Now They Tell Us: WaPo, Setting Bar Lower for Obama, Tells Us that US "Will Never Have Enough Troops" to Elminate Taliban

Securing a country with so much space, so many mountains, and so many people is a difficult thing, it turns out. And bringing genuine democracy to such a backwards place might be impossible.

Please do note that all of this was equally true a year ago -- but the media then was busy telling us that Afghanistan could be secured fairly easily if only we "hadn't taken our eyes off the ball" and fought the War in Iraq. Now that Obama's President, the media are falling over themselves to repeat his expectations-lowering spin and impress us all as to how terribly difficult this mission really is.

All it took was an election to inject some nuance into the media's war coverage. Winning an unconventional war in a backwards, landlocked country where the enemy can easily seek safe haven in a country we can't quite invade is hard? Who knew?

President-elect Barack Obama intends to sign off on Pentagon plans to send up to 30,000 more U.S. troops to Afghanistan, but the incoming administration does not anticipate that the Iraq-like "surge" of forces will significantly change the direction of a conflict that has steadily deteriorated over the past seven years.
Instead, Obama's national security team expects that the new deployments, which will nearly double the current U.S. force of 32,000 (alongside an equal number of non-U.S. NATO troops), will help buy enough time for the new administration to reappraise the entire Afghanistan war effort and develop a comprehensive new strategy for what Obama has called the "central front on terror."

The additional troops aren't there to win a war, but, it seems, to provide breathing room for a "comprehensive new strategy."

Meaning what? Deal-making with the Taliban? That's not said but I think the premise is being offered to support that. If the best we can hope for is a negotiated deal with the Taliban, gee, we should take that. It's the best we can hope for, after all.

With conditions on the ground worsening by nearly every yardstick last year -- including record levels of extremist attacks and U.S. casualties, and the expansion of the conflict across Pakistan and into India -- Obama's campaign pledge to "finish the job" in Afghanistan with more troops, money and diplomacy has encountered the daunting reality of a job that has barely begun.

Diplomacy? With warlords, sure. We do that. But what new diplomacy is The One considering?

Since the November election, Obama has been flooded with dire assessments of the war. A National Intelligence Estimate warned that a reconstituted al-Qaeda leadership, dug into the mountains along the Afghan-Pakistani border, continues to plan attacks against the United States and Europe. The Bush White House delivered a major review of Afghanistan last month that echoed that judgment, acknowledged that a modern Afghan democracy -- stable and free of extremists -- may be both unattainable and unaffordable, and said that the United States may have to accept trade-offs among priorities.

But I thought all we had to do was surrender in Iraq.

...
The military is as concerned about the mission of additional troops as it is about the size of the force and is looking for Obama to resolve critical internal debates, including the relative merits of conducting conventional combat vs. targeted guerrilla war. With limited resources, should the military concentrate on eliminating a Taliban presence -- a task for which most think the United States and its allies will never have enough troops -- or on securing large population areas?

I'm stunned at how adult the conversation has suddenly grown. No more childish neener-neener sniping and baiting from the MSM. It's a tough job, it may take a long time, and it won't be pretty.

Bush has been saying that for seven fucking years.

It's only now the media suggests he was telling the truth. Just as he walks out the door.

Thanks to Thomas.

Hey... You know what else is hard? Making the right fiscal and monetary moves to repair a badly-damaged economy.

Only now is that hard, though. After 9/11, it really should have been automatic that Bush restored the country to the white-hot bubble economy that Clinton enjoyed for eighteen months or so.

Honestly. That bubble was unprecedented in American history. Every economist said, at the time, it was a historical anomaly that would not last long. And it didn't.

And yet that was the bar set for success for Bush. Bush had to not only deliver a vigorously expanding economy (which he did) and low unemployment rates (which he did) and controlled inflation and interest rates (which he did).

He did not only have to match Clinton's two-term average economic performance (which he did).

