I support our President!

[goldcanyonaz]

As many recall I was never a supporter of Obama but I held my nose (literally) and voted for him.

Many here are now turning their backs on our president because he will be sending more troops to Afghanistan.

Why the outrage when he said repeatedly during his campaign that Afghanistan, and not Iraq was the war we needed to win.

"Obama calls situation in Afghanistan 'urgent'"

"The Afghan government needs to do more. But we have to understand that the situation is precarious and urgent here in Afghanistan. And I believe this has to be our central focus, the central front, on our battle against terrorism," Obama said Sunday on CBS' "Face the Nation."

"I think one of the biggest mistakes we've made strategically after 9/11 was to fail to finish the job here, focus our attention here. We got distracted by Iraq," Obama said."

Did others not hear him say this during his campaign?

I'm shocked to see so many former Obama supporters dissing him for only following through with what he stated during his campaign.

I'm equally shocked that me of all people have now become a great supporter of his.

There is also no question in my mind that I will be supporting him for reelection come 2012.

Our president more than ever needs our support and I stand firm in my support for him.

[IndianaGreen]

1. A Troop Surge Can Only Magnify the Crime Against Afghanistan

This is from the woman described as "the bravest woman in Afghanistan." If anyone deserves the Nobel Peace Prize, it is Malalai Joya!

Published on Tuesday, December 1, 2009 by The Guardian/UK

A Troop Surge Can Only Magnify the Crime Against Afghanistan

If Barack Obama heralds an escalation of the war, he will betray his own message of hope and deepen my people's pain

by Malalai Joya

After months of waiting, President Obama is about to announce the new US strategy for Afghanistan. His speech may be long awaited, but few are expecting any surprise: it seems clear he will herald a major escalation of the war. In doing so he will be making something worse than a mistake. It is a continuation of a war crime against the suffering people of my country.

I have said before that by installing warlords and drug traffickers in power in Kabul, the US and Nato have pushed us from the frying pan to the fire. Now Obama is pouring fuel on these flames, and this week's announcement of upwards of 30,000 more troops to Afghanistan will have tragic consequences.

Already this year we have seen the impact of an increase in troops occupying Afghanistan: more violence, and more civilian deaths. My people, the poor of Afghanistan who have known only war and the domination of fundamentalism, are today squashed between two enemies: the US/Nato occupation forces on one hand and warlords and the Taliban on the other.

While we want the withdrawal of one enemy, we don't believe it is a matter of choosing between two evils. There is an alternative: the democratic-minded parties and intellectuals are our hope for the future of Afghanistan.

It will not be easy, but if we have a little bit of peace we will be better able to fight our own internal enemies - Afghans know what to do with our destiny. We are not a backward people, and we are capable of fighting for democracy, human and women's rights in Afghanistan. In fact the only way these values will be achieved is if we struggle for them and win them ourselves.

After eight years of war, the situation is as bad as ever for ordinary Afghans, and women in particular. The reality is that only the drug traffickers and warlords have been helped under this corrupt and illegitimate Karzai government. Karzai's promises of reform are laughable. His own vice-president is the notorious warlord Fahim, whom Brad Adams of Human Rights Watch describes as "one of the most notorious warlords in the country, with the blood of many Afghans on his hands".

http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/12/01-3

[vaberella]

14. So does an immediate removal. It's like pissing on someone after raping them.

It's vulgar imagery but that's how I see it. This is a serious problem. It is NOT black and white. AS such to say we need to leave immediately is assinine in my book because that's just as destructive as staying in there indefinitely....and neither are proposed, or so we've heard, from our president. So far the extreme and recent push back is to end this thing or end this thing as best we can with a RESPONSIBLE (which some of us seem to have difficulty understanding) approach.

[Fire1]

54. Indeed. I also was not aware of planned threats within our

borders, as of late, but there is MUCH we don't know and much the President didn't know until taking office. I think he is taking the necessary precautions to protect this country and at the same time strengthen the Afghan government.

[Lilith Velkor]

77. Yeah, it's always polite to give the victim a few more thrusts instead of just pulling out

Stupid, vile post. Shame on you.

[Milo_Bloom]

79. Why?

You do realize this isn't Iraq, where we actually BROKE the country.

Afghanistan has been a decentralized warloard based country for some time now. If we leave tomorrow, things will return much to the way they were BEFORE we went in.

The Taliban will likely become the main power, as it was before and warloards would rule outlying areas, as it was before.

[dionysus]

73. at the same time, an immediate pullout would end in the taliban slaughtering people.

so be honest and say that you don't give a shit what happens to the people there after we leave, and how many die. if you can do that, at least you're being honest.

or are you naive enough to think they'll welcome the taliban back with open arms?

[jaxx]

2. I support him too.

No way am I a quitter when the going gets rough.

edit> K&R

[lamp_shade]

5. +1

[Windy]

3. That is EXACTLY what he said... funny how people forget that

and wow Bill Press....he was a huge Hillary Clinton supporter and was "shocked" when she agreed immediately with McCrystal's recommendations!

