was speaking, or another guest.

I know he's often hawkish, but I still can't believe any Dem would say we're in a "generational war", a "25-year war"!

That sounds more fanatic than the Bush administration!

I KNOW he's the one who said our military is too small. Well, Joe, perhaps our military wouldn't be too small if we formed ACTUAL coalitions, with real participation by our traditional allies! Perhaps our military wouldn't be too small if we didn't invade and conquer two very large, sovereign nations with hostile populations!!

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

1. Methinks Joe...

Has a clear vision of the needed economics of this.

This war is about the money. Nothing more. Freedom? <snort>

[rkc3]

2. Yup

I didn't hear the story this morning but it reminds me of one I heard recently.

There was an editorial on NPR about two weeks ago who stated the US needs to realize this is a generational war on terrorism and evil in the world. We need to get used to the fact there will be forces in the Middle East for a long time and our soldiers will be in the line of fire.

It's for a good cause - bringing democracy to a region in desperate need of it. Although I think the Iraqis have all the democracy they can handle.

[Brotherjohn]

14. As Bush himself said, enforcing democracy is "the opposite of democracy".

"This is one person -- this is a person, and followers, who are trying to say, we don't want democracy -- as a matter of fact, we'll decide the course of democracy by the use of force. And that is the opposite of democracy." (http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2004/04/20040405-4.html)

Unfortunately, he wasn't talking about himself. But he might as well have been.

[procopia]

3. More fanatic than the Bush administration?

I've heard Cheney say the war on terrorism could last for generations. "It's a different kind of war" is code for never-ending.

[whosinpower]

4. Last night on Lou Dobbs

I think it was Senator Hagel (the one who is calling for the draft to be reinstated) had repeatedly stated that the war on terrorism was a generational war......

[Brotherjohn]

9. Well, yeah... Cheney is truly over the edge. But usually, they say...

... it will last for "years", and that "we WILL win." That implies an end.

Saying it's a "25-year war" to me sounds like it might as well be endless. Something about putting an actual (large) number on it seems more fanatic than merely using "code" that could be interpreted as "never-ending".

Just how it sounded.

[teryang]

5. Biden says "neo-cons' goals compelling"

And "neo-cons are really smart people;" "We need to maintain 300,000 troops in Iraq for at least five years."

All this on CSPAN a few days ago. Some people think Biden is a really smart people. They are wrong. He also said, "this is nothing like Vietnam and I'll tell you why...."

[kentuck]

6. I posted this question in an earlier thread...

"We can't cut and run, right? We have to "stay the course" right? What is the rationale for staying in a place that was a mistake to go into in the first place? Why do we have to stay? Because it would be a mess if we leave? It's going to be a mess if we stay. How do we know it will be a bigger mess if we leave than if we stay?

How many more lives is it worth to stay in a place we should never have been in in the first place? Which is the bigger mistake? Leaving a country to let it solve its own problems or to stay and create problems that we will rationalize as being much smaller and of a less magnitude than if we had left?"

[Brotherjohn]

12. Perfectly stated.

[bryant69]

7. Was he talking about Iraq

Or the war on terror?

Regardless of the terminology, we are probably going to be in a conflict with terrorist organizations for a while, unless we adopt a largely isolationist line (and possibly even then).

Iraq being a 25 year war is a little insane, though.

Bryant
Check it out --> http://politicalcomment.blogspot.com

[Brotherjohn]

10. In response to posts 6 & 7, I think he was talking about the "War on..."

...Terror". But at the same time, he was talking about the need for more troops in Iraq, and using the lingo of "generational war" as justification that we may all need to sacrifice.

Well, the War on Terror does not require hundreds of thousands of troops unless you believe the War in Iraq is the same as the War on Terror. Perhaps Biden beleives that.

[kentuck]

13. Iraq has become the "War on Terror "

Didn't you get the memo?

[Mari333]

8. what angers me beyond belief

is that all of our children have to live with this for the rest of their lives..in only 4 years an incompetent asshole took over our country and destroyed the environment, and made the whole world more dangerous and more insane then it ever was. This admin killed thousands of people and thousands more will die for no reason. This admin is insane, and the only thing that will ever stop them is being forced into humility. They are insane, working from delusions of religiosity and grandeur. I am terrified for my children and grandchildren. and for the world.

[Brotherjohn]

11. Don't people realize we can fight the "War on Terror" a different way?!

I mean, even Bush and Cheney say it's a different kind of war. Yet they fight it the same way, because it's all they know.

Invading Afghanistan was rather ham-handed, although at least one can make a reasonable connection between it and terror via Bin Laden's sponsorship by the Taliban. Plus, that war, as messy as it still is, was limited in scope.

Still, we likely could have accomplished more had we gone in quieter, with Special Ops crawling all over the Afghanistan countryside for as long as we liked, before going in whole hog with conventional military action. You don't find a needle in a haystack by bombing the haystack and casting it to the four winds. You find it by carefully going through it.

Invading and occupying Iraq has IN NO WAY contributed to fighting terror, and in fact has impeded the efforts in Afghanistan to once and for all eliminate the Taliban and Al Qaeda (and Bin Laden) there. In addition, it has trashed alliances we will need to fight terror, and inflamed Muslim sentiment throughout the world, producing more terror.

EVERYONE wants to fight against terrorism. The REAL debate for the campaign is, what is the right way to do it? The Bush administration has botched this "fight" so bad that the world has experienced a dramatic INCREASE in terrorism and we are likely going to experience more for years to come.

[LeahMira]

15. Early AM TV

I was only half-listening this morning also... they put these things on when I'm brushing my teeth! :eyes:

Anyhow, the administration has been saying all along that the war on terrorism will continue for generations and that we can expect our grandchildren to be fighting it.

Joe addressed the unfair burden on middle and lower middle class families when it comes to fighting the war, and he also indicated that there might be other ways of dealing with additional troop needs besides a draft. It seems he sees a draft as one among several possibilities... still a possibility but not the only answer.

I think both men were addressing the war on terror in general. We have troops deployed all over the world... not only in the war zones. Biden spoke about using the guard troops and reserves and that all the troops are stretched too thin.

Neither man was asked if we should or shouldn't be doing what we're doing... just given this is what's going on, what would be an appropriate plan.