He had to specifically match the eighteen-month unsustainable bubble economy Clinton enjoyed for a very brief time at the the tail end of his expansion. Failing to do so would make him a miserable failure.

Question:

Does anyone expect the MSM to insist that Obama match that eighteen months of overheated and unsustainable expansion to be deemed a success?

Posted by: Ace at 02:22 PM

Comments

1 That thumping your hearing is from all of Afghanistan going under the bus.

Posted by: Dkshideler at January 13, 2009 02:28 PM (kb2q5)

2 I said it the day we went into Afghanistan...it is not a real country as we understand the word and it never will be.

We are going to have thousands of troops there for years and the best we can likely hope for is that whenever we find terrorist scumbags, individually or in groups, we blow them up.

Posted by: DrewM. at January 13, 2009 02:30 PM (hlYel)

3 We agree, DrewM. It's a frankly nigh-impossible war to neatly conclude.

But PS, Bush fucked up..

Posted by: The MSM at January 13, 2009 02:31 PM (/SI8o)

4 Is this just another "unwelcome distraction" for the messiah?

Posted by: TheQuietMan at January 13, 2009 02:31 PM (1Jaio)

5 DrewM,

It'll never be a country as we understand the term, I agree. But if we can address (somehow) the flow of insurgents back and forth across the Pakistani frontier, we can stabilize the area pretty well. But that's the real trick. The Russians faced the same problem of Pakistan being a sanctuary. And any insurgency that has a sanctuary is bound to last a long time. How to do that, I don't know. We'll see.

Posted by: XBradTC at January 13, 2009 02:32 PM (VVkOm)

6 No more childish neener-neener sniping and baiting from the MSM.

The Post is leaving the Viagra-related neeners to the commentariat they recently primed for them.

Like I said then, that story of theirs was a sure (but subtle) signal of their soon turning their coverage of Afghanistan negative. And lo.

Posted by: Point at January 13, 2009 02:36 PM (EVXuq)

Bush has been saying that for seven fucking years.

Yes, well, everyone knows that Bush is stupid and evil and only wants to make money for Halliburton. We couldn't trust him like we can an unknown, untried junior senator from a corruption filled state whose primary accomplishments are voting present in the state legislature and raising money for his campaign.

Posted by: MSM at January 13, 2009 02:37 PM (knHvu)

Totally Off-Topic- but, ya gotta read this.

Government Incompetence in High-Def.

Funny and insightful look at the DTV conversion.

Example: "the government has once again made the Three Stooges look like the U.S. Marine Corps Silent Drill Team"

LOLZ

Posted by: Cluebat from Exodar at January 13, 2009 02:38 PM (WGcw3)

9 My amateur opinion is that Afghanistan will not be pacified in the sense of being a single, coherent nation. It will be inchoate barring a massive infusion of troops or the arrival of a large black monolith that causes them to evolve into a modern civilization. However, we can tolerate the existence of semi autonomous areas as long as they don't increase in size or align themselves with external powers.

Or, at least deploying additional troops to Afgaahneeeestan will keep 0bama from deploying troops to Darfur/Congo.

Posted by: Big Fat Meanie at January 13, 2009 02:41 PM (n2eCn)

10 What you said, DrewM. I think we should get an apartment.

Posted by: Big Fat Meanie at January 13, 2009 02:42 PM (n2eCn)

11 Name the new bunket buster "Dialog", and the daisy cutter "Diplomacy". Then, Obama can tell the Euroweenies that we're going to start using dialog and diplomacy with both the Taliban and the Iranians.

Posted by: Roy at January 13, 2009 02:43 PM (cB77O)

12 "�arrival of a large black monolith�"

Are you saying the Rev. Al Sharpton needs to move to Afghanistan?

Posted by: David in San Diego at January 13, 2009 02:45 PM (GF+6V)

Guess what? I'll defer to David Petraeus and his brain trust and not the WaPo.

That includes pizza orders, movie picks and counterinsurgency strategy.

