That's right, it's Obama's war now, and he has some pretty important decisions to make. The first decision is whether you want to win the war or go home. If you want to win the war, well then, you don't have to take your general's advice? But, if you don't agree with your general, then maybe he's not the right guy. I mean you have every right to be concerned about results if you tell him, "No. Do it my way". He's going to salute, turn around, roll his eyes and walk out of the room. You would be right to question the conviction with which he will execute your plan. It would be completely legitimate to take the course that Obama's hero, Abraham Lincoln, took and keep firing generals until you find one that does what you want and gets the results that you want. That get's a little dicey though. The lessons of Vietnam hang heavy around our necks. That was a war we felt we had to fight, but apparently did not want to win. Conventional wisdom that has lasted over the many years is that the politicians tied one hand behind the back of our military. Politics got in the way of winning the war.
I guess that's why I feel it OK to now come out and criticize the indecision of the Commander-in-Chief. I worry that this may be the turning point where Afghanistan becomes like Vietnam. Because of politics, it could be come a war that we fight but don't want to win. The very idea that the elections in Afghanistan have anything to do with what our strategy might be is ridiculous. We are there to get Osama Bin Laden and to make sure that Afghanistan can never again be a place where terrorist organizations like Al Queda can operate with impunity. Who happens to be the president of Afghanistan doesn't matter except in the plans for withdrawing and leaving behind a stable government.....Once we win!
The real disconcerting thoughts are that our president has no conviction about this war. I think the Wall Street Journal described the president as 'playing hamlet'. But I don't think Obama's hamlet is contemplative and thoughtful, mais non, he is political and wily. He is more concerned with angering his allies, and losing points in the polls. He has no conviction as to whether this war should be fought or not. If you have conviction, you end up like George W Bush, and he does not want that to happen. My god! Just imagine! I mean look at the thin skin already displayed by this presidency! He is already at war with Fox News because he doesn't like their opposing views on health care! Imagine if he had to deal with anything like what GWB had to deal with? He would declare martial law!
And therefor have to bring the troops home from Afghanistan to shore up the home front.
Hmmmmmm.......
