The War President Issues Afghanistan Troop Orders To Generals

[Techn0Girl]

Source: Huffington Post

President Barack Obama has issued orders for the implementation of his Afghanistan strategy to military officials and cabinet members, spokesman Robert Gibbs said on Monday.

"The commander in chief delivered the orders," said Gibbs, adding that the calls went out from the Oval Office between 5 and 6 p.m on Sunday afternoon, communicating his strategy to allied world leaders. Obama is slated to meet with roughly 30 select members of Congress to discuss his plans on Tuesday. And the president is set to meet on Monday with Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, in addition to hosting phone conversations with French President Nicholas Sarkozy, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown and Russian president Dmitry Medvedev.

Obama's strategy is believed to include an escalation of approximately 30,000 troops in the nine-year-long war.

Read more: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/11/30/gibbs-the-commander-in-ch_n_373860.html

[virgogal]

1. Am I having a nightmare? Would someone wake me up------please.

[BakedAtAMileHigh]

3. that nightmare is history

and everyone, including the President, is still very much asleep. Sorry.

[Blue_In_AK]

2. President Obama will have his very own Vietnam

For six years I've had a bumper sticker that showed the outline of the country of Iraq with the words "How do you say Vietnam in Arabic?" I guess I'll need a new one that says "How do you say Vietnam is Pashto and Dari?" To me, Afghanistan seems even more Vietnam-like than Iraq has been.

[optimator]

4. he shouldn't give a speech tuesday then

show us some respect Mr President, and don't even give a speech, because you already gave the orders.
This is similar to the Wall Street bailout, they didn't even ask the citizens, they just did it.

[peacebird]

5. the speech isn't to ask our permission - it is to offer his reasoning

and to tell us why this is the way to go.

I think even with his speaking skills, great as they are, he will be unable to persuade the majority of Americans that this is the right move. I cannot think of any words he could use that would persuade me that more troops in Afghnistan is the right move. But with this move he has bought the war - it is totally his now.

[YvonneCa]

9. It's called 'representative...

...democracy.' We can't approve every decision...so we elect someone to represent us. Obama was overwhelmingly elected to do this job. I won't...and don't...agree on every decision he makes. But I did vote for him, and I continue to support him in his role as President.

[Techn0Girl]

18. Not me.

"My President Right or Wrong" just doesn't cut it for me.

If Obama continues this war than he loses me and my vote. And the Democratic party as a whole loses my vote as well. And all the people that I convinced last year to vote for him ... will go unconvinced this year.

[MilesColtrane]

40. You really weren't paying attention during his campaign, were you?

[Tx4obama]

43. I am sure that Obama will not miss your vote since you don't even know his stance on issues n/t

[Tx4obama]

6. The WAR President is BUSH... Obama is just stuck with the mess! n/t

[IndianaGreen]

8. Come Tuesday, it will become his war

not my war!

[Individualist]

14. He has already issued the orders. He owns it now.

[Tx4obama]

15. NO, it will still be Bush's war. Obama has to finish what Bush started. n/t

[Techn0Girl]

17. Yeah...

Because spending the war money on things like Health care, education and jobs would be just be too difficult then bringing out troops home.

[jpak]

25. naive much?

:D

[Techn0Girl]

27. What would be naive is thinking that Obama and the Dems can hold an election....

after they alienate their user base by more war, less jobs and no real healthcare.
Let;s not even talk about LBGT rights... because we aren't talking about them anyway are we?

Naive?
What's naive will be you reaction when Dems lose their apparently useless majority in the next two years and you are looking down the face of a Rethuglican as your next President.

"Wha Happenned?" you will scratch your head and say.
Now that's naive .

[jpak]

28. Yes - the left wing wet dream - bring down Obama and install a Teabagger in the WH

that'll teach 'em!

a great and wise plan!

[Techn0Girl]

33. The only power the People have is Their Vote...

and the power to withhold that vote from those who do not serve their interests.

If you blindly give that power away because you are afraid of something even worse ... nothing will ever change. Politicians will never serve your interests because they have nothing to fear from you and everything to gain from the Military Industrial Machine.

And I am not alone in that thinking . If the DKos poll is accurate - something like 40% of current Democratic voters will do the same thing.

If Obama continues the war in Afghanistan then he will lose my vote.
Period.

[jpak]

49. Palin 2012! You betcha!!11

fools

[Individualist]

20. Since you're so supportive of this damn war, when are you going to enlist?

[Tx4obama]

35. I never said I suport the war. BUT I do NOT support the Obama bashers that are on this thread.....

Obama said dozens of times in the 2008 campaign that he would put more troops in Afghanistan... so the people that are bashing him for doing what he promised on the campaign trial is insane. At town hall rallies every time Obama said that he'd redirect the military's efforts to Afghanistan and end the war in Iraq people stood and applauded, no one ever boo'ed. Now that he is keeping his promise people are having a hissy fit and acting like they never heard Obama ever say what his plan was.

