Dithering or Deliberating?

[unhappycamper]

Dithering or Deliberating?
By Jamie McIntyre Sunday, October 25th, 2009 10:37 pm
Posted in On War

President Obama’s is getting a lot of flak for actually thinking before dispatching another 40,000 to 50,000 U.S. troops to Afghanistan.

The sharpest rebuke came from former Vice President Dick Cheney who in a speech last week accused Obama of “dithering” and said Obama “seems afraid” to make a decision.

“It’s time for President Obama to make good on his promise. The White House must stop dithering while America’s armed forces are in danger. Make no mistake, signals of indecision out of Washington hurt our allies and embolden our adversaries. Waffling, while our troops on the ground face an emboldened enemy, endangers them and hurts our cause.” – Dick Cheny, Oct. 21, 2009

I have a lot of respect for Mr. Cheney. I covered him when he was Defense Secretary back in 1992. But I think Cheney’s criticism is colored by his politics, and mostly wrong-headed.

But I do agree President Obama IS afraid… afraid of making the wrong decision. Afraid that a wrong decision will result in the needless loss of American lives without making American any safer. Afraid of following the best military advice of his commanders could lead him straight into failure and disaster. And he’s right to worry about that. History shows the perils of unquestioning following the military consensus.

Rest of article at: http://www.thelineofdeparture.com/2009/10/25/dithering-or-deliberating/?wh=wh

[Ineeda]

1. Every President should be afraid

to send our soldiers off to be in harm's way. Always, always, always.