Obama

[malaise]

just bring all the fucking troops home

That is all!

[CaliforniaPeggy]

1. Goddamn right.

[defendandprotect]

21. Just one fact: We're paying KBR $1,000 a gallon for gasoline in Afghanistan ...

which would run a helicopter about one minute --

that's per Thom Hartmann last week!!

[gateley]

2. Rachael just said after ALL the withdrawals, we' ll still have more troops

there than when he took office. Damn.

[malaise]

6. It's crazy

I don't get it

[Dept of Beer]

19. Perhaps the answer is right out in the open.

Sometimes the hardest questions have the simplest answers.

[Auggie]

45. Oil, pipelines, etc. We're never leaving.

[Dept of Beer]

48. Who profits? What industry? Which countries?

How long can that profit be maintained? Etc.

[Auggie]

60. The oil industry, of course... and their shareholders, their lobbyists,

and the politicians they buy. Everyone makes money but you and me.

[lonestarnot]

15. Wow.

[obxhead]

40. I noticed that in his speech as well.

He said it would bring home all the troops announced from the surge. He worded it to include only the troops from the second surge though. He didn't lie, but a less informed viewer would think the entire troop increase was on the way home.

[Divernan]

50. If only he was as inspired a leader as he is a slick orator.

[judesedit]

64. What? Like Bush? Obama could walk on water and the Rightys will find something to bitch about

You can take that to the bank if nothing else.

[amborin]

3. K&R

[Booster]

4. This issue is the most disheartening one for me with regard to

Mr Obama's presidency. I asked my Marine nephew what would we get if we win (he's been over there twice) and he said
"nothin'". The money we are spending over there for nothing would rebuild our own country 10 times over. We are killing innocent people over there for nothing. We are spending billions over there for nothing. When we decide we have finally had enough and pull out completely, we will have accomplished nothing. We only have to look at what happened to Russia to know that the same thing is happening to our own country. Are we really that stupid?

[CaliforniaPeggy]

5. I guess our glorious leaders are that stupid.

The saying that I heard once goes: "Afghanistan is where armies go to die."

It seems to be holding true.

[Dept of Beer]

But surely the USA would be smarter than the Soviet Union.

[defendandprotect]

23. See my post below ....

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=439&topic_id=1347050&mesg_id=1347795

[tblue]

49. Close. It's "where empires go to die."

What a doggone shame.

[Divernan]

54. When you're wounded and left on Afghanistan's plains . . .

The Young British Soldier, by Rudyard Kipling
(excerpts)
When first under fire an' you're wishful to duck,
Don't look nor take 'eed at the man that is struck,
Be thankful you're livin', and trust to your luck
And march to your front like a soldier.
Front, front, front like a soldier . . .

When 'arf of your bullets fly wide in the ditch,
Don't call your Martini a cross-eyed old bitch;
She's human as you are -- you treat her as sich,
An' she'll fight for the young British soldier.
Fight, fight, fight for the soldier . . .

When shakin' their bustles like ladies so fine,
The guns o' the enemy wheel into line,
Shoot low at the limbers an' don't mind the shine,
For noise never startles the soldier.
Start-, start-, startles the soldier . . .

If your officer's dead and the sergeants look white,
Remember it's ruin to run from a fight:
So take open order, lie down, and sit tight,
And wait for supports like a soldier.
Wait, wait, wait like a soldier . . .

When you're wounded and left on Afghanistan's plains,
And the women come out to cut up what remains,
Jest roll to your rifle and blow out your brains
An' go to your Gawd like a soldier.
Go, go, go like a soldier,
Go, go, go like a soldier,
Go, go, go like a soldier,
So-oldier of the Queen!

Rudyard Kipling

[malaise]

7. I thought it was being done for the war profiteers and the

neo-cons - two sides of the same coin.

[defendandprotect]

22. It's not about stupidity ... it's about money and power ... and what can be done behind wars...!!

Like the Patriot Act -- and wiretapping -- and torture --

the things you eventually need to control your own people --

And, btw, we set Russia up -- baited them into Afghanistan -- and we did it by creating

the Taliban/Al Qaeda -- and US going into Afghanistan 6 months before the Russians came in.