Posted by: Harry Reid at January 13, 2009 02:45 PM (B+qrE)

14 I propose that we divide Afghanistan into 3 partitions. The Pastuans, The Taliban and The Mohawks. Once that is done we offer each 5 billion dollars with no strings attached. Whata ya guys think?

Posted by: Joe Biden at January 13, 2009 02:45 PM (m2CN7)

15 The left has been using the alternative Afghanistan strategy of "massive invasion," just like the Soviets did (how'd that go anyway?) as an illusory correct option. Bless Bush that he never saw fit to defend the successful, small force, high tech, rely on the locals path he choose.

Iraq was never a distraction because those extra troops would be an impediment, not a bonus. See the soviet invasion.

Posted by: joeindc44 at January 13, 2009 02:47 PM (QxSug)

16 It'll never be a country as we understand the term, I agree. But if we can address (somehow) the flow of insurgents back and forth across the Pakistani frontier, we can stabilize the area pretty well. But that's the real trick. The Russians faced the same problem of Pakistan being a sanctuary. And any insurgency that has a sanctuary is bound to last a long time. How to do that, I don't know. We'll see.

Carpet bomb along the border with dirty bombs?

Posted by: David in San Diego at January 13, 2009 02:47 PM (GF+6V)

17 Acey old sod, you buried the lede a bit on this story.

Think about this: The Commander in Chief (presumptive) just told 60,000+ troops that he is committing them to battle, ordering them to risk life and limb, and yet he already knows that they cannot possibly win this battle, and that at best they can buys some time for some late-night study sessions in the White House!

Am I the only one who thinks that this is the day the first shot was fired in the coming war between the Obama administration and the military? How insane is this statement? Can you imagine how Bush would be excoriated - and rightly so - if he said that. You simply CANNOT commit a multi-division force to intense combat and TELL THEM at the outset that you don't think they can win!

I say pre-impeach the fucker now for treason.

Posted by: Holdfast at January 13, 2009 02:48 PM (Gzb30)

I'd have loved to have been a fly on the wall inside The Vapid One's first national security briefing to watch the sweat break out on his forehead while he's listening to very serious people explain very seriously some very serious plans our enemies have to seriously hurt us.

Maybe, just maybe, he had an uncontrolled bowel movement along with the cold chill up his spine when he realized that we actually have real enemies.

Posted by: BackwardsBoy at January 13, 2009 02:48 PM (ZGhSv)

19 Ace, that was a serious post. Good stuff.

Posted by: Mr. Good at January 13, 2009 02:51 PM (/Ft4q)

20 I find it a pre-failure that Obama's been president elect for nearly two months now and he still hasn't found Bin Laden.

all the snark of the past 8 years is going to come home to roost.

Posted by: joeindc44 at January 13, 2009 02:52 PM (QxSug)

21 So Obama endorsed Bush's plan for Afghanistan. Funny, Biden just endorsed Bush's plan for Iraq.

http://tinyurl.com/a6uwbf

Posted by: Bugler at January 13, 2009 02:55 PM (YCVBL)

22 #17 This is precisely why in my fantasy world, not a single person reenlists or volunteers for the military in the Era of the Unicorn. If the left hates the military so much, let them enjoy a world free from out military for a few years. And don't help Obastard spill blood for the sake of looking tough. I would sooner trust a den of vipers than our new "C-in-C" with the military.

Posted by: George Orwell at January 13, 2009 02:57 PM (6uMRO)

Holdfast at January 13, 2009 02:48 PM (Gzb30)

My same thoughts in addition to how ridiculous that statement is in light of the left's years of analyzing Vietnam.

Posted by: Joe Biden at January 13, 2009 02:58 PM (m2CN7)

24 Give all the Jihadis unlimited free high speed internet and introduce them to internet porn. They won't have time to be assholes anymore.