Hillary was much more hawkish that Obama during the primary. How quickly people forget!

[monmouth]

4. And many of us totally agree with you. Good post, thanks...n/t

[firedupdem]

6. The loudest voices never supported him anyway...there is a thread

somewhere with all the reasons they are upset, and it has nothing to do with his presidency.

[avaistheone1]

7. Obama was elected to get us of Iraq, not to escalate the war in Afghanistan.

Polls of Democrats across the country as well as other Americans show that the primary reason they voted for Obama was to remove our troops from Iraq. Although Afghanistan was one of many planks on Obama's platform it was never popular among Democrats or Americans in general.

Obama has ignored the lessons of history and of Vietnam: never commit Americans to war unless the nation is united behind you.

So no one should be surprised that Democrats as well as the the rest of America is deeply divided on this issue.

[goldcanyonaz]

10. Actually, he did state that WE needed to win the war in Afghanistan.

[avaistheone1]

13. I did not say he didn't say it. I said that is not the job he was elected to do.

That is why so many people are angry with him about this escalation in Afghanistan.

[goldcanyonaz]

15. If he said it during the campaign and people voted for him then YES he is doing the job he was elect

ed to do.

Now if only we could pass HCR, but I fear that isn't going to pass.

[avaistheone1]

24. You are wrong. Polls show that Democrats and other Americans voted for Obama to get us out of Iraq.

Those same polls show that Democrats as well as other Americans were divided on Afghanistan during his campaign, and are even more so afterwards.

Too bad Obama is so out of touch with how ordinary Americans feel about an Afghan escalation. We were never for it.

[goldcanyonaz]

27. We're not discussing Iraq. The majority will support our president.

[avaistheone1]

36. Oh sure.

Read all the major democratic forums. The vast majority of posters think the Afghanistan escalation is a major blunder.
But I am sure you will think what you will.

:crazy:

[goldcanyonaz]

37. Democratic forums do NOT represent the nation..

If they did Kucinich would be president.

[Solomon]

47. LOL For a moment I thought the poster was saying

we elect people by polls and not by voting! :rofl:

People will go anywhere to make an argument.

[avaistheone1]

59. Obama in his speech said the nation was polarized.

It is clear you don't really listen. I will give him credit with having more honesty than you.

:spank:

[goldcanyonaz]

66. It's clear that you responded to the wrong post. Oh, and it's President Obama.

[avaistheone1]

70. No. I responded to the correct post.

[Hansel]

62. Really? I didn't see that stipulation on my ballot.

Obama/Biden (Keep in mind that you are not electing him to finish the job in Afghanistan like he told you over and over again he planned on doing. He was just joshing you about that.)

Nope, I missed that.

[Laf.La.Dem.]

8. After EIGHT years of Bush

The least we can do is give our President at least a couple of years to try and repair what Bush did in eight years:patriot:

[goldcanyonaz]

18. I would think so, amazing how so many are ready to throw the baby out with the bath water.

[firedupdem]

25. It's because they never wanted the baby...any reason will do. n/t

[noamnety]

9. humanity trumps partisan politics.

Many of us don't feel that "because I said I would" is an adequate justification for escalating a war.

[goldcanyonaz]

12. I understand where you are coming from, but did the many not know his position when they voted for

him?

[IndianaGreen]

16. Afghanistan was not on the ballot in 2008. The choice was Obama/Biden or McCain/Palin

This escalation is a great error in judgment with long term tragic consequences for both the US and Afghanistan.

[goldcanyonaz]

19. Actually it was, unless of course you ignored it. He stated many times about winning in Afghanistan

[IndianaGreen]

22. He also spoke of repealing DOMA and DADT

Instead, he gave us the homophobe Rick Warren as Invocator-in-Chief.

[FrenchieCat]

28. I don't think his time is up on those........

Unless you gave him till exactly Inauguration day....
which of course you did.

[noamnety]

23. that's pretty badly disingenuous.

We could as easily accuse you of voting for him only because he had that antigay bigot speaker. Hey, that's what you voted for, right? That's what was on the ballot.

[goldcanyonaz]

29. What? He's only be president for 10 months.

I know, everyone should have received their pink pony by now.

[noamnety]

39. When I hear human rights reduced to the "pink pony" meme

that's a good indicator of the type of person I'm having a discussion with.

[goldcanyonaz]

52. And I have a good indiication fo what I'm dealing with as well. Fair weather friends come to mind.

[noamnety]

56. I'm not "friends" of any sort with the president.

I'm not here to be his buddy.

I'm a constituent, he's a public servant. If you have some relationship with him other than that, that's fine, but that's the extent of mine.

[goldcanyonaz]

57. Then why did you support him?

[noamnety]

21. You and I both know

there were very very few (probably none) single issue voters who voted for Obama only because they wanted an escalation in Afghanistan.

