No Problem With The Speech

[PoliticalChic]

Steven Wright said it best: “You can’t have everything…’cause where would you keep it?”

After all the chatter on both sides as to what the President should say, or would say, he managed to antagonize both sides, and encourage both sides.


1. President Barack Obama is the best orator that I have seen since I’ve been politically cognizant.

2. I was thrilled to see the cadets, and, since I am certain that many were not of the President’s political view, I was proud of their response to the commander-in-chief.

3. Bottom line: he is sending 30,000 troops in an expedited manner. This closely conforms to the request from General McChrystal.

4. I view the 18-month withdrawal statement as a political statement more than a firm timetable. After all, he need his liberal base for the healthcare battle, and some 46% of the public is not in favor of more troops for Afghanistan.

5. He ran on a platform that Afghanistan is essential, and has not backed away from that idea.

6. After the election, many of us on the right pointed out, shall we say, misstatements by the new President, and a number of ways that he went back on promises. The left simply shrugged and said, “well, he’s a politician…what do you expect?” So, why worry about a ‘promise’ that is 18 months away, and will depend on events on the ground?

All-in-all, the speech was well delivered, and had, like Christmas, something for everybody.

 

[AllieBaba]

The original desire of McCrystal was 140,000 troops. He was told to modify that request by the administration; that he could not even hope for more than 40,000. They will give him 30,000.

It's a death sentence for our troops there, combined with the promise to have us out of there on a certain date (hey, close to election time, go figure). Instead of sending troops to actually solve the problem, he's just sending a few to keep them busy and kill them (by them I mean our guys) off so he can proclaim it a defeat and be hailed as a savior when he finally brings the poor souls he refused to help back.

The military DESPISES Obama. And this is why. He's willing to set them up for death and failure for his political purposes.

 

[AllieBaba]

And because there's a date on it, the terrorists will just bide their time until we leave, then engage in whole-sale slaughter.

 

[nodoginnafight]

The original desire of McCrystal was 140,000 troops. He was told to modify that request by the administration; that he could not even hope for more than 40,000. They will give him 30,000.

Link please

And because there's a date on it, the terrorists will just bide their time until we leave, then engage in whole-sale slaughter.

Re-writing the speech - Obama made it clear that achieving the goal would depend on meeting the objectives and was not "written-in-stone." It's a goal, not a deadline. And an idea without a goal is just a fantasy.

I'm still against sending more troops, but if we are to have our people in harms way I want them to have every advantage that we can provide and I want them to have clear objectives that include time-goals for achieveing them. If we miss the time goal (which I suspect we WILL miss this one) then it is time to review our strategy and conditions on the ground to see if we need to adjust anything or if our original goal was just too ambitious.

The fact that there is far more of a political downside to NOT meeting a stated time goal than there is a political upside to meeting it, indicates to me that it was a risky move politically and therefor probably NOT a case of pandering or appeasement. It appears to me to be an attempt to reassure the people of Afghanistan and to reassure our allies that we are determined to let Afghanistan run their own country and to avoid a never-ending quagmire.

That's just MHO.

 

[PoliticalChic]

And because there's a date on it, the terrorists will just bide their time until we leave, then engage in whole-sale slaughter.

Glad you brought that point up, because when I was listening to the speech, - and I hope I'm not giving the administration more credit than it deserves- I thought the same thing, then I thought the White House must see the same thing...so perhaps that is the hope!

They hope that the training of the Afghan army, such that it is, will gain an 18-month time out, as the enemy waits for US to withddraw.

Maybe?

 

[Zoom-boing]

I think that no matter what we do the bad guys are going to find ways to get us. I don't know that they'll ever stop.

 

[nodoginnafight]

I think that no matter what we do the bad guys are going to find ways to get us. I don't know that they'll ever stop.

Probably not - but I still think we have to make it as difficult as we can and we have to make sure they suffer severe consequences.

 

[Zoom-boing]

I think that no matter what we do the bad guys are going to find ways to get us. I don't know that they'll ever stop.

Probably not - but I still think we have to make it as difficult as we can and we have to make sure they suffer severe consequences.

You don't think that if they want to get us, they will?

Absolutely agree with the bolded.

 

[nodoginnafight]

You don't think that if they want to get us, they will?

I think that a determined terrorist who has no regard for his own safety will almost always find a way to claim victims. That's what I meant by the "probably not" part. I was saying probably not in responding to your statement: "I don't know that they'll ever stop."

 

[Zoom-boing]

You don't think that if they want to get us, they will?

I think that a determined terrorist who has no regard for his own safety will almost always find a way to claim victims. That's what I meant by the "probably not" part. I was saying probably not in responding to your statement: "I don't know that they'll ever stop."

Thanks; I misread your post.