According to Brzezinski, it was done to "bait the Russians into Afghanistan in hopes of

giving them a Vietnam type experience." In other words, we didn't want to be the only losers!!

If we permit this to go on any longer, we certainly are stupid!!



And, btw, we also spent another fortune creating, printing and shipping into the ME those

vile and violent religious books you hear so much about on your TV. We shipped them into

the ME, obviously to create a violent strain of Islam!



If you want more on either of those two issues, let me know.

[xiamiam]

28. weapons manufacturing and war...big business..pathetic..nt

[awoke_in_2003]

58. It is not for "nothing"...

someone is getting richer every day. War has always been about kids like your nephew getting killed so someone could line their pocketbook. Like a great Marine once said, "War Is a Racket"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_Is_a_Racket

[OwnedByFerrets]

62. For nuttin?? Are you kidding??

We are making rich people richer. That is certainly not Nuttin to rich people. :sarcasm:

[somone]

8. Sounds like he has to repay an IOU to the MIC

[bigwillq]

9. What she said (nt)

[lib2DaBone]

10. Kick... Obama.. tell the people what they want to hear...

If Obama was going to make a change.. it would have happened already. All talk..no action. All hat-No Cattle.

"With hope in our hearts... let us set about to make these changes".

Yeah.. right....

[Poll_Blind]

11. You'd kinda think he'd consider that a priority.

Guess not.

PB

[Tx4obama]

12. Top military wanted only 5,000 troops out by summer 2012, NOT all 33,000 troops as Obama is ordering

n/t

[Bluenorthwest]

14. Our military is under civilian control for a reason...

What they want, being in the war business, should be taken with a grain of salt.

[defendandprotect]

24. Rather I think it is clearly under elite/corporate control ....

isn't that what Ike was letting us know -- ?

A conspiracy --

Not that we haven't had generals who were nuts -- like "nuke 'em" La May --

and the Joint Chiefs who gave us "Operation Northwoods" -- !!

[malaise]

53. I know but the President is Commander in Chief of the

Military not the other way around

[scheming daemons]

13. He's working on it... Pentagon wanted 1/6 as many brought home

[lonestarnot]

16. Pentagon wants endless war. Many there are well paid aren't they?.

[Booster]

36. Many there are robbing us blind. Remember when they "lost"

a trillion dollars and couldn't account for a dime of it? Blew me away when everyone said "oh, well, shit happens". I think war covers them so we won't demand an audit.

[UnrepentantLiberal]

44. If you mean that he's working on winning in 2012 you are correct.

If he really was the man he claimed to be when he was campaigning in the 2008 election he would end this war right now. Instead, many kids will have to die and lose limbs so our dear leader can sit on the fence.

[Divernan]

56. You could say "he was working on it" if he brought only a hundred back

couldn't you?

[gimama]

17. YOU are right on.

I'm sickened, saddened, disappointed, disgusted..
& mighty pist, at this point.

Bring 'em ALL HOME, right freakin' NOW.

Thanks for Your OP & thread :hi:

[Tx4obama]

18. Why are you sickened, saddened, disappointed, disgusted.. & mighty pist?

President Obama is doing exactly what he said he would do SEVERAL TIMES during the 2008 campaign regarding Afghanistan.
Did you listen to what he said during all the town halls he did? Obama ALWAYS said that he'd INCREASE troops in Afghanistan and stay there to fight the fight - that is exactly what he is doing now.

So, where is all the outrage coming from?

[sad sally]

25. When does the fight end? What will it look like? How many surges does it take

to see progress? How many bad people, innocent people and soldiers need to die or be forever maimed until the fight will be over? Are Americans willing to encourage family members to enlist to fight for another three or more years? Are they willing to increase veterans benefits to take care of all the returning PTSD cases and make sure veterans with missing limbs get the forever care they'll need?

These are questions that weren't answered.

[lark]

42. More good questions

How many people need to lose their livelihood because of cuts to government employees so that government can afford these out of control, no purpose wars?

[xiamiam]

29. c'mon..,

[Hell Hath No Fury]

38. Yes, he did indeed say that -

and many of us were appalled when we heard it then, and remain appalled today.

