Into The Woods
I hope that Tiger Woods decides to finally talk to the cops before Tuesday night so that out exalted news media have some resources to cover President Obama’s speech from West Point on the coming escalation in Afghanistan. If you ever wanted to know what the real news value was of an American soldier’s life we now know: about .0002% of a celebrity golfer smashing into a fire hydrant or his wife possibly giving him a whack with 9 iron.
So, excuse me, if I take you away from the putting green for a few moments to ruminate over what almost certainly looks like another 30,000 U.S. troops being sent into the Big Nowhere of Afghanistan.
I’ve been some 
what ambivalent about this war. I thought it mostly a good thing at first (still would do it again) but it has become an increasingly grim exercise in futility. Now. I think further escalation is nothing short of tragic.The fact is, we mostly accomplished our stated goals within the first months of the war. We routed the Taliban and smashed Al Qaeda into a thousand pieces. The latter now operates with ease, mostly from Pakistan, which is floated by billions of our tax dollars. Bin Laden’s sympathizers are also thriving on dozens of other places throughout the world, including Europe. The Taliban have revived mostly because we stayed too long in Afghanistan, backed a miserable regime, and created the most fertile conditions for massive resistance and insurgency.
I think Obama was right during the campaign to criticize Bush for balling it all up while he sidetracked us and bogged us down in a pointless, counter-productive and unaffordable war in Iraq. I think Obama was just as wrong, however, to now promise he’s going to “finish the job” in Kabul. In fact, he isn’t. And he cannot. No more than General Westmoreland and Robert McNamara could finish the job in Vietnam. They are not very similar places or situations — except for the rather obvious fact that neither conflict was winnable through a purely military option. And that added fact that whatever thinks of nation-building, by whatever name, it’s rather impossible when the government you are backing is isolated, corrupt, highly unpopular and up to its eyeballs in dope dealing.
Those sad facts are not going to change in Afghanistan the same way they didn’t change in Vietnam after successive coups, putsches and demonstration elections.
Even sadder, Obama is a very smart man, not driven by the sort of ideological delusions that haunted LBJ or Bush or Cheney. I make ABSOLUTELY no excuses for him, but I am willing to bet anything that, in his heart and in his head, he knows that this war is unwinnable and that he runs a great risk of seeing his presidency consumed in the AF-Pak miasma.
Unforunately, he has also made the decision that it is politically impossible for him to do the right thing and start definitively putting this war to an end. He may be right or may be wrong in concluding that his hands are tied. But we all know that is the conclusion driving this ill-fated decision. The calculation has been made that his presidency and the Democrats would not be able to survive the charge of cut and run that would be yelled to the high heavens by the same dumb-ass Republicans who got us into these swamps to begin with. Just as after pissing away a TRILLION dollars in Iraq while cutting taxes and creating the greatest eight years of deficit in the history of the republic, all of a sudden there is anxious concern about how we are going to pay for the coming troop surge (I can actually remember that Nightline show in early 2003 where a Bush State Department official estimated the cost of a war in Iraq would be $1.7 billion — 1/5th of 1 percent of its real cost to date!).
This allows you to choose exactly how you want to depressed. Isn’t choice what America is all about anyway? Depending on your view of things, Obama is forced to escalate because the American political system offers him no choice. Or Obama does have the choice but not the will to execute a drawdown. Your call.
Listening to the blabber-mouth pundit roundtable this morning on ABC’s This Week (who the hell does Cokie Roberts speak for?) both liberals and conservatives agreed on one ugly prediction. That when the 2012 election rolls around, four years into Obama’s tenure and six years after the 2006 Democratic sweep of Congress (driven by anti-war sentiment) it is likely we will still have about 100,000 troops in Afghanistan and probably about the same amount in Iraq.
Not much hope in any of that.
November 30th, 2009 at 7:46 am
So…the excuse is he won’t be elected a second term if he doesn’t do the absolutely immoral and wrong thing THIS term??????
Despite Hoh, despite other top military advisors who had the wisdom to see this continued fiasco would only serve to create more of the very problems it purports to be trying to “correct”…not to mention the sheer unbelievable evil of thinking for one minute Obama needs to have all that blood on his hands because he ” is forced to escalate because the American political system offers him no choice.”??????
