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Bush Lite
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Obama’s speech at West Point tonight will be a masterpiece of manipulation. Lee Siegel on how this president has hoodwinked the nation.
Well, what a coincidence. Two days before Obama is set to give a speech at West Point, in which he is expected to announce at least 30,000 more troops for Afghanistan, a Senate Foreign Relations Committee report is released that blames an insufficient number of troops for Osama bin Laden’s escape from American forces in 2001. You could be forgiven for thinking that the chairman of the committee, Sen. John Kerry, is serving his commander in chief's interests.
No, Obama is not Bush. More and more, he seems like a continuation of Bush by other means.
The report implies that it was the lack of American soldiers under the Bush administration that was responsible for, in the report’s words, “laying the foundation for today’s protracted Afghan insurgency and inflaming the internal strife now endangering Pakistan.” That was Bush’s policy, and since we all know Bush was evil, the opposite policy must be good. The aggressiveness that we associate with Bush is actually, in Obama’s hands, the righteous corrective to Bush’s aggressiveness.
• Richard Wolffe: No Wriggle Room for Obama
• Meghan McCain: My Anger at Obama Once again, Obama is using Bush's counter-example as a lever to sway the public. Yet to an even greater extent than his predecessor, Obama is proving himself an expert manipulator of public opinion, capitalizing on the McChrystal and then the Eikenberry leaks to give the impression of anguished, many-sided deliberations over whether to increase troop levels in Afghanistan. The good cop/bad cop routine with Joe Biden, who dutifully argued against more troops, was breathtakingly cynical.
• Peter Beinart: Stop Talking About Leaving Like Bush, Obama wants to wage an escalating war without worrying about how to pay for it—though no doubt, on Tuesday, we will be subjected to the same ludicrous vows not to increase the deficit. And it is almost uncanny to hear, this time from the liberal Obama, the same bloodcurdling rhetoric about nation-building and creating democratic institutions, and so on, that led us into implacably undemocratic Iraq. Warlord-run Afghanistan is nothing like Iraq. It is more like Somalia. Remember Somalia?
You want to rub your eyes in disbelief. Six years since the distastrous invasion of Iraq, six years of media deconstructing, unmasking, eviscerating, ironizing the Bush regime’s justification of that foolish war,
The media still use the word “surge,” which brings to mind heartening images of a positive rise in electric power, when the truth is that what the administration calls a “surge” is just another name for “reinforcements,” which brings to mind less heartening images of a losing battle. Indeed, just as Obama’s people speak of providing “exit ramps” for our deepening entanglement in Afghanistan—as if it were all a rational question of simple engineering; of road-building—the media have totally bought into talking about the war as if it were all a rational question of simple electrical contracting, what with an “insurgency” here, and a “surge” there, and a “counterinsurgency” everywhere. But war is notoriously foggy. It is impervious to sudden illumination, let alone to the impressive timetables of armchair strategists who think they can control the future with a "plan."
Obama will lead us deeper into yet another pointless conflict, in yet another unremittingly hostile and unassimilable place, but we will be asked to give him time. For the political writer Jacob Weisberg, opining in Slate, one of Obama’s great accomplishments this past year has actually been that “Next week, after a much-disparaged period of review, he will announce a new strategy in Afghanistan.” Winston Churchill, move over. But then, Weisberg praises Obama for the following presidential triumphs: “preventing a depression, remaking America's global image, and winning universal health insurance.” Never mind that unemployment is the highest it’s been in decades, and going even higher, and that any Democratic president with a Democratic majority in Congress would have passed a similar stimulus package to Obama's, and probably a larger one. As for remaking America’s global image—who cares? Anyway, images are made with actions, not words.
How Rich People Smoke Pot
Paul Schrodt is a writer living in New York City. He has contributed to New York magazine, Radar, and Esquire.com.
Justice Clinton?
As vice chairman of Public Strategies and president of Maverick Media, Mark McKinnon has helped meet strategic challenges for candidates, corporations and causes, including George W. Bush, John McCain, Governor Ann Richards, Charlie Wilson, Lance Armstrong, and Bono. McKinnon is co-chair of Arts & Labs, a collaboration between technology and creative communities that have embraced today's rich Internet environment to deliver innovative and creative digital products to consumers.
Obama's Sham Bipartisan Show
Lee Siegel is The Daily Beast's senior columnist. He publishes widely on culture and politics and is the author of three books: Falling Upwards: Essays in Defense of the Imagination; Not Remotely Controlled: Notes on Television; and, most recently, Against the Machine: How the Web Is Reshaping Culture And Commerce—And Why It Matters. In 2002, he received a National Magazine Award for reviews and criticism.
The Betrayed Wives Club
Lee Siegel is The Daily Beast's senior columnist. He publishes widely on culture and politics and is the author of three books: Falling Upwards: Essays in Defense of the Imagination; Not Remotely Controlled: Notes on Television; and, most recently, Against the Machine: How the Web Is Reshaping Culture And Commerce—And Why It Matters. In 2002, he received a National Magazine Award for reviews and criticism.
