"There is no such thing as "finishing the job" in Afghanistan.

[cali]

It's a vague and essentially meaningless statement. Finishing the job evidently means that we'll prop up a thoroughly corrupt Karzai and endorse corrupt elections, that we'll work with some of the worst war lords on the face of the planet and that we'll stay and stay and stay, pouring more and more blood and treasure into a hopeless situation, radicalizing more young men and killing increasing numbers of civilians.


How can President Obama not know this? I think he does and he's simply caving to the military.

[ixion]

1. we may disagree on some things, but on this, we are in complete agreement

And I'm sad to hear this rhetoric coming from Obama. I expected more.

[cali]

4. yes, it is sad. and who is this kind of rhetoric for?

[Buzz Clik]

2. I don't think that's what he meant.

Just my guess.

[cali]

3. I don't think that's what he meant either, but that's the predictable outcome

And he's a smart guy. I believe he knows how hopeless this is.

[Robb]

5. There is a possible good outcome of escalation in Arghanistan.

But it is extraordinarily unlikely, and I am not hopeful.

That said, I've been pleasantly surprised by this administration before. It has been a while, however. :D

[nevergiveup]

6. I love Obama but

Afghanistan will destroy him. Like all presidents he has become isolated. He needs to get back out with we the people who elected him.

[pokercat999]

7. "Finishing the job" means getting the very last penny out of

the treasury that can be found. There's no question in my mind, Obama is a corporate stooge, that's why his "election" was allowed.

[cali]

9. I don't buy that

I think it's mega simplistic and easy, but then again I don't think simplistically.

[pokercat999]

13. Sometimes the simple answer is the truth. We are in these

wars because there is money to be made. Corporations control everything including our elections. Anyone that is an actual threat to corporate control will never be elected to the presidency. Anyone elected to the Presidency is and will be a corporate stooge. The actions of Obama, since election, have proven beyond doubt that corporations control him on all issues of importance to them. The people are left to fight over meaningless bullcrap.

[bigtree]

8. he's new

. . . and he has a habit of ending statements with worn rhetoric. It will be interesting to see if anything he proposes will actually serve to 'finish the job' there (whatever that means).

[paulk]

10. well, he's caved on just about everything else, so this just seems

par for the course.

ps - excuse me, I meant "comprimised"....

[Faryn Balyncd]

11. The job will never be finished as long as their are petrochemicals to push through the pipeline.

k and r

[elehhhhna]

12. Sure there is -- Afghanistan finishes the job EVERY TIME.

[blindpig]

14. +1

Ain't that the truth. And seeing that, at one level, this is about securing pipelines which can be disrupted with the most basic sabotage, it is quite the mission impossible short of depopulating the country....

[TCJ70]

15. As soon as I heard the president say that...

...I immediately thought, "What job?"

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

16. It's the Democratic version of "Smoke 'em out" and "Bring it on".

Soon to be followed by "We could've won if it wasn't for the traitorous left in this country."

[cali]

20. yep. it's a bit more decorous but it amounts to much the same thing.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

23. At least we're being spared the smirk and cowboy boots.

And, the excuses for killing are spoken in articulate English rather than gibberish.

[Libertas1776]

17. Maybe he means

having a western style fast food joint in Kabul. Is that what he means by victory. Of course, then again, we may have lost the war in 'Nam but there is a KFC in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and even one in Hanoi. And there's more coming.

[FlyByNight]

18. Empires have failed there before

I suspect we'll be no different.

History is screaming at the administration about the folly/insanity of the escalation given our current financial situation and military overstretch. But the Beltway Set simply doesn't seem to care. There's a war machine to feed and there are pipelines to consider, after all.

:puke:

[Jeffersons Ghost]

19. sadly...

He DID cave-in to the military.

Perhaps it means we'll be "finish the job" in Afghanistan like Russia did, in bankruptcy.

[Greyhound]

21. K&R

My fingers are burning!

[David Zephyr]

22. K&R.

"finish the job" sounds like "mission accomplished"

[optimator]

24. I dont believe that Obama believes we can win

He is obviously intelligent, but not the bravest.

[LWolf]

25. True. nt