 

[Charles Stucker]

And because there's a date on it, the terrorists will just bide their time until we leave, then engage in whole-sale slaughter.

If they stay in Afghanistan then at least it keeps them out of the US. Let them murder fellow Muslims to their rabid hearts content. Just fewer potential recruits for their murderous ways.

The next time Islamic terrorists make a major strike against the USA, respond by nuking Mecca and Medina off the map.
Oh, so sorry, remove the structures of Mecca and Medina from the pages of history.
Wouldn't want the Arab translators to have problems getting their understanding right.

Let Islam know up front what's at stake. Then follow through as needed.

 

[nodoginnafight]

You don't think that if they want to get us, they will?

I think that a determined terrorist who has no regard for his own safety will almost always find a way to claim victims. That's what I meant by the "probably not" part. I was saying probably not in responding to your statement: "I don't know that they'll ever stop."

Thanks; I misread your post.

My mind and my fingers often get jumbled. No problem. I just appreciate your effort in asking for clarification before giving it to me with both barrels. A lot of folks never offer that opportunity and it often leads to heated exchanges for no real reason. I'm going to try to follow your example on that a lot more often from now on.

 

[Article 15]

The military DESPISES Obama.

How 'bout you speak for yourself?

 

[VaYank5150]

The original desire of McCrystal was 140,000 troops. He was told to modify that request by the administration; that he could not even hope for more than 40,000. They will give him 30,000.

It's a death sentence for our troops there, combined with the promise to have us out of there on a certain date (hey, close to election time, go figure). Instead of sending troops to actually solve the problem, he's just sending a few to keep them busy and kill them (by them I mean our guys) off so he can proclaim it a defeat and be hailed as a savior when he finally brings the poor souls he refused to help back.

The military DESPISES Obama. And this is why. He's willing to set them up for death and failure for his political purposes.

The US does not even have an additional 140,000 troops to send. IF this truly was McCrystal's request, then he needs to be drug tested.

 

[nodoginnafight]

The original desire of McCrystal was 140,000 troops. He was told to modify that request by the administration; that he could not even hope for more than 40,000. They will give him 30,000.

It's a death sentence for our troops there, combined with the promise to have us out of there on a certain date (hey, close to election time, go figure). Instead of sending troops to actually solve the problem, he's just sending a few to keep them busy and kill them (by them I mean our guys) off so he can proclaim it a defeat and be hailed as a savior when he finally brings the poor souls he refused to help back.

The military DESPISES Obama. And this is why. He's willing to set them up for death and failure for his political purposes.

The US does not even have an additional 140,000 troops to send. IF this truly was McCrystal's request, then he needs to be drug tested.

I've read McChystal's request. It did not include the 140,000 figure. I asked Allie to provide some evidence to support this claim. He/she hasn't provided it. So I guess I'm just left to conclude that the claim is pure BS.

 

[VaYank5150]

The original desire of McCrystal was 140,000 troops. He was told to modify that request by the administration; that he could not even hope for more than 40,000. They will give him 30,000.

It's a death sentence for our troops there, combined with the promise to have us out of there on a certain date (hey, close to election time, go figure). Instead of sending troops to actually solve the problem, he's just sending a few to keep them busy and kill them (by them I mean our guys) off so he can proclaim it a defeat and be hailed as a savior when he finally brings the poor souls he refused to help back.

The military DESPISES Obama. And this is why. He's willing to set them up for death and failure for his political purposes.

The US does not even have an additional 140,000 troops to send. IF this truly was McCrystal's request, then he needs to be drug tested.

I've read McChystal's request. It did not include the 140,000 figure. I asked Allie to provide some evidence to support this claim. He/she hasn't provided it. So I guess I'm just left to conclude that the claim is pure BS.

Well, since the claim came from AllieBaba, I sincerely hope you were not TOO shocked?

 

[nodoginnafight]

The US does not even have an additional 140,000 troops to send. IF this truly was McCrystal's request, then he needs to be drug tested.

I've read McChystal's request. It did not include the 140,000 figure. I asked Allie to provide some evidence to support this claim. He/she hasn't provided it. So I guess I'm just left to conclude that the claim is pure BS.

Well, since the claim came from AllieBaba, I sincerely hope you were not TOO shocked?

I do try to give folks every opportunity to rehabilitate their reputation whenever possible.

 

[mediaspin]

Why does the "best orator" use so many words to communicate so little substance?

 

[nodoginnafight]

maybe you just didn't understand it?
I think 30,000 American souls constitutes "substance" but to each his/her own I guess.

 

[VaYank5150]

Why does the "best orator" use so many words to communicate so little substance?

Perhaps you simply have a comprehension problem? Or it could have helped if you simply took your head out of your ass?