Let me be blunt, troop surges or no, I don’t believe we have any strategy for Afghanistan and we may have no chance of actually “winning” anything. Let me be even more blunt, I don’t think we ever did have a strategy and I don’t know if we ever could have any real strategy for the long term security or stability of that nation. Republican or Democrat, Bush or Obama, the endeavor over there has been running on an empty tank of gas toward the edge of a cliff in the middle of nowhere for a long while. We are faced with either running out of gas in a desert or plummeting toward our doom.

Call me what you like, from what I can tell Afghanistan is a wasteland. Courted for centuries because of its strategic location, in a world where we can fly wherever we want, the country has about zero value other than being a great place to grow drugs and hide murderers. Oh sure, who doesn’t want a place to grow drugs and hide murderers, but that is what we have large swathes of South America for.

The problem with our war in Afghanistan is pretty simple. We went there to find the people who perpetrated 9/11 and to kill terrorists. We did a good job at first. Then we realized there is a silly little catch. We can kill terrorists as long as they are hanging out in the barren wasteland of Afghanistan. The moment they cross an invisible line into the barren wasteland border region of Pakistan, game over. So, yeah, pretty much screwed there. McCrystal or not, I have yet to hear an actual viable plan for dealing with that border over the long haul. We cannot protect our border, what the hell are we going to do in Afghanistan?

Our other objective has always been bringing order to the chaos of Afghanistan’s backward tribal system. I am sure there are some nice people in Afghanistan and I wouldn’t want to disparage them when I make this next statement but, sorry, it is true. These tribal leaders are like the sand people in Star Wars only with brutal gang rapes and honor stoning of women.

Afghanistan is a nation historically in constant conflict with no order or central authority. The people have placed their lives into the hands of drug dealers who brutally abuse them. Somehow our leaders, both Republican and Democrat, look at that situation and keep asking, “I wonder why they haven’t taken to democracy and reform?” This makes me wonder if our leaders are less than or equal to the worthlessness of the Afghanistan leaders.

The president has taken almost a year to decide what to do in Afghanistan. In that time the situation has gotten worse. He has had time to do a lot of golfing. He has had time to ram through thousand page plus legislation that appeared out of nowhere and further bankrupted our country. He has had time to run fundraisers and hang with celebrities. He has had time to play a lot of basketball. He has had time to call police racists and wade into all kinds of other domestic drama.

Now Democrats and the easily lead media are hailing him as a great deliberator for taking a year to decide what Generals probably could have walked an engaged person through in a day. Now that he has reportedly made up his mind, he won’t actually tell us his decision for another week. From the media reports I have heard it will take two more years for all the troops he will add to the theater to actually get there whenever he gets around to start sending them.

Is there a plan for Pakistan? Who knows. Is there a measurable or two for success? No idea. Will this plan make any headway into the overarching reality that the War is being influenced by much larger players *cough CHINA, RUSSIA cough* who are delightfully watching our demise? No idea.

So a year of deliberation and…? Maybe Obama will get around to answering a couple of those questions next week? Hopefully it won’t just be a series of speeches with a lot of platitudes and the only real questions coming from Code Pink while the news media giggle and fawn over their leader.

I want to “win” in Afghanistan, I just don’t know what winning actually means. I distrust Obama’s ability to run a War or make a decision that doesn’t result in having the opposite effect of what he intended, like the decisions he has made on the economy. The problem is, I have no faith in elected Republicans either and no faith that there actually is a solution in Afghanistan that doesn’t take every resource we have. So here I sit, thinking about Afghanistan, thinking no one has a REAL plan and neither do I.

Is it time to bring home the troops?

In the News

• Update: Nearly five million Americans receiving unemployment
• Attorney General calls Americans and our ancestors cowards
• Barack Obama says he opposes the radio censorship doctrine being pushed by liberals
• Vatican releases statement about Pope & Pelosi meeting; says the pontiff reminded Pelosi you actually have to abide by the Church’s beliefs in order to call yourself a devotee
• FED cuts growth forecast, puts inflation growth at 2% | Wholesale growth takes biggest inflation growth in 6 months
• Kyrgyzstan votes to close Manas base which is key to American operations in Afghanistan
• Alan Greenspan wants banks nationalized

Worth a read

- Karl Rove asks “Is the Administration winging it?”

- What is the Recovery Accountability and Transparency Board — the RAT Board, why was it in the stimulus and how will it destroy and politicize accountability?

- Google Earth reveals secret history of US base in Pakistan

- Air Force unplugging base internet connections unless they can prove secure

- Illegal aliens awarded $78,000 in damages because a rancher stood up for the law

- Cali Repubs oust Senate leader negotiating budget deal

- Dems appear to be abandoning Senator Roland Burris

- South Africa’s economy ’set to shrink’

- IMF is increasing its lending capacity

- Kidnapping Chrysler

- Over capacity everywhere

If you blinked it is possible you missed yesterday’s news that President Obama had decided to send 17,000 troops to Afghanistan in what some see as a “mini-surge”; a plan that will hopefully bring stability to the nation. This decision follows a series of bombings alleged to have come from American predator drones inside of Pakistan; these actions have raised the ire of many in that nation but appear to make good suggestions by then candidate Obama that he would strike inside of Pakistan to reach and destabilize the networks of Islamic fascism.

There are many reasons to believe that this “mini-surge” will not have the same effect that President Bush’s surge had in Iraq. These wars, while extensions of one another, are very different. Afghanistan presents major logistical issues; there appears to be few internal leaders ready and waiting to take leadership of a unified nation while the tribal, ethnic and religious divisions that exist seem incapable of truly unifying into a collective. The border with Pakistan, whose government itself is on the brink of collapse, presents a very unique problem. Further operations into that nation could spark either a Civil War, coup de’etat or result in a series of unpredictable events resulting in the destruction of any chance toward to establish peace. Even the least of our worries, that the status quo will continue in Pakistan, is not an ideal outcome because Pakistan gives aide and comfort to our enemies.

When one considers the enormity of these challenges, one cannot possibly deny our Commander-in-Chief their wholehearted and overwhelming support. In deciding to strengthen the force in Afghanistan, President Obama has made his first major decision as the leader of our nation’s defense. Every preconception he walked into office with will be tested and he now must embrace the solemn duty of sending men and women into harms way knowing their souls were sent to battle not by his predecessor but instead from his command.

The left chose to use every moment of President Bush’s terms to indict our nation because of their distrust and dislike of his personality and persona. This is a path that cannot be embraced by those of us on the right. While I personally disagree with the President on nearly every issue foreign, domestic and economic, I respect the office and understand the demonstrable importance of winning our War against Islamic fascism. In pursuit of our nation’s defense, I have no doubt the president will find nothing less than the full faith, confidence and support of the Republican Party, American conservatives and all people who believe that our liberty must from time-to-time be defended from the brutal hand of tyranny and intolerance.

While I will not always agree with the actions President Obama takes in this respect, I will always regard his right as commander to take them. If a course of action continually leads to the weakness of our nation’s defense, I will use all available means to voice my dissent but never will I tarnish the good name of our armed forces or indict the totality of our nation in the way that many on the left chose to do over the last eight years.

I support our President and hope that he will guide our forces to victory, not just in Afghanistan but in every conflict small and large they may face in the coming years. I hope that he will command our mighty forces with clarity of thought and confidence in purpose. Our enemy is cunning but our resolve for freedom has proven triumphant over far stronger and better equipped enemies.

As long as our President is willing to stand up to the challenge of securing our liberty, he will have my full support.

Now in the news

• Venezuelans vote to end Presidential term-limits giving Chavez the ability to keep his job for life
• