Nastalgic for the 60's?

[JackLuis]

In light of BO's decision on Afghanistan, I'd like to bring up an obvious example of the type of thing that shapes the minds of Washington.

COme back in time and read the "McNaughton Paper," from 1965. 41 years ago?

This is how I spell "QUAGMIRE"

 

[WRJames]

Well, back in the 60's the US still thought it was invincible. So that goal of avoiding a defeat was all important.

At this point no one in their right mind would trust us in the first place. We went into this decade as the one supreme power on the planet and look how we are coming out of it. So I don't think we would stay the course in Afghanistan just to save face. Would we? Not that our other reasons for being there are very coherent. Nation building is going to take a couple of generations there.

 

[JackLuis]

Not that our other reasons for being there are very coherent. Nation building is going to take a couple of generations there.

SO we loose what a thousand more troops, two thousand? Spend 100-900 Billion dollars and end up with literate Drug Dealers who drive Chevies? That sounds really worth it!

 

[TE999]

According to some, the last 'good' war was WWII, and even that has it's detractors. We shouldn't have firebombed Dresden and Hamburg, we shouldn't have dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki...and so on.

The Ko-War and 'Nam were in response to Communist aggression against countries we were allied with. Truman wimped out in Korea because he and his posse were scared of the Chinese. Johnson capitulated in Viet Nam because of his declining approval ratings and image as a 'warmonger'

We all know Iraq was about oil. Where the heck is that oil anyway? Oh well, at least they're fumbling their way towards democracy.

Now Obama's pussyfooting around in Afghanistan...sending half the troops McCrystal and his subordinates said they needed to win so nobody really gets upset on the right or left. Oh brother!

"Those who do not learn from the past are condemned to repeat it."

 

[JackLuis]

According to some, the last 'good' war was WWII, and even that has it's detractors. We shouldn't have firebombed Dresden and Hamburg, we shouldn't have dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki...and so on.

The Ko-War and 'Nam were in response to Communist aggression against countries we were allied with. Truman wimped out in Korea because he and his posse were scared of the Chinese. Johnson capitulated in Viet Nam because of his declining approval ratings and image as a 'warmonger'

We all know Iraq was about oil. Where the heck is that oil anyway? Oh well, at least they're fumbling their way towards democracy.

Now Obama's pussyfooting around in Afghanistan...sending half the troops McCrystal and his subordinates said they needed to win so nobody really gets upset on the right or left. Oh brother!

"Those who do not learn from the past are condemned to repeat it."

Korea was a reaction to our Secty of State not addressing the Asian theater properly. Due, I believe, to his focus on Taiwan at the time.

Johnson was sold a line of shit by the Old Boys in the CIA who were shipping gold and drugs out of the Golden Triangle and didn't want to lose the income.

The undeclared "War on Terror" has cost one hell of a lot more than Viet Nam, after all a lot of it was subcontracted, except the dieing parts mostly.

 

[DeeZire]

Now Obama's pussyfooting around in Afghanistan...sending half the troops McCrystal and his subordinates said they needed to win so nobody really gets upset on the right or left. Oh brother!

Last I heard, sending 30,000 troops only leaves us with 10,000. If McCrystal really wants more troops, he's going to have to reinstate the draft.

This cleaning up after Bush and his cronies is really getting tiresome. Too bad for Obama that Bush's failure is now Obama's albatross. Plus it's costing every single American what, $50,000 as their share of the national debt? It truly amazes me that a fuckup like GWB could manage to leave such an expensive legacy.

 

[Le Jacquelope]

Last I heard, sending 30,000 troops only leaves us with 10,000. If McCrystal really wants more troops, he's going to have to reinstate the draft.

This cleaning up after Bush and his cronies is really getting tiresome. Too bad for Obama that Bush's failure is now Obama's albatross. Plus it's costing every single American what, $50,000 as their share of the national debt? It truly amazes me that a fuckup like GWB could manage to leave such an expensive legacy.

It amazes me that GWB didn't do worse. We could have already had a draft and a balls to the walls civil war by now, especially when the US Army and Marines were seriously hurting for recruits.

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

All wars are good because they help control the Democrats; its like bathing your dog to rid it of ticks and fleas.

 

[WRJames]

SO we loose what a thousand more troops, two thousand? Spend 100-900 Billion dollars and end up with literate Drug Dealers who drive Chevies? That sounds really worth it!

What makes you think they'd drive an American car?

 

[Handley_Page]

The only things of the 1960s I am nostalgic about is my age and most of the music. The thought that some idiot would press the button and pitch us all into a nuclear war (I was in RAF Germany at the time),
or
have a Europe-wide civil problem (remember the Paris riots?),
did not mental stability help at all.

 

[JackLuis]

What makes you think they'd drive an American car?

Exactly my point. The roads(?) in Afghanistan would beat a Buick to death in 20,000 miles. A Toyota pick up, Ah, that's the ticket!

Think about it. Half a Trillion Dollars and in 15-20 years, Afghanistan will still be a shit hole and we will be speaking Chinese.

 

[WRJames]

Exactly my point. The roads(?) in Afghanistan would beat a Buick to death in 20,000 miles. A Toyota pick up, Ah, that's the ticket!

Think about it. Half a Trillion Dollars and in 15-20 years, Afghanistan will still be a shit hole and we will be speaking Chinese.

In Tanzania it was the Toyota Land Cruisers that ruled. That and Mercedes trucks with humoungus tires.

 

[JackLuis]

My original point was that inside the beltway, such opinions and stupidity are followed because no one wants to stand up and say, "OMG, this is seriously stupid! We could buy all the Viet Namese for less than 1 B-52 Raid."

But that would have meant admitting that the US Government had been wrong to listen to the RED baiters in Congress.

Sooo... The Government, rushed in the Military and thought that you can squeeze Democracy and the Rule of Law from a gun.

Now, 45 years later we have seen the results of that decision. I'll bet there are memos now floating about the capital that make the same compromises just so GWB doesn't look like the fool he is.

Our current puppet says that the US should be prepared to stay 15-20 years.

If it was me deciding, our troops would ship out of Afghanistan and Iraq in the next 30 days.

It is my contention that the Iraqi's and Afghans need to construct their own governments. If that doesn't work out too well, for them, tough shit.

Now there may be people who say we need to help them because we started this mess in the first place. My answer when they start paying American Taxes then they can have a say.

 

[Le Jacquelope]

All wars are good because they help control the Democrats; its like bathing your dog to rid it of ticks and fleas.

Actually, they cause Democrats to multiply, rebel, and throw Republicans out of office.

The last war helped put a SCARY BLACK MAN in office. Hahahah, sux-2-b-u.