When I initially read the news item he intended to “finish the job” (the wording alone made me nauseous) I knew I was wrong to vote for him– should have listened to MY heart and head that got overwhelmed by wanting revenge on the racists.
At what point is everyone going to admit Obama is, in fact, pretty much showing he is the person all the harshest progressive critics warned he was.
But using his vote AGAINST the war in the Senate as currency for his big moral dog and pony show as a candidate and then refusing to use the very considerable amount of sane, humane assessments about the right course of action to take in relation to Afghanistan and instead choose the egregious path of least resistance– which will fuck the Democrats once and for all and put us right back where we were before November 2008.
Now is the time for MASSIVE anti war demonstrations.
This is pathetic. As I posted a week or so ago when the “finish the job” statement first came out:
GOOOOOoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooood
MORrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrninggggggggggggggggggggggggggggg
VIET NaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaM
November 30th, 2009 at 8:42 am
Yeah, speaking of dog and pony shows, Obama was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2004. His term began in 2005. Exactly what vote against which war are you referring to?
November 30th, 2009 at 9:26 am
Tiger Woods should have used a driver.
I would love to hear the OnStar audio of that “accident.” Mr. Woods, this is OnStar. Our system shows that your wife is beating you with a five iron. The rules say that you’re entitled to relief if you’ve landed on pavement.
November 30th, 2009 at 9:32 am
I did not have sex with that woman !!!!!
(The hostess from New York.)
And why the hell is Gloria Alred involved?
November 30th, 2009 at 9:35 am
I think he has a choice. You posed it as, Unforunately, he has also made the decision that it is politically impossible for him to do the right thing and start definitively putting this war to an end. He made the decision it is politically impossible. When there are no options, there is no choice, and nothing to decide. The option Obama, apparently, doesn’t like is facing the possibility of his serving a single term. That is the “worst case” outcome for a decision to shut the operation in Afghanistan down for the Democrats, although it wouldn’t necessarily be the worst case outcome for the American people or the soldiers whose lives would otherwise be lost. So Obama punts. And, his supporters can speculate that maybe this 11-dimensional chess player will decide in his second term that initiating a withdrawal carries a lot less political cost… for him. One wonders about the the influence of the DNC and the DLC on that choice, however, since “optics” and the “funding” for the next election are always occurring right now.
November 30th, 2009 at 10:41 am
Obama made a meal out of being against the war…
But lets deal with the moral quagmire of this mind bending pretzel trying to rationalize the politics rather than a leader who leads and goes down in history for doing the right thing.
The only thing pushing his decision against which there has been all kinds of sane, sound advice by military advisors as well is what pushes all these political whores’ decisions…the need to be in play so they will give a blow job to any monied interest lobby (and there is billions to be made by staying there).
Its disgusting. For the same money– who knows maybe less–a kind of Marshall Plan could be conducted. That guy who was up for a Nobel that even the Pentagon invited in to talk– the one setting up girls schools because educated women are one of the best defenses against the seduction and lure of fundamentalism…caust the women have to give their “blessing” for a suicided run.
Instead of bombing the shit of a country that was already wracked…oh never mind this sane argument has been made before.
What is appalling is that anyone can even take seriously trying rationalize his not doing the right thing in order to appease some Democratic party agenda– which would be best served by DOING something dynamic and original– god forbid.
November 30th, 2009 at 11:01 am
ooops…forgot the region is still strategic for as yet un exploited oil fields and access. Just a wee issue…there was detailed, but obscure, report a year or so ago. Very dirty. Hunt and I think Halliburton implicated; ill gotten awards of contracts to get to do the exploration; shit loads of money invested in it. All the background to the invasion in the area in the first place– not just to grab what was already in production but because of what also is thought to be available. Still too much money to be made on oil to really worry too much about alternative energy.
Obama is moving along a track he doesn’t have the courage to get off and had to have known this before he ever took office.
So it makes his sicky little campaign rhetoric more horrible.