Obama's Desperate Gay Pander
Lee Siegel is The Daily Beast's senior columnist. He publishes widely on culture and politics and is the author of three books: Falling Upwards: Essays in Defense of the Imagination; Not Remotely Controlled: Notes on Television; and, most recently, Against the Machine: How the Web Is Reshaping Culture And Commerce—And Why It Matters. In 2002, he received a National Magazine Award for reviews and criticism.
Monk66
Wow Lee.
I'm glad you criticize without providing any details as to how we SHOULD go about the war in Afghanistan. I'm glad your best plan for America's interests is to leave the country we promised to make better, the women we promised to grant the human rights we share in this part of the world, and the children we promised would grow up in a better situation than that of their parents or grandparents.
I'm reall glad you're sitting behind a small desk without a window writing tihsllub and leaving the actual decision making to those qualified.
It is easy to say just bring them home. It is easy to ignore them.
Hey, we did it after the Soviets left their war.
What's the worst that could happen?
galeso
Monk66, we should surrender now and adopt Sharia laws.
When they voted for change, did they know they were voting for climate change until 2050 and beyond?
YEPISAIDIT
Anyone is better as a commander in chief except the bushes. I wonder why the public and the media especially was real quiet when both of those crooks(bushes) were in office, had they kept them under the microscope like you people do obama, just maybe this land of the the thieves and the greed wouldn't be in over billion of dollars in debt, waiting for obama to fix your buck ups OVER NIGHT
cesspool
Its become obvious Obama is merely serving Bush's 3rd term, with a handful of socialists, maoists weatherman/underground types tossed in -- amazes me how quiet Revs. Wright, Jackson & Sharpton have been too. They must be flush with gov't stimulus cash!
ectoendomezo
Well..I ask YOU then...
Because the simple..frankly UNAMBIGUOUS reality..is that America..doesn't give a rats ass about 'Womens Rights" or "The Rule Of Law"..or SPECIFICALLY.."Human Rights"...since that is..again...ABSOLUTELY A FACT!
Well..then I ASK YOU..."WHY ARE WE THERE?"
Do you KNOW? Does ANYONE other than GENERAL JIM JONES AND A HANDFUL OF OIL EXECUTIVES? ((By the Way..has anyone else noticed..as the .."Yes! On Protracted And Pointless Conflict" Propaganda began in ernest..there has been one sneaky little bit of weird subliminal re-education...the 'Re-Naming'...of General JIM JONES..to "JAMES JONES"?...Maybe its because the Boy's at CIA and The NSC realized that all those SUBLIMINAL images of HUNDREDS of BLOATED CORPSES of Men Women and Children in Guyana....like one GIANT Mi-Lai massacre..might not be "Good" for their.."PROGRAM".. in any event..WHY make the strange 'Change'?..why indeed?))
Look..People..this is about OIL..that little FACT..has NOT CHANGED..
NIXON..who by today's standards NEVER should have been even QUESTIONED about Watergate..by comparison to the corruption of THIS and the PREVIOUS Administartions..and too..Spiro Agnews 'Bust" should be placed in the "Hall"..he PALES in comparison to Cheney..ANYWAY..NIXON..called VIETNAM.."THE CHINA SWORD".. the tip of the spear into China if..'We Wanted It'...well..the diry secret is..Afghanistan..has NOTHING to do with "The War On Terror"..which is really a MASSIVE propaganda program.."Asymetrical Warfare" against the American People...te REALITY of "Trashcanistan" is..IT IS THE RUSSIA SWORD..THE INDIA SWORD...AND THE CONTROL OF THE BIG OIL CRACK PIPE KNOWN AS THE 'TRANS-SIBERIAN PIPELINE..
That..si WHY..they are sending troops..without END..to this OTHERWISE..absolutely..POINTLESS WAR..
We are a MECHANIZED MILITARY..every...single..aspect..from Boots..to Bombs..from Alpha to Zulu..is..PETROLEUM BASED..so...what do you do? YOU SIMPLY POSITION..BY WHATEVER MEANS NECESSARY..YOUR OIL DEPENDANT MILITARY MACHINE...ON TOP OF...THE NUMBER ONE RESOURCE FOR CONTINUED HEGEMONY....O-I-L! this is the Equivalent of placing a FORT ontop of a SPRING in the Indian Wars...without Water..no 'War' was possible..
This..and THIS alone..is the NATIONAL SECURITY ISSUE..that the Boy's That Call The Shots are using to make these decisions..