Posted by: Lemmiwinks at January 13, 2009 02:59 PM (CiVat)

25 Honestly. That bubble was unprecedented in American history. Every economist said, at the time, it was a historical anomaly that would not last long. And it didn't.>>>

Similarly all during the real estate bubble, people were predicting the impending collapse thereof, but it didn't stop them from buying more and more expensive houses. These bitches predicted rain for 7 years and now feel vindicated.

Think of what Bush has tried to do,
Open up drilling in 2001 to prevent gas supplies from causing price spikes. That was killed, so we get $4gal gas 6 years later.
He tried to reform Fannie Mae, etc. and then we get the collapse of last year.
Oh what else, he tried to reform Social Security. Hmm, he was stopped on that one too, when will that bomb go off?

Posted by: joeindc44 at January 13, 2009 03:00 PM (QxSug)

26 haha, how long before the left trots out Teddy Roosevelt's quote about the critics and what not.

Posted by: joeindc44 at January 13, 2009 03:00 PM (QxSug)

Die Joe Biden . I mean die Joe Biden sockpuppet.

Posted by: polynikes at January 13, 2009 03:00 PM (m2CN7)

It's only now the media suggests he was telling the truth. Just as he walks out the door.

Agreed. But we knew how this shit was gonna evolve many months ago. Like they've been saying lately over at PW: The future is known. It's the past that keeps changing.

Soft bigotry of low expectations and all that, but I'm kinda pumped that the pussy (pbuh) is currently contemplating something other than loading up every last US assett and bringing them to the house, in effect abandoning the whole middle east to Iranian, Russian, and Chinese meddling and influence.

The best we may be able to hope for is an unstated agreement with these types of govts such as Afghanistan and Pakistan seem to field, that any training of militias anywhere on their territory will be considered to be fair game for anything from predator drone attacks up to cruise missle attacks. They can either control what goes on within their borders in terms of terrorist training and organizing or they can expect their airspace to be violated on a continuous basis. And asprin factories are not off the target list if the president happens to have perjured himself under oath recently.

Posted by: pendejo grande at January 13, 2009 03:01 PM (PaRC/)

29 #24 Where the hell will they get goat porn in Afghanistan? Maybe the UN needs to grant funds to Kabul in order to jump-start the shovel-ready cloven hoof pornography industry in that benighted nation.

Posted by: George Orwell at January 13, 2009 03:02 PM (6uMRO)

30 Any WAR can be WON if you keep the State Depatrment OUT of it!

Posted by: tobwing plover at January 13, 2009 03:04 PM (PD1tk)

29 #24 Where the hell will they get goat porn in Afghanistan?

Oh, silly! It's really not that difficult to find! Come check out my library...

Posted by: Andi Sullivan at January 13, 2009 03:06 PM (GiRra)

32 Tells Us that US "Will Never Have Enough Troops" to Eliminate Taliban

That's what fragmenting submunitions are for.

or:
A MOAB IS FINE TOO

Posted by: Ranba Ral at January 13, 2009 03:06 PM (VNi6L)

33 George,

If re-enlistment drops considerably, I expect the Donks to cheer, since they now have a new "Peace Dividend" that they can drool over and shift to their various non-military policies.

And if the recruitment levels get too low, they'll just have "Cholly" Rangel re-introduce his legislation to re-institute the draft.

Posted by: David in San Diego at January 13, 2009 03:07 PM (GF+6V)

34 The additional troops aren't there to win a war, but, it seems, to provide breathing room for a "comprehensive new strategy."

I can't disagree with this principle, and if they are smart about it, they'll shift the efforts in Afghanistan like they did in Iraq to better deal with the troubles there.

Look, the battlefield changes, and you adapt to it, that's just smart. It doesn't mean what you did before was wrong, just not sufficient to the task now. And maybe it was wrong, but if you fix it, that's not a problem. People make mistakes and change their approach, if they're wise.

I just don't trust the Obama administration to do it right.