November 30th, 2009 at 11:07 am
While I personally disagree with Marc Cooper that the Afgan invasion was somehow a good idea, I do agree that the American response to the events of 9-11 have landed Mr Obama in an untenable political position: however politics are one thing and morality another. When the two collide then politics should give way.
This short article by Gary Wills in the NYRB (3Dec09) sums up the problem Obama faces and will need to face down in order not to lose face in the eyes of historical judgement.
http://www.nybooks.com/articles/23431
Perhaps why Mr Obama is paid the medium bucks.
November 30th, 2009 at 11:16 am
For my money, Andrew Sullivan lays it our quite nicely.
The critical piece is this (as it is For. Every. Other. Choice. Obama has to make):
Obama can pretend, or his handlers can fantasize, that this decision to escalate insulates him from political blow-back. But. It. Won’t. How many additional demonstrations of the reality of the loyal opposition, whose position is endlessly propagandized by our media, does Obama need before he “gets it?”
If I had any fantasies, any fantasies at all, of riding Obama’s political coattails in 2010 this would disabuse me of all of them (scroll down to Voter Likelihood.
November 30th, 2009 at 1:27 pm
I was pretty sure when Obama characterized Afghanistan in the campaign as, in effect, “the good war,” that this day would come. I’m sure the people in the White House believe that if Obama did not send in the troops McChrystal asked for in such a public fashion, he would be pilloried for breaking a campaign promise. It wouldn’t really be true, but it would happen. Whether that is a reason to stick the second foot into the quagmire is another question entirely.
As for Gloria Allred’s appearance on behalf of the accused mistress…this is her current specialty. Recall her representation of Amber Frey, girlfriend of Peterson. It requires an ability to put a quasi-feminist spin on the situation on behalf of a person who would disappear from the celebrity screens much faster if Gloria did not offer her help. And it requires no legal analysis at all. It’s a shame in a way…her partners Nathan Goldberg, Dolores Leal et al. are exceptional lawyers.
November 30th, 2009 at 1:53 pm
Anna – I’m very discouraged and waiting to hear what Obama says Tuesday before I judge, but don’t invoke Gregg Mortenson – the guy who builds schools in Afghanistan – glibly as though of course he agrees that counterinsurgency is antithetical to his own strategy of school construction:
“Mortenson said he was originally critical of the U.S. military in Iraq and Afghanistan, but he’s changed his views: ‘The U.S. military has gone through a huge learning curve. They really get it. It’s all about building relationships from the ground up, listening more and serving the people of Afghanistan.’ ”
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/19/opinion/19friedman.html?_r=1
I don’t think this can be “won” without a whole hell of a lot more of what Mortenson is doing, but it’s unlikely he could continue to do it for long if we just pulled out. This isn’t an easy call for more than short-term political reasons, given the claims we’ve made by our presence in the country.
November 30th, 2009 at 2:58 pm
I understand, reg. My point FOR invoking Mortenson is that is what we should have been done all along. I noted the Pentagon had taken note of his successes and brought him in for chummy chats. Of course his success is due to there was no whiff of CIA or military inovlvement in what he did.
Doesn’t matter what we think or even what Obama thinks…long term economic/political game plans have been in place and we will do the gig as outlined til it wears itself out.
As I added, I had forgotten about the dirty oil exploration dealings which we have all paid for, gone to war for and then there is the global chess game between China, US etc.
Its repulsive. Maybe Icke was right and its the lizard people who run the show or rather we made deals with them.
I posted that Gary McKinnon story and the Jon Ronson interview with him. Riveting stuff. I think we should talk about whether or not the US military is fooling around with “non terrestrial officers”.
I’m guessing Cheney is the hefe lizard.
November 30th, 2009 at 4:23 pm
Incidentally on the lighter side, Atrios dubbed this the media’s “Tiger Penis Week”
November 30th, 2009 at 4:40 pm
Maybe Tiger is one of the lizard people and thats why he’s not talking.
November 30th, 2009 at 4:42 pm
Geez, I just got “Into the Woods”. I am thinking ‘Sondheim’ etc.
November 30th, 2009 at 4:57 pm
We should just simply leave Afghanistan and turn over the keys to the resistance, the corrupt government and NGO’s. If a blood bath ensues, so be it!