And..frankly..it doesn't HURT...that GENERATION 'Y'..OR..IRONICALLY ENOUGH..THE 'OBAMA ARMY' has been the HARDEST HIT by the "Recession"..for those of..again..IRONICALLY....of RECRUITING AGE...18-34 years old...THIS IS A FULL BLOWN DEPRESSION..Unemployment rates..depending on who you ask..as high as 24%..but the Bureau of Labor Statistics puts it at 18%..the HIGHEST of any demographic..and the EMPLOYMENT numbers are..oddly..WORSE..at 41%..so..30,000 troops? When recruitment was a MAJOR ISSUE just 1 1/2 years ago..with NO RECRUITING OFFICE in the U.S. making its 'QUOTA'..and now..Ooops! 30,000? Sure...no problem..Garsh..Wonder WHY?
No..this is about OIL..and MONEY..
And those are NOT...good enough reasons...not with the EXISTING SOLUTIONS we already have..Nope! This is ACTUALLY..ANOTHER...Corporate Sell-Out..BIG-TIME..BIGGEST YET..by the Obama Liars Club...
Basically..folks..we ARE NOT GOING TO MAKE IT! Its already OVER!
bonkus
Lets drink juice and sing songs!
Monk66
I'm shippin up to BOSTON!!
thank you again for NOT providing any details as to what we should do other than "BRING THEM ALL HOME.!!"
and i understand why you use CAPS!! its is SO much FUN!!
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randyvice
How in the world can anyone with an education believe Afghanistan is about Oil. There is no oil within 500 miles of Afghanistan. While I am basically a liberal minded person, it is complete foolishness and undereducated rubbish to compare Bush's unjustified war in Iraq with the war in Afghanistan. America has to stand for something; Civil rights, liberty, religious freedom, etc.. The war in Afghanistan is about these things and more. While I reject the "war on terror' tag, we are in engaged in a war on Islamic radicalism. A belief system which justifies hate, ignorance, and xenophobia as "Allah's Will". While Christians and Jews have our own hatemongers, the mainstream not only opposes these ideas but strongly condemns them. Any person who claims to be liberal or progressive who opposes this war is probably a "neo-facist" or follower of some other hate based school of thought.
superjurdan
bonkus, you are my favorite person!
I second that!
holdcraftm
With idiots like you it's no wonder we won't make it. You write a dissertation to say the obvious - it is only about oil and money? Well Sherlock, where have you been the last 100 years?? Every war in history has been about gaining scarce resources. That is why we have politicians and governments - to help us gain and/or keep valuable resources. In todays society it is always about money and oil (resources to run your economy). What else should it be about?
kremer4646
you gotta like this guy. what a moron. i love all these "BIG OIL" haters. You yourself are a sell out. where do you think the components in your computer come from??? PETROLEUM. Look at the world around you, the products you use every day. you are clueless. You are also part of the machine.
essellenergy
Ectoendomezo, I agree with you. How is it Americans who are supposed to use our own heads to monitor and feed our Congressional Representatives with information and opinions are sitting here letting the RICH run the country. See, from the beginning, the key was to inflict fear in the American people so they would 'LET THEM DO WHATEVER THEY WANTED'. But the problem is, they should have Shared this goal with us. Americans love their houses, SUV's, entertainment, and bragging rights of being the 'badest' nation on earth. Well, then "hey Rich fools, go get the oil so we middle and low income americans can have something to play with since you got most of the money anyways!" But look what has happened.
We are suffering. They have taken 'all' the money out of the system that we live in and are hoarding it UNTIL they get control of 'more' assets. And they are telling us 'nobodies' that "YOUR COUNTRY NEEDS YOU". Which country? What people? It seems to me that the only ones who need us are the freakin 'RICH BASTARDS'.
You don't need a billion dollars to take care of yourself. And oh yeah, I heard about the Islands and mess you nut jobs are creating namely "The World" that is $60 billion in debt. To Who?
So, now that we understand that the Filthy '3% of the population' Rich are just trying to stay and get richer, then you can understand why my sister's life in Iraq and other citizen's family members don't matter to them. They are just bodies.
Patriotism? Hogwash. Don't be stupid americans. You are NOT serving your 'Fellow American countrymen'!!!! You are serving the few Filthy Rich Americans who are playing with the Filthy Rich Mexicans and Saudi's and whoever else you never hear about.
Gosh, why don't they just get real. American's are greedy lowlifes basically. As long as you give the 97% enough to kill each other over, they think they are running things. I personally see how it all works and it's not a bad thing. For real. Since the average person wants to be where the Filthy Rich guy or gal is anyways, then I can't feel sorry for them.
But the point to all of this is: We helped build America. You Filthy Rich guys need happy workers to keep your companies afloat. Of course you could do like the Mexicans and the rest of the world and alleviate the Middle Class so there is nothing but Extreme Poor and Extreme Rich. But if you'll notice, America is the only country in the World that ran with the whole Middle Class theme and that is why it is so Powerful today!
Go get the oil, but let us in on it. We are cool with you powerful people being powerful. Just don't stump on us. Who cares what happens to the other guys? That's their country. Stop acting like you care about them.