[Individualist]

37. So you're saying escalation is okay because he said he'd do it?

Jesus H. God on a pogo stick! :crazy:

[Tx4obama]

38. I am saying that no one should be 'surprised' that ....

Obama is now doing what he said he would do.
You can go back and read 'everything' that I have said on this thread.
There is no reason for you to make up things that I have not said.

[Techn0Girl]

41. Do you really know what you are saying?

Or are you just repeating something to make you feel better?

You want to concentrate on "Obama bashers" ? WTF? Who made you the Obama Police?

Wouldn't it be nice to concentrate on not letting more young men and women die in a useless war? Are you comfortable with that war? Do you like to see people die?

But I suppose it's a lot easier to concentrate on "Obama Bashers" then to deal with reality, isn't it?

You want a war?
Go out and die for it yourself.
Go out and pay for it yourself.
I'll respect that.

[Tx4obama]

42. You are the one that doesn't even know what Obama said last year....

and YOU are trying to insult MY intelligence?
I have NOT one time today or any other day said that 'I want a war'.
Your reading comprehensive needs some improvement.

[Techn0Girl]

44. Words fail me...

"and YOU are trying to insult MY intelligence?...Your reading comprehensive needs some improvement."

And apparently I am not alone.
My bad , I should not have tried to communicate with someone like yourself.

[Thickasabrick]

21. Bullshit, no one has ever finished a war in Afghanistan - they just

leave - which is what we should be doing.

[Thothmes]

29. Just like Nixon had to finish the war Johnson started?

[jpak]

24. Oh Please - stop telling the truth

or you will be properly flamed for your truth-telling insulence...

:thumbsup:

[cali]

26. It's all his now. sorry.

If he didn't want it, he should have ended it, not escalated it.

[earth mom]

48. It's Obama's war now. The truth hurts, but you'd best deal with it and quit living in denial. nt

[alcibiades_mystery]

7. Please follow LBN rules

That's not the headline, and this isn't a news article.

[Techn0Girl]

11. Actually you are right. In the future my article title will dupe the original

Too late to reedit this . My bad. Thank you for the catch.
This was my first LBN post

[Purveyor]

10. LBJ redux. eom

[Techn0Girl]

34. People have short memories ... and lack of education doesn't help ...

Both factors are ones that politicians rely on when they make decisions like these.

You and I saw what happened then.
This time, with our economic crisis the way that it is, I doubt the U.S. will survive .

The U.S.S.R. literally spent itself to death - and spending on Afghanistan was a major part of it's demise.

And the clueless cheerleaders cheer us on to war yet again.
On to ...

[Techn0Girl]

12. UPDATE 100,000 total troops to be in Afghanistan...

http://www.transworldnews.com/NewsStory.aspx?id=143927&cat=11

"The additional 30,000 troops would be in addition to the 68,000 U.S. troops that are already in Afghanistan."

I was alive during the Vietnam era.

This is not what or WHO I voted for.

[Tx4obama]

13. You should have been paying attention during the campaign last year...

Obama ALWAYS said that he would bring the troops home from Iraq BUT he also ALWAYS said that he would send MORE troops to AFGHANISTAN and finish the job there that we should have been paying attention to in the first place.
You can NOT blame President Obama for doing what he has ALWAYS said he was going to do, if you are sorry that you voted for him then the blame lies at 'your' feet for not listening closely to what he has said.

[Techn0Girl]

16. Well I certainly will pay attention next election and in 2012...

When I don't vote... and according to the latest DKos polls - neither will 40% of all current Democratic voters either.

Enjoy the War President.
The next one will probably make even a bigger bang for your warbucks.

[G_j]

22. would you have preferred we Had NOT voted for Obama?

We're not stupid, we know what he said.

By getting in my car and going to vote for Obama, I never agreed to surrender my right to oppose the war in Afghanistan.
If all the people who opposed the Afghan war had stayed home, you might have McCain as president.
So, get a clue, we are NOT going to shut up, thank you very much!

[Tx4obama]

32. Huh?

It's Techn0Girl that said she shouldn't have voted, not me.
And it was Techn0Girl that apparently didn't know what Obama said about Afghanistan.

I believe that EVERYONE should have voted for Obama in 2008.

And I did not say that anyone didn't have the right to oppose the war,
but why are people bitching now about voting for Obama due to his stance on Afghanistan - Obama said DOZENS of times in 2008 campaign at townhall rallies, etc. that he was going to send in more troop to Afghanistan and finish the job - this is NOT new news.