This obscene nation building does not work in a country like Afghanistan, where there is no educated class or history of central government. At least Iraq is strategic, because of it’s Oil Wealth, WMD aspirations, geographic location, and educated class.
In 2001, we gave the Taliban leaders a choice: Turn over Al-Qaeda or die, which they told us to pound sand. At that point in 2001 we should have stormed in and killed every Taliban and Al-Qaeda we could find and then leave.
Setting up bases and playing patty-cake with the locals does not work and we are not there to give women the right to vote, work and be educated. We just need to leave.
Biden has the most realistic plan of the current administration. – “to scale back American forces and focus more on rooting out Al Qaeda there and in Pakistan (remotely or small strike forces)”.
Obama appears to be just another CYA politician.
November 30th, 2009 at 5:04 pm
You are right Marc, “The calculation has been made” that Obama and Democrats would rather sacrifice another 5000 American lives and 500 billion dollars than lose an election.
November 30th, 2009 at 6:16 pm
Pokey – your hypocrisy is stinking the place up.
November 30th, 2009 at 7:36 pm
Better push up Venezuela on Obama’s list of concerns on which to waffle and allow to get worse.
Russia building arms plants in Venezuela
When I see articles like this, I reminisce about all the threads in which you guys try to argue with me and always turn out to be wrong, like these on defense: Cheneyland and Obama’s Trippin’
(One non-defense related comment from September that I liked: Marc Cooper: Come on, Woody. Give it a rest, pal. I have no doubt that ACORN, like most organizations that consist of human beings, has the taint of corruption.)
November 30th, 2009 at 9:16 pm
Oh Woody, you’re back. Thought maybe someone mistook you for a turkey.
November 30th, 2009 at 9:23 pm
Compared with the military aid doled out to Colombia, the russian deal is chump change.
Mr Woody doesn’t see these types of arms being sold to Venezuela as threatening to the US or its interests, does he?
Mr Woody should regale us with the US ships sold to Brazil.
Finally, the right-wing blogosphere should really take a stab at geography:
“Russia is building arms plants in Venezuela to produce AK-103 automatic rifles and cartridges and is finalizing contracts to send 53 military helicopters to the Andean nation”
So, Woody, the helicopters are being dropped shipped to…er, Peru…Bolivia… or is just a simple case of moving the (Andean) mountains to Chavez?
The topic at hand is the quandry of the Afgan campaign handed to Mr Obama in dealing with the Taliban staltwarts hiding in the Andes mountains surrounding Kabul, sent by Chavez with Russian rubles to locate the mysterious Obama birth certificate.
November 30th, 2009 at 9:47 pm
Woody:
How the heck did those ruskies find the “Andean nation” of Venezuela?
Maybe they meant Bolivia, as it is in the Andeas. The President Evo Morales is also a very bad man trying to look out for his people instead of US interests.
You know Woody, you could call Bolivia a “Caribbean nation” and say that its just a two day drive from Brownsville, Texas… and keep the bits about the SAM missles and the AK-47′s
Now you haven’t said a word about the Saharan nation of Colombia who gets more military aid than anyone else except Israel…plus it gets a handful of military bases.
Not a peep in your article from Forbes which publishes from the Asian nation of New York.
December 1st, 2009 at 7:56 am
Once again, Woody would do well to take advantage of any sales or coupons for Depends currently available from Walgreens.
December 1st, 2009 at 8:30 am
Meanwhile , Emperor Obama recognizes the coup on Honduras some more.
December 1st, 2009 at 10:36 am
“he has also made the decision that it is politically impossible for him to do the right thing and start definitively putting this war to an end. ”
and I think he is making the wrong decision. He is in a unique situation where ending a war will make him more popular, not less.
December 1st, 2009 at 10:47 am
don’t invoke Thomas “Suck on this” Friedman glibly as though he has any moral standing, intelligence, or relevance to any topic. The man is slime.
December 1st, 2009 at 11:00 am
SideShow – I didn’t “invoke Friedman.” I took a quote from someone else from one of his columns and linked him as the source. Maybe you could also use some of those Depends.