YOU DON'T and neither does most americans for that matter@
tgatwood
Apart from your post being completely exasperating and terribly difficult to follow at times (stop using so many caps and ellipses), you do make some very good points. While I do not believe that we are in the midst of some huge multi-national corporate conspiracy, I do believe that the biggest factor for us lingering so in that region of the world is for a stretegic point of control once the oil supplies begin to dip elsewhere. We need to be militarily ready for the calamity that is to come.
tontopb
As a lifelong Democrat who voted for Obama I think he has not lived up to his promise. We should get out of Afganistan and pursue our battles against terr by protecting our homeland on our shores and byseeking out and killing the leadership of the various terror groups who seek to attack the US. in a country where >50% of the population can't read or write, where women and children are chattel why do we think WE can be successful. A waste of lives and money.
Obama has lost my vote!
mbamom01
Ok The PRESIDENT lost your vote? Are you insane? First of all, how can anyone expect a man to clear up a total of 8 years of trickery, deceit and blantant foolishness in one year or one term for that matter? No matter who the President, this mess is going to take some time period! How stupid does America want to continue to look? Obama has a rough job on his hand and a tough act to follow and I don't mean that in a positive sense. He is not making all the decisions alone, these so-called experts, financial, war, health and the list goes, are really the blame for what is presently taking place in our nation. This Siegel guy is incoherent and Lee you are a pretty bad critic!
So since all of these responses are mostly geared toward negativity, has anyone ever stopped to think that there are some troops that actually don't mind fighting a war to keep us free? There are more and more people signing up just to be reserves. And now we got everyone tossing their opinions around as to how to handle the war, and this nation? First lets start with showing other countries allies and enemies that we can protect our President and not allow some luniatics "crash a Presidential party"! Lets start with protecting our President which symbolizes how we protect our contrty. If something happens to our President we will open Pandora's box folks!
Now to a more current issue, that couple should be prosecuted! We need to set an example to all that you just simply cannot do something like that at that level and get away with it. I don't believe their stories about anyone else assisting them with their scam. Its a scam that should of never taken place period.
You know its easy to say pull out all the troops and let them manage themselves and deal with their own problems. If those problems and issues spill over into America in which they have, then what folks? American troops cannot just pack up and leave with the snap of a finger. Who knows what the strategy is, there is a reason things are taken place they way they are and its not up to us to decide but we must hold those accountable for the outcome.
Monk66
"We should get out of Afganistan and pursue our battles against terr by protecting our homeland on our shores and byseeking out and killing the leadership of the various terror groups who seek to attack the US"
kind of hypocracy dontcha think?!?
aren't we in Afghanistan fighting the leadership of these terrorist groups..?
MerryWils
As I lifelong Independent, I voted for Obama, but I think he HAS lived up to his promise(s) and will continue to progress and move forward as he has so well so far. The world political situation is much more complicated than a few sentences in any casual blog written by us, who sit safely at home, probably care to imagine. I agree with you, this war, and most every war for that matter, is a waste of resources and lives but we ARE in it. A simple answer saying just walk away now is NOT what is called for, in this case. We were given many simple answers from a relative simpleton for 2 terms. He was always, strong AND wrong, loud and proud. It got us nowhere. So far, this man we elected has done all that he has promised while having to work within the constrains of an already established system with all it's entrenched faults intact. With time, he WILL prove himself all that he is. Which, in my opinion, he is a true leader with vision beyond the short-term, he is full of compassion and as true understanding of the human and global condition we have ALL gotten ourselves into.
Obama has kept my vote!
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AlaskanStar
In response to the post by mbamom01....
I love how you start your argument off by blaming it all on Bush and the past 8 years of "trickery". Like all liberals you can only point to the past when you don't live up to what you claimed. Never take responsibility. Always place blame elsewhere.
Look at it this way. I fire one employee and hire a new one to replace them. The new employee does no better than the one that I had just fired. I ask them why this is and all they tell me is that the guy before them messed things up and it's not their fault. I DON"T CARE WHAT HAPPENED BEFORE. I hired the new employee to change things and fix them and instead they only place blame elsewhere. STOP THE MADNESS!
I think Bush screwed up royally! I dislike Republicans and Democrats equally. I have seen nothing from our government other than self-serving idiots that care not for the wishes of the public at large. I love these staunch Dem's and Rep's that do nothing than waste the publics time bickering on party lines. I just want someone who is honest to seek public office. That will never be though since our entire political system is based on kick-backs and the all driving force of money.
Just like this grand adventure to Copenhagen where Obama is going to tell the world the US apologizes for using so many resources and we are going to cut carbon emissions 17% in the next decade. All this Cap and Trade BS that is being based on the THEORY of human caused global warming. I don't think we should be making legislation, that is going to have a HUGE financial impact on the American public, based on a THEORY. But of course it will all happen anyway because the government stands to lose too much money if Cap and Trade doesn't go through.
I just hope folks wake up before it's too late.
My predication, Christmas 2010.