[Techn0Girl]

45. Yeah !

"If all the people who opposed the Afghan war had stayed home, you might have McCain as president."

And if that darn McCain had been elected then we'd probably be giving all our money away to the Banks, have no darn jobs and be committed to fighting unending war and losing thousands more boys and girls.... oh wait ....

[Tx4obama]

46. So you're a TROLL ???

First you put the words 'The War President' in your post title - which were not in the original article, then you say you wish you hadn't voted for Obama, and now you insinuate (although somewhat veiled) that McCain might have been a better choice for president ... so are you actually a democrat, republican, or an other?

[Thickasabrick]

19. The Soviets had up to 104,000 and in a better position logistically

to supply troops. We know how that worked out.

[Techn0Girl]

47. Yes, I believe their Country broke up not too long afterwards...

isn't america in the middle of an economic disaster right now?

[Jakes Progress]

23. Can we say "Kennedy and Viet Nam"

Misled and overwhelmed.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

30. War without end, Amen. The big shots gather to decide who will die.

It's all for a good cause, of course. It always has been.

“What difference does it make to the dead, the orphans and the homeless, whether the mad destruction is wrought under the name of totalitarianism or the holy name of liberty or democracy.” - Gandhi

[natrat]

36. masters of war

Come you masters of war
You that build all the guns
You that build the death planes
You that build all the bombs
You that hide behind walls
You that hide behind desks
I just want you to know
I can see through your masks.

You that never done nothin'
But build to destroy
You play with my world
Like it's your little toy
You put a gun in my hand
And you hide from my eyes
And you turn and run farther
When the fast bullets fly.

Like Judas of old
You lie and deceive
A world war can be won
You want me to believe
But I see through your eyes
And I see through your brain
Like I see through the water
That runs down my drain.

You fasten all the triggers
For the others to fire
Then you set back and watch
When the death count gets higher
You hide in your mansion'
As young people's blood
Flows out of their bodies
And is buried in the mud.

You've thrown the worst fear
That can ever be hurled
Fear to bring children
Into the world
For threatening my baby
Unborn and unnamed
You ain't worth the blood
That runs in your veins.

How much do I know
To talk out of turn
You might say that I'm young
You might say I'm unlearned
But there's one thing I know
Though I'm younger than you
That even Jesus would never
Forgive what you do.

Let me ask you one question
Is your money that good
Will it buy you forgiveness
Do you think that it could
I think you will find
When your death takes it's toll
All the money you made
Will never buy back your soul.

And I hope that you die
And your death'll come soon
I will follow your casket
In the pale afternoon
And I'll watch while you're lowered
Down to your deathbed
And I'll stand over your grave
'Til I'm sure that you're dead.

[janx]

31. That is not the Huffington Post's headline. "The War President" part

is your headline.

You might want to make that clear.

[Sparky 1]

39. Hey, hey, LBJ, how many boys did you kill today?...

I just keep remembering that chant we used to do and wondering what chant we will use with Obama. Yes, I know what he promised on the campaign trail, but it was either him or McCain, so what kind of choice was that? I'd do the same again -- vote for Obama. He *also* said that we were supposed to hold his feet to the fire, and I think that's exactly what we should do.

As far as voting for him again, I'm torn. If I knew everyone would vote Green Party so would I. But after 8 years of the Chimpenator, I can't imagine ever wanting anything I do to contributing to putting Republicans in office again.

[sundayatwork]

50. Remember this moment folks...

...you'll be telling your uninsured, unemployed, uneducated children about it one day.

"Fanaticism consists in redoubling your efforts when you have forgotten your aim." -George Santayana

I hate to sound like a chicken little... but this will be the end of America as we know it. As a world power economically and militarily this is a tipping point that people are going to look back on when they ask where it finally went off the cliff.

I've studied history and as such I generally don't like broad, sweeping analogies that lack nuance and context but in this case the lesson of history cannot be any more clear: Afghanistan is where empires commit suicide. You can't say it is the place that kills them simply because no one really needed to go there in the first place; this isn't murder it is self destruction. Afghanistan is a place were an empire goes to die when it has finally stretched too far. Combine a massive overseas military infrastructure/adventurism with a crap economy dependent on imports and you are ready for your final act as a world power. No one has ever won in Afghanistan. The Afghans have barely ever won in Afghanistan.

There will not be money for the joke that is health care reform if it passes, there won't be money for a real economic recovery package or any domestic agenda, but there will always be money for another goddamn useless war. And while we piss away the last of our blood and treasure and the lives of thousands of innocent people, the developing economies of BRICs will ascend as the new world powers in energy, economics and education. This is the past repeating itself as obviously and as tragically as it gets.

"Progress, far from consisting in change, depends on retentiveness... Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." -George Santayana