What to say when somebody says the surge is 'working'

[LuckyTheDog]

It is failing.

Sure, nobody doubted that, with more troops, we could kill more of the enemy and even make some short-term military progress. But that was not the goal of the surge. The goal was to provide "breathing space" so that the Iraqis could make a big leap in political progress. It did not happen. Hence, the strategy failed, even if the tactic was a limited success (which is questionable).

[bigtree]

1. moreover,

the entire 'strategy' of occupying Iraq; propping up a regime which obviously doesn't have the settled support of Iraqis; using the occupying force to attack the opposition communities; will never be a correct course for our nation to undertake.

[LuckyTheDog]

7. That, too (nt)

[Exiled in America]

2. You mean like Hillary?

[BOSSHOG]

3. Or

you are obviously a fucking idiot who watches the radio for three hours a day with drool running down your face getting all your news from limbaugh. You are a fucking domestic enemy to the constitution and don't deserve your citizenship.

Something to that effect. Make it your own.

[sandnsea]

4. That's what Obama said today

"All of our top military commanders recognize that there is no military solution in Iraq. And no matter how brilliantly and bravely our troops and their commanders perform, they cannot and should not bear the responsibility of resolving grievances at the heart of Iraq's civil war. No military surge can succeed without political reconciliation and a surge of diplomacy in Iraq and the region. Iraq's leaders are not reconciling. They are not achieving political benchmarks. The only thing they seem to have agreed on is to take a vacation. That is why I have pushed for a careful and responsible redeployment of troops engaged in combat operations out of Iraq, joined with direct and sustained diplomacy in the region. And that is why I will continue to push the President to change our policy."

http://www.barackobama.com/2007/08/21/remarks_of_senator_obama_a_sac.php

[LuckyTheDog]

5. You know what

I am a usually reserved man and not given to public displays of emotion. But if I were there I would have had the urge to kiss Obama full on the mouth.

[sandnsea]

8. lol

You know what - I bet my husband would feel the same. I actually didn't expect this, so I am THRILLED.

[Lasher]

6. Working to do what?

That's what I say. I like it when they can't come up with a response except for bringing feedom and the American Way to the entire world or something doofy like that. You see, there is no answer to that question because we have no real objective anybody will admit to. And all those phony objectives du jour don't get it.

[MissB]

9. Thomas Friedman wrote an opinion in the NYT recently.

The local newspaper published it this morning, but I don't know if it was originally from today or from several days ago. The title of the piece is "After the surge: Only the Iraqis can find 'win' now".

His point is that if a Middle East expert needs to explain that the surge is working, then it isn't. The proof of the "win" has to come from the players themselves. The Sunnis and the Shiites and the Kurds have to show us they can work together.

And the soccer team doesn't count. The soccer team hasn't played in Iraq for 17 years.

But if the leaders of the Sunnis, Shiites and Kurds are stepping forward to work together, then nothing we do will really make a damned bit of difference.

[goodgd_yall]

10. The preliminary goal

was to cut down on violence (on THEIR side of course, never mind what U.S. troops do to achieve this; that doesn't count). And those who support the surge may just focus on that as an objective when the much awaited September report comes out.

So, in September, if this so very important report that is supposed to determine whether the escalation is working, can show there is less violence, ta-da! the surge is working. How this is measured is what needs to be questioned and examined.

[MichaelHarris]

11. You tell them

yeah, the cure for lung cancer is also working if you don't count all the people dying.

[damntexdem]

12. No, don't tell me! Let me guess!

Something like: "These nice people in the lab coats will give you a shot, and then you'll feel much better."

Is that it?

[mdmc]

13. This is a 50 year war, minimum, my friend

The surge is only "working" if it improves the moral of the sheeple.
The sheeple were silent during the invasion, celebrated mission accomplished on 5-1-03, and now are tired of the "sacrifice" of "staying the course".