"Sorry Timmy, but we can't light our plastic Christmas tree this year. We ran out of our carbon credit allotment for this month." Ugh.....
parke47
how can we protect our homeland when we are not allowed to investigate the terrorists?
wshaikh22
I agree with you 100%
holdcraftm
Hey Dumbo, you were stupid to vote for him to begin with, so live with it.
Moni45
Ok first off OUR President told America what he was going to do before he did it. He said he would withdraw our troops from Iraq and deploy our troops to Afganistan, in an aggressive move to the war against terror. He said this several times and you voted for him then and so did I. Funny how Americans can only hear what they want to hear. If Mccain and his running mate Palin was in office, Afganistan would be the least of our problems. No, I do not like our men and women getting killed daily in this war or any other war for that matter but we have to protect our Home or our children and every able body alike will have to take arms just to protect our own land (America). I have served in the Armed Forces and if I had to go I would with my head leveled, chest out and feet grounded. Wise up, support our troops and your/our President of the United States. That goes for all of you!
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Monk66
haha and the Bible doesn't have that plan?
the only difference between the Bible and the Qur'an.. not Koran.. is that the Qur'an offers a gov't structure. in the past 2000 years Christianity has "conquered" the other 2/3.
I'm really glad to see that you believe the fundamentals of this country lie in fighting a religion. If you want to live in a place like that, move to another country.
We AMERICANS believe in fighting for our security and safety, not fighting a religion.
"Wanna know what the world is in for, just read the Koran.....it is an instruction book for warfare, murder, torture, rape, and hatred of women."
I highly doubt you've read a single word out of the Qur'an, so don't act like an expert on the book.
Enterprise
I'm a Muslim. In what chapter, what verse does it say anything about hatred for women? Don't just spew nonsense, you troll and please provide evidence. As my friend would put it...'Present evidence or kindly GTFO'
P.s. The Crusades conquered as much as early Islam...need I mention the 'beautiful' advancement in torture pioneered by the early Crusaders? Every religion has it's bloodbaths.
Nihil Sine Nefas - Nothing without Sin
JohnConnughton
Weismonger and Monk66, I enjoy breaking in with my 2 cents worth. I have read the Qur'an, or tried to, it is arranged sort of by subject rather than chronology and while that sounds reasonable in practice it doesn't work very well.
Anyway, after trying to understand it I think Weismonger is generally right. Unlike the Bible this book is not about Allah much at all so much as it is about the schitzoid paranoia of The Prophet. Everything starts with 'praise Allah the everything' and immediately turns to what you should do to the infidels, or especially the apostates. Apostacy has no recourse but instant death and has no semblence at all to leaving God's judgement in His own hands or trying to get the beam out of your own eye.
But Weismonger, you do exaggerate. Anyone with or especially without a religion-like me-knows that human life is THE coin of existence, and we should be careful of calling for wholesale death even when it seems it is us or them. I refer not to the willing warriors among us but the innocents caught in the crossfire; I could wage total war too but I could never sound as satisfied as you do about it.
Monk66, does the Bible have that plan? First remove the Old and New Testaments, they are not in synch. Next, Christianity follows the New by definition, and it is far less harsh. History's excesses notwithstanding.
che911
You're clueless. Are the appeasement policies of Chamberlain and his associates the best you can come up with? Once again someone is referencing the 1938 Munich accords as a benchmark to magically example all subsequent global conflicts! How original. Your historical reference should be the British Raj and the Great Game (the struggle between the Russian and British Empires for control of central and south Asia). Stop stifling the debate with your uneducated bullying and closed-minded view of geo-political concerns. Read something man!
dontBugMe
Clearly you haven't read it JohnConn. God is mentioned on every single page of the Qur'an, multiple times in fact. Do a side by side with the Bible. The same is not true of the Bible. Leaving Islam is mentioned less than 5 times. Infidel is not used in any translation of the Qur'an so I am not sure what you read.
cesarespinozaspain
Dear Lee Siegel, as a former Iraq war vet, I too agree george w bush is Satan. However the sheer horror and darkness that would have befallen us all if john mccain was president should chill us down to the bone, we would be at war with Iran, North Korea and god knows who else. politics aside compared to bush, he doesn't even deserve a capital b for his name or mccain, our elected present Mr Obamba is a godsend. now for all you hippies out there, get off you precious A@@es enlist then fight in the war and bleed for the safety of your loved ones and country before you open your mouths and vomit out the shit that's in it.
holdcraftm
I hate to rain on your parade, but women's freedom and human rights isn't the reason we are in the Middle east or Afghanistan. Those are possible side benefits but not the reason we are over there. We are there to kick ass on people who threaten our lifestyle. They killed 3000 of us and then ran and hid in Afghanistan. Oil is our reason for being there and we shouldn't be ashamed of it. Our economy runs on oil and until that changes, we'll do what we have to do to protect those lines bringing us oil. And we'll kick ass on anyone who gets in our way - including Islamic terrorists and those who support them, i.e Taliban. They threaten the stability of the middle east, our oil source.