[goldcanyonaz]

34. But, if they voted for him then they supported his positions, no?

Seriously, he's a president, not G-D.

[noamnety]

38. Wrong. Your framing is still disingenuous.

If they voted for him, they supported more of his positions than McCain's.

[Name removed]

42. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[goldcanyonaz]

67. DING DING DING! We have a winner.

Are you going to vote for someone other than our president in the next election?

[AndrewP]

31. +25

[HughMoran]

51. -25

=0 ;)

[AndrewP]

64. LOL

:P

[HughMoran]

65. Things we do

...to surreptitiously kick threads :rofl:

[OneBlueSky]

11. good for you . . . I don't . . . n/t

[Name removed]

17. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Qutzupalotl]

20. I do too.

I think the escalation will prove to be unsuccessful, but I'm willing to hear his reasons. No one can say he hasn't thought this over or is making a snap judgment. And that faculty of judgment is at least an improvement over his predecessor, despite the similar outcome in this case.

[FrenchieCat]

30. there is no similar outcome, and in fact, Obama hasn't even spoken yet.

[Qutzupalotl]

33. By similar outcome, I meant a troop increase

similar to the "surge". I realize it's a different situation in Afghanistan, and no possibility of a Sunni awakening to help us out. That's part of why I doubt this will be successful, though like I said, I'm willing to listen to his rationale.

I still support him as a president, I just disagree with this decision. My opinion might change after I hear his reasoning.

[Clio the Leo]

26. Apparenlty there's a TOTALLY DIFFERENT sitation there now....

.... or "he was only saying it to get elected."

One or the other is the official word I think. ;)

[MadMaddie]

32. I am with him too!

Hard decisons have to be made. Pakistan is on the verge of a failed state and that is the real danger, Pakistan has nukes and we can't forget that.

He is doing exactly what he said he would do, I may not agree with everything he does but he is keeping his word on this.

[oneplanet]

35. So do I.

There are no easy paths to peace.

[LosinIt]

53. Welcome to DU!

While I don't agree with another second of our troops being over there, I am certain that Obama knows more about it than I do and I support him in 'ending' this his way. I'd rather follow Uncle George Aiken and "Declare We Won and Get the Hell Out".

[HopeOverFear]

40. Me too.

[CreekDog]

41. I'm not a fan of this action

but as with many things, we are getting what Obama promised.

[goldcanyonaz]

43. Yes, we are getting what we were told to expect.

[azmouse]

44. Thank you.

I don't know what else to say to your wonderful OP but thank you.

[goldcanyonaz]

46. Thanks!

[Crabby Appleton]

45. I support our President. nt

[stevietheman]

48. Thank you! Obama is fulfiling the policy he had all along, and he's...

doing the right thing!!!

[ShortnFiery]

49. With this FILTH - propaganda of a speech, I'm done with him. eom

[Name removed]

50. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[malik flavors]

55. K & R

[mkultra]

58. +1 Iraq was always a distraction. Sometimes war is neccesary

and Al queda will try to kill us again.

[notesdev]

60. Urgent?

After he spent months ignoring the people who were telling him decisions had to be made, then playing Hamlet for a while longer, only to come out with the most politically yellow decision that could possibly be made?

This is urgent?

[goldcanyonaz]

61. Obviously you only heard what you wnated to because he clearly stated over and over and over

again about escalating the troops in Afghanistan.

[notesdev]

63. "Fool me once, shame on you..."

... fool me twice, shame on me.

I am so willing to lay money down that when the time comes through to withdraw an excuse will be made to keep the defense contracts flowing. If you can't see this coming, you're either completely blind, or have recently posed for the photo illustration next to the word "gullible" in the dictionary.

[goldcanyonaz]

68. I got what I voted for, what about you?

[notesdev]

69. I got

a Nobel Peace Prize Winner who escalates lost cause losing wars in the most God-forsaken corner of the planet.

[impik]

71. Yep. He is doing EXACTLY what he said he'll do, both in Iraq and Afghanistan

People are idiots.

[Tigermoose]

72. K & R

[shotten99]

74. We *KNEW* this was coming!

It was a campaign promise for Christ's sakes.
Stop the bitching and whining or we'll get someone just like Bush in 2012.

[NJmaverick]

75. It's a good point- Obama is keeping a clear promise

that he made repeatedly

[Dr Robert]

76. you are too rational, prepare to be bombarded by haters

[Milo_Bloom]

78. I no more support his crazy war-mongering than I did the crazy warmongering...

... of the presidents who came before him.

[Techn0Girl]

80. I support the one that said our national security sepended on bringing our troops home ...in 1998!

New York Times... Obama puts forth a plan to remove ALL troops by end of 2008 .

“The best way to protect our security and to pressure Iraq’s leaders to resolve their civil war is to immediately begin to remove our combat troops,” Mr. Obama said. “Not in six months or one year — now.”


What a difference a year or so makes...