Oliver declares that Afghanistan is a miserable failure. His sources for such proclamations- stump speeches from two Democratic presidential candidates.
I’m CONVINCED!
by John Cole| 17 Comments
This post is in: General Stupidity
Oliver declares that Afghanistan is a miserable failure. His sources for such proclamations- stump speeches from two Democratic presidential candidates.
I’m CONVINCED!
Comments are closed.
Oliver
I link to Democratic candidates because the media is too g-d busy writing on and on about Bush’s visit to the troops, and not about the real issues. But you don’t have to take their words for it:
Karzai and Abizaid discuss Afghanistan’s problems
US admits failings as Afghan poppy output doubles
Attacks in Afghanistan Are on the Rise
But hey, let me borrow those rose-colored glasses when you’re done with ’em.
John Cole
Why- you are right. I looked up both the word difficulty and the word obstacle, and the dictionary gave the definition “Miserable Failure” both times.
Oliver
If there are problems, and you do nothing about it, isn’t that a failure?
John Cole
From Article 1:
The president of Afghanistan, Hamid Karzai, told the chief of the U.S. Central Command that the country’s three main problems are still terrorists, drug trafficking and warlords…
Two years after the Taliban regime was forced out of Kabul, there are more than 11,000 coalition forces fighting terrorist cells in Afghanistan. An additional 5,700 peacekeepers patrol Kabul.
Sounds like they are doing something about it… Unless you have an overnight plan, tell me what is wrong.
Ar far as article #2, I guess weare just failing to stop drug production in Afghanistan, much like every administration has failed to stop drug production in EVERY OTHER COUNTRY IN THE WORLD. I see your point.
And for article #3:
With most public attention focused on the growing insurgence in Iraq, Afghanistan is also heating up. In contrast to President Bush’s Veterans Day declaration that “in Afghanistan we’re helping to build a free and stable democracy as we continue to track down and destroy Taliban and al Qaeda forces,” the U.S. intelligence community recently reported stepped-up activities by those forces.
In response, the Americans have mounted a six-day operation aimed at al Qaeda in the mountains along the Pakistani border. “We’ve taken casualties there,” Abizaid said, adding: “We will continue to take casualties there, yet we take the fight to the enemy day after day.” Since the United States first began operations in Afghanistan in October 2001, 35 Americans have died from hostile fire, 11 since August, according to the Associated Press.
Things are heating up, they are responding.
I am sorry this administration has not fixed the world in 28 days. BTW- When are they going to hold elections in Kosovo et. al. When are our troops going to come home? And Jeebus- what about Korea. And we have had troops in Germwny for 50 years.
Oliver
I haven’t been advocating having our troops come home, and you know that (yet you right-wingers are intent on distorting the truth). These issues wouldn’t be as dire as they are in Afghanistan, etc. if we hadn’t gone on Adventures In Iraq in the first place.
John Cole
Oliver- my point was not that you had been advocating bringing the troops home, but that this is a long process. And I would check troop strengths in Afghanmistan- there are a substantial number of troops there, including the 10th Mountain Division? Why them? Because that it the type of terrain they fight in- the 4th ID would have a wonderful time fixing the tracks on their vehicles in every 6 hours in Kandahar, I guess.
Brian
Like Kryptonite to Stupid? What does that mean? That by reading you, everyone gets dumber? Tell Oliver to vote for Howard Dean. Then tell him to enjoy watching him get smoked by Bush.
Kimmitt
Well, in Ohio, certainly. My grandma always said, “If the scorekeeper loses, it’s his own damn fault.”
That said, any Afghanistan which still has areas larger than an office complex which are controlled by the Taliban — and in which bin Laden or his body have not yet been found — can be considered a qualified success at best. Certainly, President Bush’s lack of commitment to Afghanistan’s reconstruction as a democratic nation (just as vital to US interests in the region as Iraq) leads one to question, in order, the President’s competence and sanity.
DANEgerus
Yeah they were better off… let’s line up the rape-victims for AK-47 head-shots in the soccer stadium again!
Emperor Misha I
The only failure in Afghanistan is the fact that the Pig In A Pant Suit left in one piece.
Moe Lane
“The only failure in Afghanistan is the fact that the Pig In A Pant Suit left in one piece.”
And isn’t -that- a measured, mature comment with which to start one’s Monday morning reading. Staring into the Abyss, much?
CPTHAM
I’m wondering if Oliver has been to either Afghanistan or Iraq? As I am currently domiciled in Balad, Iraq I think I can speak with a bit more authority on whats going on here as far as troop morale and whatever else he’d like to talk about. I work with Iraqis every day. Each one is emphatic that their lives are tremendously better than they were under the despot. Troop morale here is actually pretty good. Of course we would all like to be with our families but we also understand why we are here and why the American military will remain here for some years to come. While I have not been to Afghanistan, I would be willing to bet the average Afghani (particularly women) would tell you they too are better off than before the Americans pushed the Islamofacists out of power. As for Howard Dean, he is simply the Clintons sacrificial lamb for 2004 to give Hillary a clear shot on ’08. Dream on Oliver
Kimmitt
Well, Misha and his boys are here in force, which means that the quality of discourse in the comments section will inevitably trend toward zero.
I very much enjoyed my stay here and the time I spent debating with a decent guy (and several of his decent readers) that I disagree with on a number of issues. I’ll likely check in every few weeks to see if it’s worth returning.
Lunacy
To CPTHAM:
Thanks for your hard work! And tell all your buds you guys are in our prayers!
Lunacy
HH
Our thanks to you and your colleagues, CPTHAM!
Slartibartfast
Sorry to see you go, Kimmitt. Hell, man, if we can brave the JadeGold outpouring of insipid generalizations, urban legends, etc, you can take a few from Misha. Just a thought.
Michael "Miserable Failure" Moore
Michael “Miserable Failure” Moore