TeresaInPa
Lee is not the president, he doesn't have to lay out a plan. Obama is president and his plan is nonsense.
Andersen
Hi Monk66,
Yes, we should leave Afganistan ASAP. We CANNOT AFFORD this war... we do not have money for this war! You are probably one of those who buy things even if they could not afford them... "that's alright, I will charge it on my credit card"! By the way, Soviets did not "leave their war", that war drained the Soviets to poverty... they had to leave. However, it was too late. USSR was not the only Empire which found its death in this region... Roman and British empires as well. Well, you are probably one of those who never learn from history lessons.
And stop saying "WE PROMISED" this and that. I did not promise Afgans $hit! You promised... you go and fight there, in that $hit hole. You spend your own money and send your own kids to die there. Why don't you promise American people that they won't be in debt up to their eye-ball. You can start with by stopping charging you credit card for things you can't afford!
msw444
Why wait for tomorrow to hear the speach? Let's reject it out of hand the day before it is delivered. We don't know what the President will say, but let's pretend we do!
For myself, I would welcome a decision to leave that part of the world to that part of the world. I don't have a column to write, but I do begin to wish Obama would stop listening to the financial experts and the legal experts and the military experts, and start second guessing them. If he does what we elected him to do, those things he said he would do, in spite of the experts, he can at least fail on his own merits.
oathkeeper
I wonder how things would have worked out if we ignored the military experts durring WW2. Thankfully, Hitler did that. There's nothing like the idiots who would tell the brave people who our elected oficials put in harms way that they don't know best how to do their job. Sure, let's have the president and his staff who have NO military experience figure it all out. Obama is so great at it that he can ignore the general that he appointed and all the ones going door to door and cave to cave. Heck, that's why he never even visited the troops their. How about we just bring our troops home and replace them with all the ones who know better, like msw444. I'm sure that the people that strap bombs to themselves to blow up anyone who doesn't think that women are belongings and that Jews and Christians should be wiped out would just drop their arms and frollick with them. Nah. We'll just wait to hear what the great one has to say. After all, the "military experts" only gave him the answer three months ago. We just need those really smart polititians to guide us brain-dead sheep.
holdcraftm
And taking your advice, that is exactly what he would do - fail. Who should Obama listen too if not experts? idiots like you? Where do you get your expert info? CBS or NBC? There is only one person who should decide what decisions and advice Obama should take and that is him, not you.
plwinkler
Mr. Siegel has finally written a coherent essay, one which is commendably on point.
JeffreyinLA
Obama has refused to hold those accountable who rushed America into two pointless wars. Now he throws more American bodies and more American gold onto two wars with no definition of what a win means, where we've installed and supported two corrupt leaders in two banana democracies.
Military experts want war. Defense contractors want war. Washington wants war. So we will have wars.
Krovane
Okay let us recap on Obama's campaign promises: Did or did not Obama promise to pull troups out of the war? Hmmm...so what is this "...at least 30,000 more troops for Afghanistan..." about?
Did not this country have enough of Bush junior's lies and his unfulfilled presidential campaign promises? Enough of our troops have lost their lives on a pointless war.
If President Obama keeps up on his unfulfilled campaign promises and possibly has future lies and cover-ups to tell the American people, then I say: IMPEACH OBAMA before more damage is done to our country's reputation.
seanjohn
Obama promised to pull troop out of Iraq, not Afghanistan. He's always supported the Afghanistan war. So technically, he is following the campaign promise of pulling troops out, as he has already started pulling troops out of Iraq.
However, I think we should just pull out of both places completely. Its just making our government spending larger, and our debt bigger.
holdcraftm
Maybe you should go back and reread what Obama said during the campaign. He promised to get us out of Iraq, not "war" , not Afghanistan either.
YEPISAIDIT
Why should we impeach Obama, did you make that request for both of the bushes. What commander in chief do you know have kept ALL of their promises, starting with yourself? you people are so funny to me when it comes to Obama. america is acting as if Obama is the reason for the land of the thieves and greedy being jacked the buck up.... not ole boys fault, it's columbus cousin's faults but we refuse to recapture and remember ALL of his and his dads errors
bothsidesnow
I distinctly remember Obama, during the campaign, saying on television that though he did not agree with the war in Iraq, he would have us redirect our efforts toward the war in Afghanistan. I am not particularly content that this is for the best, but it doesn't seem to me that he changed his plan.
mbamom01
And who might I ask should he hold accountable? Hmmmm lets see Bush and Cheney to begin with? I do agree with your last sentence and I ask you how does the President control that? How much control does a President actually have is what you should ask yourself.