[Martin Eden]

39. If a policy is destructive and harmful to our national interests ...

... I think it's entirely permissable to feel outrage even if the president campaigned on that policy 3 years ago. I expected Obama to attempt to salvage the mission in Afghanistan, but I don't think in 2008 he mentioned continuing military operations there to the end of 2014.

A presidency does not consist of following a script written while campaigning for the office. Making wise decisions based on ever-changing circumstances are how we judge a president.

[frylock]

43. most people assumed obama was smart enough to realize a failed strategy once he took office..

you know, we all HOPED that he would CHANGE his mind. i think a lot of people will be listening to what obama doesn't say next time around.

[malaise]

32. You're welcome

:fistbump:

[defendandprotect]

20. Obama's Too-Slow Afghan "Exit" Strategy Scores Him No Political Points

The War in Afghanistan will continue --

Barack Obama won the Democratic nomination for president because grassroots progressives thought he was marginally more anti-war than Hillary Clinton.

After securing the nomination, Obama was elected president.

Upon securing the Oval Office,he promptly abandoned any pretense of being opposed to military misadventures abroad, appointed Clinton as his Secretary of State, kept the Bush-Cheney regime’s team at the Department of Defense, surged more troops into Afghanistan and steered U.S. forces into a new fight with Libya.

Now, the president is proposing to remove some of the troops he sent to Afghanistan – about 10,000 (roughly 7 percent of the occupation force) by the end of the year.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2011/jun/22/worlds-wealthiest-people-now-richer-than-before-the-credit-crunch

[Tx4obama]

26. But he has never been totally anti-war

Quote:

"I don't oppose all wars. What I am opposed to is a dumb war. What I am opposed to is a rash war..." - Barack Obama October 2, 2002

http://www.ontheissues.org/2008/Barack_Obama_War_+_Peace.htm

[eilen]

35. Read the speech and Bush could have given it. nt

[slay]

27. K&R +1000!

i'm so sick of the bullshit and stalling - either fucking end the war or don't - stop stringing us along just to get re-elected!!!!! :grr:

[Kurovski]

30. K&R. (nt)

[Scuba]

31. In my lifetime?

[malaise]

33. We can hope

:fistbump:

[Scuba]

34. I was very disappointed last night. n/t

[mike_c]

37. K&R-- this latest "strategy" is the very definition of LAME....

Obama is playing politics with war. I cannot begin to express my disgust with that.

[razorman]

41. Damn right. That includes Libya, Yemen, or anywhere else we have them bombing people.

And, for God's sake, please don't start sending them to other places, like Darfur.

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

46. K&R!

[Butch350]

47. You forgot to mention why.

Why do you care about the troops?

[BlueIris]

51. Indeed. Shut it down. nt

[WillyT]

52. K & R !!!

:kick:

[ChiciB1]

55. Won't Get ONE Red Penny From Me For Sure!!! n/t

[Flaxbee]

57. But -- then we'll have hundreds of thousands of more people unemployed...

can't have that!

What do we do with all these kids if they're not fighting? If we don't have a bloated war budget, what then?

[Shagbark Hickory]

59. Plus all the newly unemployed from the bombs and weapons factories. nt

[ctsnowman]

61. X 1000

We are going to be asking old people to bundle up and try not to freeze to fund this BS.

[democrank]

63. Enough of the war is peace crap.

Bring the troops home...all of them.

Then, how about a presidential address about keeping Americans safer...by rethinking our imperialism?

[spooked911]

65. Amen!

but he's just not going to do anything that bold or brave, I'm afraid

[mochajava666]

66. The Military Industrial complex speaks. Obama obeys.

Leadership from this President? Don't hold your breath.

Less than 100 Al Qaeda in the country and we are "nation building"(empire building)in a country that Empires go to die. This is sheer insanity, but I'm not surprised.

[dgibby]

67. Ron Reagan, Jr., hit the nail on the head on Tweetie's show

right after Obama's announcement-as long as we're in Iraq and Afghanistan, we have Iran surrounded. I'm guessing we're NEVER leaving either country completely.

[dgibby]

68. dupe.

[spanone]

69. Error: you can only recommend threads which were started in the past 24 hours