Posted by: Christopher Taylor at January 13, 2009 03:08 PM (PQY7w)

If they don't nuke us today, they'll nuke us tomorrow. They have the determination to eradicate us from the planet, determination that we lack. They may have won; we may just have not realized it yet. If we do get serious about eliminating them, it will likely be after we have paid a horrendous homage to our sense of propriety.

Posted by: Chas at January 13, 2009 03:09 PM (1XTjz)

36
Every economist said, at the time, it was a historical anomaly that would not last long.

Um, not necessarily, ah, there, little goyl. The talking heads and their guests on CNBC and the Democrats were touting it as the "New Economy." Clinton loved it because it implied that he, Rubin, and Reich had created this "new" economy and it was going to take the U.S. into the 21st century.

Posted by: Darling at January 13, 2009 03:09 PM (AEwWB)

37 And now for something completely ridiculous:

Treasury Department Can Help Fight Global Warming, Says Paulson

Am I the only one who thinks this motherfucker should hang from a lamppost?

Posted by: ol-dirty-/b/tard at January 13, 2009 03:16 PM (IoUF1)

38 #33 In a fit of pique, I say I would be thrilled if Rangel brought back the draft for the legions of young'uns to serve Lord Obastard's Stormtroopers of Change. Let the demographic that voted for this spoogebucket get what they asked for. Even the brain-damaged twentysomethings that sigh like readers of Tiger Beat over Barry will not like being forced to live in barracks, dig carbon-sinks (ditches), and eat government cheese.

I did qualify my wish as "in my fantasy," since I know people will still volunteer, and lots of very shitty things would come to pass if the military were seriously defanged and sheathed. But sometimes you just want fools to get their wishes granted. Unfortunately fools can visit their decisions upon the rest of us.

Posted by: George Orwell at January 13, 2009 03:18 PM (6uMRO)

39 So it seems that Afghanistan is the New Vietnam, only we have Johnson succeeding Nixon this time.

That should work out great.

Posted by: Andrew the Noisy at January 13, 2009 03:19 PM (V0QP1)

40 And now for something completely ridiculous:

Treasury Department Can Help Fight Global Warming, Says Paulson

Am I the only one who thinks this motherfucker should hang from a lamppost?

Can we bring back drawing and quartering?

Posted by: George Orwell at January 13, 2009 03:19 PM (6uMRO)

41 I remember why I quit paying attention to the media after the election. I was all psyched about following the news since it was the first election I ever had truly paid attention to before. But once it was over, I suddenly realized how absolutely disgusted I had become with the entire process, and especially with the media.

So here I am, two months later, checking in. And it's still as disgusting as when I left. God damn it, I am sick of this bullshit. And I am sick of this lack of leadership on the part of Republicans. Before this election, I'd been considering a job in fields that are now being cut due to Democrat control.

Wonderful. I'm fed up with the entire process, and I'm not even 25 yet.

Posted by: Ack at January 13, 2009 03:20 PM (5eZ83)

42 Can we bring back drawing and quartering?

Posted by: George Orwell at January 13, 2009 03:19 PM (6uMRO)

For Paulson, we should seriously consider it. He's either criminally incompetent or a goddamn traitor.

Posted by: ol-dirty-/b/tard at January 13, 2009 03:22 PM (IoUF1)

43 For Paulson, we should seriously consider it. He's either criminally incompetent or a goddamn traitor.

Give the man credit... he's both.

Posted by: George Orwell at January 13, 2009 03:24 PM (6uMRO)

44 As Ace notes, its how they surround a story that matters

Posted by: toby928 at January 13, 2009 03:27 PM (PD1tk)

You simply CANNOT commit a multi-division force to intense combat and TELL THEM at the outset that you don't think they can win!

Whoa! If you're a Democrat, that's the only way you do it! If you go in with the military empowered to win, that's disproportionate!! I can see the new CiC is gonna have to do a lot of culling of the upper ranks to re-establish the kind of leadership Murtha gave in Somalia!