YEPISAIDIT
BOTH of the those bushes, that was just too long to be in office stealing and nobody bothered to impeach neither of them. all of a sudden they want to do OBAMA............. not surprised this has been going on since the GOD created leaporsy, the males do something and they turn around and blame it on the black man and of course the black man gets charge and the white boy walks..... that's why i DO NOT believe anything that comes out of thier mouths....lies lies lies every since christopher columbus escaped from the caves eating raw meat and came here stealing and leaving STD in the indian's camp, ole boy had to be dog nasty in order to leave diease in the blankets that was able to be caught.....
holdcraftm
So, what is your point? How long have you been around? Once in power the Dems and Reps all become clones. Until we vote out all "career politicians" and start electing people who go to do what is "right" rather than what is "politically correct" nothing will change. People who vote for someone because of their Party affiliation are idiots. Elect people who are free to use their common sense and not tied to a particular party line. Sent them to Washington for one term, and one term only. Then send them home.
holdcraftm
The only thing I can argue against your comment is to ask what military experts are you referring to? Having spent my 30 year career in the Military, I can say only one thing. No Military expert (i.e. a person actually in the Military) wants war. There are probably many civilians who claim to be "Military experts" who might want war, but none of us in the Military "want war". We'll go if ordered, but it certainly isn't anything we want! The Military is just one political arm of the U.S. Government. The Military does not just "go to war", we are "sent to war" by the officials you elected.
al-nafs
Wow Lee. You really live up to the label of 'critic'.
neverlate
This is how empires fade away. Bush had one thing over Obama, he had the courage of his convictions no matter how dreadfully wrong they were.
johnnyapplecd
I'll take constant self-doubt over dreadfully wrong convictions any day.
neverlate
Not when you are at war. You are either all in or all out.
djanimaequeen
I agree with johnny. This isn't the wild west. The geo-political landscape is much more nuanced and requires more than the John Wayne guns ablazin approach.
AngryWiseman
Try looking a member of our armed forces in the eye and tell them that they should go into harm's way based on the decisions a of a leader wracked with constant self-doubt. Men and women who volunteer to serve deserve better than to be used as political or diplomatic pawns, hanging out in the wind while the clowns in Washington calculate what degree of force should be applied to further the continuance of their political career. The USS Cole incident is a perfect example of this errant mentality. There, we had a vessel in a hostile region of the world, in a port within a country with known terrorist and anti-American activity, and yet the watches on the ship, though armed, were forced to hold a passive stance for fear of unsettling the locals. Like the locals don't already know what a big gray ship is about. (Huh? You mean those five inch guns don't dispense flowers and candy?)
You want diplomatic progress? Send a diplomat.
You want humanitarian progress? Send the Red Cross.
If you send in the military, death and destruction should be your only objective. Those objectives should be clearly defined and the volunteers should be given the latitude to get the job done in whatever manner gets them home in the most expeditious manner possible.
holdcraftm
Both parts of your statement are wrong. Obama isn't suffering from self-doubt and Bush's convictions were not "dreadfully wrong", maybe that's why Obama has done what he's done. He now has access to more information than he did before he became President. All you have is incomplete and inaccurate liberal news reports.
Angilix
So did Hitler
BMJ1984
I think you make a lot of good points Lee.
However, America is knee deep in sand over there. It's time that you dealt with the fact that a "let's get the hell out of there no matter how bad a shape we leave Afghanistan" policy is just not a viable option for any president. The US would be the laughing stock of the world.
mbamom01
Well put especially "any president" but we are already the laughing stock of the world. Two scam artist crashed a Presidental party! They could of killed him or everyone in attendance. Its the possibilities that worries me and some heads should surely roll and jobs should be lost!
seanjohn
yes, that is pretty embarrassing. however they did go through the same security (or did they?).
holdcraftm
Who actually gives a f what the world thinks?
wiremu
"The US would be the laughing stock of the world."
Too late kiddo.
dailywackos
To all the useful idiots that voted for George W. Obama, you deserve this war. Unfuckinbelievable.
Hillary 2012 - Keep the fucking change.
helloricko
As compared to the useful idiots that voted to put McCain and his absurd choice for VP into the White House. Remember McCain saying that the US would be required to stay in Iraq for a century?
Get off your high horse, you jackass.
djanimaequeen
wacko is apparently allergic to reason.
Monk66
gesundheit
mbamom01
Well said. Bravo! I think the wackos is also suffering from amnesia
barfnation
Just a side note: there are people who did not vote for Obama, but also did not vote for McCain. I'm not trying to pick an argument. I'm just saying, you can't assume that because someone does not support Obama must mean they do support McCain.
holdcraftm
You misquote McCain, i.e. you must be a liberal. Go back and listen to what McCain actually said. It's on the internet, Idiot.
byersl
You're kidding, right? Hillary is part of the reason he's agreeing to it, she's on the hawk's side!
mbamom01
dailywackos? shoe fits! your response is unfuckingbelievable!
