gates says we're not leaving afghanistan for.er..who knows how long?

[xiamiam]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/06/04/robert-gates-afghanistan_n_871278.html#comments

-snip

Some in Congress argue that the war's cost, which now tops $100 billion a year, is excessive and unsustainable. Gates has disputed that reasoning.

"Success of the mission should override everything else because the most costly thing of all would be to fail," he said before flying to Afghanistan.

"Now that does not preclude adjustments in the mission or in the strategy. But ultimately the objective has to be success in the mission that has been set forth by the president," he said.
snip

the comments are worth perusing..the following in particular is my question:

"I guess it just ain't quite as fun as when that other guy was in the Whitehouse ... now is it?

----------­---

September 2005 - "Protest organizers estimated a crowd of about 200,000 rallied at the Ellipse, then marched around the White House and along Pennsylvan­ia Avenue."

http://www­.washingto­npost.com/­wp-dyn/con­tent/artic­le/2005/09­/24/AR2005­092400852.­html

----------­-----

April 2006 - "300,000 March in Manhattan at Anti-War Protest"

http://www­.commondre­ams.org/he­adlines06/­0429-08.ht­m

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Where the Hell are you guys?"

[Arctic Dave]

1. Apperantly he skipped class at the academy the day they talked about what a Phyric Victory is.

What a complete moron.

[coalition_unwilling]

3. LOL. Spelling Nazi here: It's 'Pyrrhic' :) - n/t

[Arctic Dave]

4. Oops, you're right. Red face. :)

[coalition_unwilling]

6. To understand Gates and his mentality, you simply must read

Joseph Heller's 'Catch 22' if you have not done so already.

Gates is the type who says 'enhance' when he means 'improve' :)

[Arctic Dave]

18. One of my all time favorite books. And yes, I believe you are right.

[nevergiveup]

2. Gates is working on his legacy.

His trip to Afghanistan is sort of like a book tour without a book.

[Bonobo]

5. Don't blame Gates. Blame his boss. nt

[Octafish]

16. Bush.

Poppy, I mean.

[InkAddict]

7. Sounds vaguely similar in a perverted way to a comment by my DH's recent

interviewer who told him, a 60+ senior, that they wanted someone who would "work there forever." Really?

Geesh, DH's worked in desperation at places that could not even articulate a Bereavement Policy following the death of a 1st degree family member and was promptly laid off. Guess in their world, NO SHIT HAPPENS.

[hulka38]

8. But is this really important?

Shouldn't we be talking about Weinergate or syphilis or something?

[xiamiam]

9. or palin, lyndsey, michelles blue dress, 2012 campaign, ..etc.nt

[RC]

10. We won't leave Afghanistan until all the civilians are terrorists.

No, real terrorists, not just pretend terrorists.

[Bigmack]

11. I keep asking WHY?...

What on earth is so strategically/economically/politically important about that shithole?

10 years... 1600 dead Americans.. god knows how many Afghan innocents... hundred of billions of bucks... What could be that important?

10 years, 100,000 troops, 100,000 "contractors", total control of the air, unlimited supplies, modern weapons... and the 25,000 Taliban are expanding their areas of control. Can't anybody else see this is (pardon the expression) LOSING?

WTF... I mean, WTFF?

[xiamiam]

12. trans afghanistan pipeline i think

not about the taliban or terror..or anything they would have you believe..imo

[robdogbucky]

14. Don't forget about the poppies

and the new weapons' testing programs

[Bigmack]

19. Pipeline and poppies... good answers. But....

We could buy whatever it is at world market prices...hell, black market prices... cheaper than invading.

Makes no sense.

[BOG PERSON]

20. what if it isn't about buying?

what if it's about selling at black market prices?

[area51]

13. These wars

These wars of choice are bankrupting our country.

[xiamiam]

21. financially and morally...humiliating that its done in our name..nt

[MadHound]

15. So, what is the mission? What will victory look like?

Those are questions that nobody in the Pentagon, the Administration, or anywhere else in the corridors of power can answer. The closest thing to an answer runs much along the same lines as what you got in Vietnam, "to run up the body count."

The sad fact of the matter is that this is another war designed to enrich and benefit the MIC. We can now invest a lot of money in objects, only to blow them up so we can make them again. This sucks up money from the lower and middle classes while enriching the wealthy and elite. It has been made more palatable to the American public because modern technology has reduced the casualty count, but the purpose of this war is the same as in Vietnam, to make money.

[xiamiam]

17. + 1 million

our number one source of manufacturing these days..disgusting