VetVoice: "I wanted to Stop Bush's Surge, but I Support Obama's Stabilization"

[babylonsister]

http://www.vetvoice.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=2475


I wanted to Stop Bush's Surge, but I Support Obama's Stabilization
by: jonpowers
Wed Feb 18, 2009 at 15:56:35 PM EST

(From the diaries - promoted by Brandon Friedman)

by: Jonathan Powers


In January of 2007, I stood up with many of my fellow Iraq veterans and Votevets.org to call on Bush to "Stop the Escalation." Many of us felt that the Bush Administration lacked an overall strategy to provide the necessary tools needed to bring the fragile stability we see today in Iraq. Votevets hosted a group to be a part of a national ad campaign that showed during that year's Super Bowl.

snip//

Today we face a much different situation in Afghanistan as President Obama has ordered an additional 17,000 U.S. troops "to stabilize a deteriorating situation." Karen De Young reported on this in the Washington Post . Now, many of those veterans who stood up to "Stop the Escalation" are now standing with President Obama to announce their support. This is the right war, and the right time.

When we took our eye off the ball to invade Iraq in 2003, many of the needed troops and resources were allocated to the wrong fight. As a result, the situation in Afghanistan continued to become more fragile as U.S. and NATO forces struggled to keep control and of regions where Taliban forces are reasserting their power. Now we face a challenge in which Afghan President Hamid Karzai's government is crumbling and allowing the same wide spread lawlessness that gave birth to Al Qaeda.

The difference for our veterans of these recent wars in supporting President Obama, is that he has already announced his understanding for a change in strategy. He talks about the needed reforms that will allow our country to develop smart power and real national security. Unlike George Bush who buried his head in the sand until the 2006 elections slapped him awake, the Obama Administration is undergoing a massive review process to better understand and execute the fight. He talks of including diplomatic and political solutions to the military effort.

The addition of troops right now is not putting the cart before the horse, though. The addition will allow us to provide some security through the expected spring offensive from the enemy, so that there's an actual Afghanistan situation to review, and not a failed state completely overrun by the Taliban.

snip//

We are not giving President Obama a free pass, but many of us have the faith and confidence that he will move us forward with a strategic vision that encompasses the change we need. I hope you will join me in supporting our President Obama and our troops who work to stabilize this "deteriorating situation."

[Gregorian]

1. Thank you for posting this. I have been guardedly concerned.

I believe this is the case. And I believe that because of my overall perception of whom Obama is. So this sheds a bit of light on what others think is going on with this troop deployment. Very happy feeling to think this would be true.

[babylonsister]

2. I was also interested to read this from a Vet's perspective.

I think we can all agree that we need to get out of Iraq and Afghanistan, but I guess there's a smart way of doing it.
It's nice to see they respect President Obama and aren't rushing to judgment.

[Gregorian]

3. He is a respected figure in military circles, according to his Wiki page.

And he started a thing called War Kids Relief, I think. I'm having a lousy day. My head hurts. But this is such a relief to get confirmation on. In fact I was just walking my property with my architect yesterday and expressing my disappointment in continued war support. But I defer my judgment of Obama.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jon_Powers

[Patchuli]

4. I am a war protester but I K&R this post

and I will support President Obama in trying to do the right thing. I don't think we can just abandon Afghanistan and pull out as we should in Iraq. I don't think O is a lover of war.

[bigtree]

5. I think we all want a 'stable' government and less violence there

But, I don't believe the Afghanistan government is 'crumbling' because of a lack of troops. It's confidence of Afghans in the Karzai regime which is eroding.

The stuff about the Taliban overrunning the government is even more alarmist than the military is projecting. Putting those troops in right now is going to escalate the violence way before any 'summer offensive'. It would be nice if there was some defined mission which wasn't caught between our destabilizing military goals and the nation-building politics we expect the government we're defending to exercise.