/s cocksucker thy name is Murtha.

Posted by: sherlock at January 13, 2009 03:30 PM (8V5Ut)

Does anyone expect the MSM to insist that Obama match that eighteen months of overheated and unsustainable expansion to be deemed a success?

Is this a trick question?

Posted by: Steve L. at January 13, 2009 03:34 PM (Gkhxf)

47 @17. Those were my thoughts exactly! If he doesn't think it will help, THEN WHY THE FRICK IS HE SENDING TROOPS??!!!!!! This may overtake the "Winnie the Pooh seems to me to be a fundamental text on National Security." statement as the dumbest thing said in the history of politics.

Posted by: sm at January 13, 2009 03:37 PM (gUKfo)

48 You simply CANNOT commit a multi-division force to intense combat and TELL THEM at the outset that you don't think they can win!>>

Uh, Obama tells one room one thing and one room another thing. It doesn't matter. There is no plan and really no idea what to do. Words to democrats don't mean anything.

Posted by: joeindc44 at January 13, 2009 03:38 PM (QxSug)

49 "He had to specifically match the eighteen-month unsustainable bubble economy Clinton enjoyed for a very brief time at the the tail end of his expansion. Failing to do so would make him a miserable failure."

You aren't kidding or exaggerating, either. At a certain non-political message board I recently abandoned (once the BDS got too impenetrable) I had the, er, pleasure, of observing the comments of an anonymous Michigan journalist (low level, I presume -- just a typical Joe Reporter type) on matters political over the last six years or so. The relentless intellectual dishonesty of this guy was breath-taking. Name any anti-GOP/conservative cliche you can imagine, and this cocksucker would swear by it. Consider any doublestandard that would benefit Democrats or hurt Republicans, and this asshole would champion it, including the specific thing you're citing above. Reagan was a failure who deserved no credit for the Cold War victory. Clinton was an economic genius. Bush is a miserable failure. Obama is a genius. Without fail. In six years I never observed one hint of nuance or clear-headed thinking on this guy's part.

Posted by: Kensington at January 13, 2009 03:43 PM (fhJCy)

Totally Off-Topic- but, ya gotta read this.

Government Incompetence in High-Def.

Funny and insightful look at the DTV conversion.

Example: "the government has once again made the Three Stooges look like the U.S. Marine Corps Silent Drill Team"

LOLZ

Actually, the writer got it totally and completely wrong. The current problem stems from the fact that more people applied for vouchers than the government had anticipated. Right now, all the money allocated has been committed. Not spent; committed. Therein lies the rub. There are approximately 100,000 names on the waiting list for a voucher. Vouchers are good for 90 days. Until one of two things happens, people on the waiting list are stuck. First, previously-issued vouchers can expire. When that happens, the money allocated to them is released to be re-allocated in new vouchers. People on the waiting list then get one. Second, Congress can allocate more money. Vouchers can be sent out immediately in that case. If this happens, there could (and likely would) end up being an excess of money in the program as vouchers went unredeemed. That would sound great on the surface, except that there is no such thing as money given back to the Treasury.

The reason for possibly delaying the date is to allow more vouchers to expire and then get the people on the waiting list a voucher. This is an issue primarily because the voucher system was designed poorly. For instance, the vouchers MUST be used at the time of purchase. Rather than designing it as a rebate system where a person could get the box, then get the $40 refunded, the voucher can only be redeemed at the time of sale. If I shell out money today, I don't get it back. If I wait for my voucher, I could miss the conversion date and lose all television signals.

While I'm not saying that the govenrment didn't screw this one up, I am saying that the author of the piece missed the point completely.

Posted by: Steve L. at January 13, 2009 03:48 PM (Gkhxf)

Can anyone seriously be surprised at anything the press does anymore? Even Fox toward the end when they saw their boy going down switched over into the full Obama ass-kissing mode and have been there ever since. There is no free press anymore. We have a liberal propaganda machine now.