YEPISAIDIT
the bushes the bushes the bushes started this way, and it was very undeserving then just as it is now, but the bushes is at home collecting your tax dollars after stealing more than you can count to and hiding out because they both know they are one of the MAIN reason america the land of the greed and thieves is suffering.... NOT MR. OBAMA.... don't like it, fall off the face of the earth....
gmfeld
The situation in Afghanistan is a troubling mess (thank you W., Dick and Donald), to which I see no compelling solution for the national security interests of the U.S. What I do know is that I wouldn't have the nerve to publish a piece criticizing Obama's decision without offering up what I would think the alternative course should be. And on that score Lee, you should be embarrassed to have published this. So easy to criticize when you choose to not offer up the alternative course. Terrible journalism (if that's what this is).
holdcraftm
Lee did offer an alternative - get out of Afghanistan now. How did you miss it?
safariman
I believe "inane" best describes your thoughts. The President is finally about to "man up" to his responsibilities.
Dingoangst
Yep, I am horribly disappointed. We have ended up with the same ole, same ole. We should not be listening to the generals to make our foreign policy. That is not the way the constitution structured our government. Now, we have McChrystal , a warmonger and liar, creating our Afghanistan policy. A tragedy.
Johnnyappleseed
Sounds like your expectations are not being met dingy!
McChrystal is a soldier, he needs more troops, your commander in chief has dithered to the point of no return, don't blame the general
redstatebluedude
So true. When did the president start taking orders from the military? I always thought it was supposed to work the other way, that the president gave orders TO the military.
Monk66
Exactly what he's doing today. The whole point of his speech. Because he takes his advice, along with many others' advice, he's taking orders?
oathkeeper
If the statements on this site reflect the knowledge that Americans have of the real world, then we are in trouble. (1) If the president was taking orders from the military it would not take three months for a response. (2) The military did not make this war, they are following orders by polititians and fighting it. (3) If it was all about oil, prices would'nt be sky high and we would be tapping our enormous supply here at home.
holdcraftm
Hey duffer, just because you are an idiot and have no concept of how our Military works, doesn't mean McChrystal is a warmonger or liar. Gen. McChrystal was given a job to do and he has asked for the resources and soldiers to do it. Generals don't make US policy, they follow it and the orders they are given by the President. They they don't start wars either. If you want to complain about any war, complain to the politicians you elected.
holdcraftm
Hey duffer, just because you are an idiot and have no concept of how our Military works, doesn't mean McChrystal is a warmonger or liar. Gen. McChrystal was given a job to do and he has asked for the resources and soldiers to do it. Generals don't make US policy, they follow it and the orders they are given by the President. They they don't start wars either. If you want to complain about any war, complain to the politicians you elected.
redstatebluedude
Seriously, has there EVER been a bigger, more impressive political "bait and switch" pulled off than what Obama pulled on the poor progressive suckers of this country last year?
How can a progressive see any point in going to the polls for the next election, or any other election?
Is false hope better than no hope?
byersl
What are you going on about? He always campaigned on going forward in Afghanistan.
mbamom01
THANK YOU!!!
holdcraftm
Seriously, are you just realizing that once in power there is no difference between Democrats and Republicans???? Where have you been?
YEPISAIDIT
u people had false hope with both g. bushes, so you should be a good ole work mule by now, so hang in there ole gal and join the club
alloypony
ARE YOU STUPID - He must HONOR the Last STUPID president !!!
holdcraftm
The only stupid ones here are the ones who voted for change. They are now getting Democrats making the same decisions Republicans did. They are all a bunch of "politicians", not statesmen. Until we get rid of "career politicans" we will not get any better. Dem or Rep - not a dime's worth of difference.
YEPISAIDIT
don't you mean the last TWO stupid presidents, the apple don't fall too far from the tree... these folks don't even remember both bushes and their mess cause they are so far up Obama's colon!!!!!!!!!!!!! had they been up the bushes colon the brother wouldn't be getting so much publicity now....
khepri
Our first black Republican president does not seem to understand that "surge" can also mean deluge, as in tsunami. Great article Mr. Siegel. I truly wish your points were invalid.
djanimaequeen
What does his skin color have to do with his policies? Do you actually wonder why you're painted as a racist? Asshole.
This comment has been removed by The Daily Beast's editors.
crypto
djanimaequeen: I got kicked off here for calling a liberal that name the other day. Let's see how you make out?? After looking at what he said they allowed me bck.
khepri
Look at the cover photo attached to the story bird-brain. It shows the two faces of Obama and Bush fused into one. Get it? First black president is a feather in America's cap; but first black REPUBLICAN president is an ouch moment, given the progressive expectations for this administration.
khepri
OMG, the pitbulls are out of their pen!
YEPISAIDIT
he's NOT the first black president because both of his parents are not BLACK... go back and check there were other mixed president who had black in their DNA. lesson number 1 a pure white boy will NEVER EVER have black hair by choice...... a white gal either...now you go figure....
Johnnyappleseed
I wonder how Lee really feels?
Thank you.
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