The notion that the military operation in Afghanistan is a credible defense of our national security is foolishness. The idea that escalating it will make it better would suppose that Afghanistan is different from everywhere else our invading forces have worked to impose their interests on a resisting population. But, let's just squint our eyes and imagine there will be a different result this time.

By the way, what kind of nation are we building there, anyway, behind our brute indiscriminate force?

[Joe Chi Minh]

6. ".... many of us have the faith and confidence that he will move us

forward with a strategic vision that encompasses the change we need.

I wonder what that "change we need" might be? It's difficult to imagine a more vague and uninformative/meaningless platitude.

"I hope you will join me in supporting our President Obama and our troops who work to stabilize this 'deteriorating situation.'"

If you are an imperialist, you want a stable occupation; as stable as possible; but wars, by their very nature are unstable. If they are stable, then either there is no action, and it's a war in name only, or it is a constant and fairly regular war of attrition on both sides - a conveyor belt of body-bagsbody bags: a stalemate, costly in lives.

So, at what point was the situation stable?
And in what sense was it stable?

[deaniac21]

7. Meet the new boss......

[Political Heretic]

8. Blind faith and confidence is what gets us into disasters.

I can't get over how many people sound just like Bush supporters now.

"We just trust our president to do the right thing! We don't need to ask questions." - typical Bush supporter... or now typical Obama supporter?

The terms "faith" and "trust" shouldn't come up when talking about the President of the United States. I ashamed o VetVoice - they are desperately trying to pretend that there is something substantively different between Bush's policy in the "war on terror" and Obama's and there is not. Obama thinks we "took our eye off the ball" in Iraq, but believes in the stupidity of the so-called "war on terror" - a neocon invention to provide cover for their economic shock and rape of the world.

[comrade snarky]

11. Yes, that's right. Obama is just like Bush

And there is no difference between Gore and Bush.

And everyone who thinks Obama has a good brain, is capable of weighing the options and making decisions and is waiting to see what he comes up with is a cool aid drinking zombie.

:eyes:

[Political Heretic]

12. Stop putting words in my mouth and using hyperbole to get around the truth.

On this policy, right here - a specific - there's no substantive difference between Bush policy and Obama policy.

There are tons of other differences, and just because I have the intellectual honestly to admit the similarities on this one policy issue doesn't mean I'm making the kinds of generalizations you are unfairly implying.

Of course, you know this already - its just one more cheap and pitiful way to avoid tackling tough issues.

[comrade snarky]

13. Sparky, you're not worth the time

It would take to argue around and around in circles until someone gets tired and I don't feel like getting in a word game with you over what you meant. I'm just so tired of the *disappointment* that attempts to mask the absolute glee at Obama not living up to your ideals. Some folks just cant wait for him to betray us and your post sure as hell sounds like you're in that group.

So fine, Obama is just like Bush on the war on terror. Closing Guantanamo, the CIA black sites, ending rendition, opening negotiations with Iran and ending the Iraq occupation is just like Bush. No difference at all, you are so right and smart and intellectually honest.

I'm sure Obama will be much better than Bush on health care until he actually comes out with a plan, then he can be just like Bush on that too whatever it says! Wont that be fun! Ya!

[Shanti Mama]

9. Great read. Thanks.

I do not blindly support Obama. I do not idolize him or revere him. I do trust him, until he does something untrustworthy. And I do have a kind of faith in him. I do not think my faith is unfortunate or misplaced. It is not Faith with a capital F. I have faith in many people but I don't idolize them.

People who think too many of us have President Obama up on a pedestal are, in my opinion, looking for something to challenge. Yes, we will give the man the benefit of the doubt for awhile. There is nothing wrong with that. But I don't believe we hold him to a lesser standard. If anything, I think we hold him to a higher one. That is what our faith is based on.

[democracy1st]

10. great post babylonsister you're doing a good job,now I like this type of posting :)

whether you agree or disagree at least give me some answers