But, don�t you dare question their journalistic integrity.

Posted by: Vic at January 13, 2009 03:49 PM (f6os6)

52 Name any anti-GOP/conservative cliche you can imagine, and this cocksucker would swear by it. Consider any doublestandard that would benefit Democrats or hurt Republicans, and this asshole would champion it, including the specific thing you're citing above. Reagan was a failure who deserved no credit for the Cold War victory. Clinton was an economic genius. Bush is a miserable failure. Obama is a genius. Without fail. In six years I never observed one hint of nuance or clear-headed thinking on this guy's part.

You were on a message board with Paul Krugman?

Posted by: OregonMuse at January 13, 2009 03:59 PM (FO+YO)

53 Even Fox toward the end when they saw their boy going down switched over into the full Obama ass-kissing mode and have been there ever since.

Hey, wait a second, maybe Obama is really that great. Has anyone considered that? I mean, come on, he ran a job bank before becoming Senator. He taught kids to be pissed off. Maybe we should just realize that we are insane?

Posted by: joeindc44 at January 13, 2009 04:01 PM (QxSug)

54 "You were on a message board with Paul Krugman?"

Krugman would have been criticized by this guy for being too right wing.

Posted by: Kensington at January 13, 2009 04:09 PM (fhJCy)

55 "Hey, wait a second, maybe Obama is really that great."

Look, I really hope that we're all wrong. I'd love to share the convictions of my imbecile Obamabot roommate that we really are heading into an era of glorious unity and prosperity. He is convinced that four years from now unemployment will be at historic lows, and the economy will be booming. No wars, no domestic strife, nothing but rainbows. I'm not kidding, he believes this, serenely. And it will all happen because Barack Obama is everything he claims to be.

Posted by: Kensington at January 13, 2009 04:12 PM (fhJCy)

56 And it will all happen because Barack Obama is everything he claims to be

The only claim he made that I remember is that he doesn't look like the other presidents on the dollar bill.

And the seas will stop rising. So, I take it that he will destroy the moon.

Other than that, noone really has any clue.

Posted by: joeindc44 at January 13, 2009 04:27 PM (QxSug)

57 Krugman would have been criticized by this guy for being too right wing.

The little j-school shit-stain probably holds up Krugman, and the rest of the NYT, as an idol to be emulated. He already knows what opinions he has to hold if he wants to be known as a cool person, and get ahead in his chosen profession. To do otherwise is to risk career suicide.

Posted by: OregonMuse at January 13, 2009 04:42 PM (FO+YO)

58
I'd love to share the convictions of my imbecile Obamabot roommate that we really are heading into an era of glorious unity and prosperity. He is convinced that four years from now unemployment will be at historic lows, and the economy will be booming. No wars, no domestic strife, nothing but rainbows. I'm not kidding, he believes this, serenely. And it will all happen because Barack Obama is everything he claims to be.

You ought to buy a bunch of Skittles and scatter them around your house/apartment when he's asleep. When he wakes up, say, "oh look, the unicorns have been here."

Posted by: OregonMuse at January 13, 2009 04:47 PM (FO+YO)

59 "The little j-school shit-stain"

He was anonymous but revealed certain details about his background. He was an adult with three children in Michigan, so youth was no excuse. He also stringently denied there was any liberal bias in the media, of course. I once asked him to post some of the stories he wrote, but he refused, presumably because he didn't want anyone to use the stories to determine who he was, although that was of no interest to me. I just found it fascinating how much he was willing to anonymously reveal about his own biases (which also included being reflexively anti-religion, anti-military and anti-Israel! Surprise!) without even realizing it.

One time, as proof that he personally had no liberal bias, he claimed that Oliver North, a man he despised (of course!) once sent him a thank you note after an interview. I assume that North was probably just being polite.

