Just like in Vietnam, Afghanistan was never winnable. When I day-traded, I noticed that the difference between the winning traders and the losing traders was that the losing traders could not let a loser go. That is to say that when a position was going against them they held on because, emotionally, they could not sell a stock at a loss. They kept hoping it would turn around instead of cutting their losses. This sums it up best for me, from an editorial in REASON magazine:
Yep I strongly suspect Obama will get us the f**k out right after the election. For political reasons, he can't now (which is a sad reality).
I'm generally for a strong national defense and an activist foreign policy. However, to be honest, I don't know what our mission in Afghanistan is anymore. Originally, we went there to pursue Osama Bin Laden and bust him for 9/11. Well, we've done that. Haven't we won? If capturing and killing Bin Laden wasn't victory, then what is?
It is absolutely political. Obama cannot get out before the election because he will be seen as "weak" on terrorism. Are you so self-delusional that you do not think this would be a claim by the "loyal" opposition?
I just find it amusing that anyone can claim, with a straight face, that the loyal opposition would not attack Obama over withdrawing from Afghanistan irrespective of when he did it. There is some goofy documentary playing right now claiming he is a communist, but the timing would have mattered, yeah right.
No one has mentioned the drug angle. Drugs may be the biggest reason we went there and are still there. Me, jaded?
What we never hear and the main reason we are there is to root out terrioism. I believe in the Bush Administration and now in the Obama Admiinistration there is a whole bunch of things they are not telling us or the media. If what we hear and read from the Media and the Press Secretaries is the truth and the whole truth and nothing but the truth, we should have pulled out long ago. I just do not believe that W would have gotten us into this situation for giggles and there is no way that O would keep us there if he could pull us out. There are reasons we are there that I don't think are being shared by the leaders of this country. This is not to bash one admistration over the other but just expressing an opinion that there is something deeper going on over there then we know about. If I am wrong then Bush and Obama have both been playing politics with military lives and families and I do not believe either one of them would do that.
When I say things that aren't being shared, I am thinking CIA spy stuff, trying to root out the terroists, things if they shared would expose assets etc. I wasn't thinking anything really synnical(sp). Maybe the terroroists are more and stronger then we thought etc...or the governments over there are the actual terrorists and this is the only way to keep them in check....... Again, I don't know and I wasn't trying to be synnical or snarky just that I believe there has to be a better reason we are over there then what is being shared with us....
I tend to agree that BO could have pulled the troops out earlier but I also assume there is a very good reason that he hasn't. I will absolutely give him the benefit of the doubt on this one. I do not think it would be a "bad" move politically to end the hostilities. In fact, I think it is just the opposite. America is long tired of the wars and would welcome an end to them, imo. Sure there would be some campaining, but does anyone really want to enter an election, especially this year, trying to advocate for our continued presence in Afghan? Sounds like a loser to me.
Did BO set a withdrawl date for Afghanistan for the surge troops ? Why yes he did and it was sept 2012 which would have been well after our SEALS killed OBL The Link is that still happening?
now wait just a gosh-dog minute. Barack Hussein Obama told me that within 18 month sof him taking office we would be out of afghanistan and Iraq. Are you telling me he broke those promises too? dang. hope and change just didn't turn out quite like what he read to us it was gonna be.
Raytheon, McDonnell Douglas, Lockheed Martin, and the rest will let Obama or Romney know when they are ready for us to leave.
Hammer, I will give you Vietnam, I don't think they have the pull they once did. Not saying they don't have any pull but it was not what it was in the 1960's.
