Neo Isolationism in a post 09-11 world is even more an idiots strategy then original was in 1941.
She’s clear that she doesn’t like... something about Petraeus’s strategy. She never explains what it ought to be.
He really is a dangerous phony. Remember also he called himself a “Rockefeller Republican”, and not 30 years ago—2 years ago. We don’t need any more of those anywhere NEAR the levers of power.
Hell, there’s a new medal being considered for “exercise of courageous restraint”! Un - effin’ - believable...the exercise of appropriate restraint by military members is called DOING YOUR DUTY.
Colonel, USAFR
Hell, there’s a new medal being considered for “exercise of courageous restraint”! Un - effin’ - believable...the exercise of appropriate restraint by military members is called DOING YOUR DUTY.
Colonel, USAFR
Sorry but when Ms West has to make up her own reality rather then deal in the actual facts she has all ready lost the argument.
Here is Counter Terrorism done the Know Nothing, never been anything Diana West way.
Americans: Yo, all you Afgainies. Now we know you all have been oppressed and terrorized by the Taliban goons for about 40 years so we came over here to show you a better way. So gather round and we are going to teach you this thing called Democracy. We want to teach you this cause we figure if we get can get enough of you following this ideology you will not follow the ideology that preaches it is a good thing to fly airplanes into buildings full of our Civilians.
Now the first things you need to learn is this part about the Rule of Law. Study the sub chapters on Innocent until prove Guilty, Trial by Jury, Right to Legal Representation and really important, the chapter on outlawing Cruel and Unusual Punishment. Ok, now while you do that, we are going to arbitrarily round up and kill any Afgainies who we think maybe have ever talked mean about us.
What? No we are not going to bother with any of that messy Democracy stuff cause we are at war. And according to our Holloweird Movie guide to Military Action flicks any time you are at war you can waste anyone who pisses you off for what ever reason you want any way you want to do it. According to Hollyweird, we dont need nothing like proof or nothing we can just go wack that little freak down the street at the Mosque cause he pisses us off.
Evidence? We dont need no stinkin evidence. Our action movie heros never bother with any evidence. In the Movie we watch on TV says we are just suppose to go kill him because he pisses us off so that what we want to do here. Now quit talking back and learn our lessons on Democracy.
Afganini 1. Hey Mahmoud, why are we helping these clowns?
Afgaini 2. What do you mean Achmed, they got rid of the Taliban!
Afgani 1. They did? Looks to me like they just took their place.
Afganini i 2. Well ya so?
Afgani 1. Well at least the old thugs were from around here. These guys are not only from out of town they are not even Muslims. We may has well have Muslim thugs if we got to have thugs.
Afganii 2. You right, time to join the Jihad!
That is what this what Ms. West's Counter Terrorism doctrine as learned from watching TV dramas would produce.
It is utter stupidity that historically failed everywhere it been tried from Napoleon in Spain to the Nazis in Eastern Europe to the Russian in Afghanistan.
Of course, forget trying to penetrate the Dinocons welded shut minds. They are too busy screaming their group think on Afghanistan at each other to actually LEARN anything about the place
If the guy had not been a total incompetent and bought the wrong type of fertilize, all those ordinary Americans would be corpses right now.
Past time the Do Nothing choir lead by people like Mrs West her owned up to the harsh truth. The reason we keep getting lucky has to do with the fact the the bulk of the highly trained Pre 09-11 terrorists are in graves in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Past time to man up and admit you were all wrong about Iraq from Day 1 rather then continue to scream this ignorant bile Ms West.
I guess the next "General Betray Us" ad won't come from the left......
I think it’s fairly reasonable to say that the Petraeus strategy worked great under Bush, after several years of screwing around, post invasion. Under Bush, the ROEs were improved, and the troops were allowed to actually fight the enemy.
But it has NOT worked great under Obama. Under Obama the ROEs have been tightened so much that the troops aren’t allowed to defend themselves, and they are courtmartialed if they try to do their jobs realistically.
I don’t think Petraeus has mutated. I think he’s working under different leadership conditions at the top. And his hands are tied.
As for the suggestion about medals for courageous constraint, that was suggested by the NATO leader, a British general. The problem is, we’re already doing something like that, because that’s what Obama wants.
But on the other hand
IOW, kill 'em all.
That just ain't gonna fly in America, at least not till after we've lost a city or two to smuggled-in nukes.
Does COIN always work? Of course not. Nothing always works. (Except of course for Roman/Mongol/Nazi methods, if you've got a sufficient superiority of force.) But COIN is the only thing that might work.