Posted by: Kensington at January 13, 2009 04:50 PM (fhJCy)

60 yeah, well one lunatic I know was pissed that banks were forced to give loans to people that couldn't pay them. Somehow, BHO's involvement in this practice never penetrated his skull.
Nor could he relate to why making it easier for people to foreclose on their homes lead to more foreclosures.

Posted by: joeindc44 at January 13, 2009 04:59 PM (QxSug)

61 There's a shitstorm going on in New Orleans on the Mediterranean (Gaza City) with two corrupt and brutal gangs killing each other and stealing whatever isn't nailed down. Ask any "expert" in the DemSM and it can all be fixed with some Magic Envoy.

Things look much better in comparison in Iraq and Afghanistan, yet the "experts" say "it's hopeless, run awaaaayyyy"

"The bilious bastards who came up with that stuff about individuality know as much about battle as they do about fornicating." - Gen. George S Patton

Posted by: kbdabear at January 13, 2009 05:02 PM (miw86)

62 Nor could he relate to why making it easier for people to foreclose on their homes lead to more foreclosures.

Heh! That cluelessness reminds of the newspaper headline I occasionally see; "Crime Rate Drops Despite Increase In Prison Population."

Posted by: OregonMuse at January 13, 2009 05:06 PM (FO+YO)

63 I just found it fascinating how much he was willing to anonymously reveal about his own biases (which also included being reflexively anti-religion, anti-military and anti-Israel! Surprise!) without even realizing it.

He'll grow up to be a good member of the liberal hive. It's the Christian religious kooks who are mindless robots, though. Idiot. I'll bet he doesn't even know he's a cartoon character.

Posted by: OregonMuse at January 13, 2009 05:12 PM (FO+YO)

64 great post Ace. couple things though. 1st, as was kinda mentioned earlier, i recall the talking heads running around calling it a new paradigm, that the old rules were out the window, especially in regards to the stock market. It was their way of explaining the dot-com bubble. only a very few said stuff like "irrational exuberance". 2nd, it wasnt exactly unprecedented in American history. Look at the late 20's. The late 20's paralleled the late 90's. non-existent inflation, housing boom, productivity boom, loose monetary policy/credit boom, market growth that far exceeds what would be expected based upon gdp growth (3% avg). The market in the 20's increased 4-fold in 5 years; in the 90's, it tripled in 4. Its a theory I have been working on, but if the govt had done alot of stupid stuff like it did back then, Bush would have been handed a gargantuan economic downturn due to the excessive stimulus of the 90's. Anyone remember him talking about a major impending economic problem during the 2000 race? I do. Monetary policy delayed it a bit, and started to create a 2nd bubble to prop the economy up, but 9/11 was well-timed and almost tanked things. The housing bubble, the tax cuts Bush urged, and the deficit spending had recovered things and stalled the crash until now.

As for Afghanistan, I think that is why we went into Iraq in the first place. Afghanistan is a logistical nightmare. It was bad for the Brits, really bad for the Ruskies, and horrific for us. We never put a large force in there because we couldnt supply it. And the supplies would be exceptionally vunerable; the enemy has been ramping up its targeting of our supply lines through Pakistan. (A few allies of ours have relations with Iran, and can use them as a supply route, but all we have is a tenuous-at-best route through the mountain passes of Pakistan). Iraq is far easier because of friendlier neighbors and sea-access. It is also mostly flat and not as backwards a country. By going into Iraq, it wasnt us that was distracted by it but the enemy. We chose a far easier battlefield for us and forced them to fight on it. It drained their resources from Afghanistan and elsewhere. That left Afghanistan an easier mission for coalition forces. (I say coalition b/c they have a larger footprint and better logistics in afghanistan). Things have started to sour in Afghanistan b/c the enemy has largely given up in iraq and shifted operations elsewhere. So when the Dems lose Afghanistan, hopefully the american populace will have sufficient memory and intelligence to actually blame them and vote out these incoming incompetent pinko-fascists.

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Come on Ace, draft?

Where did you think all those jobs were?

Civilian military, little jackboots, red books at home?

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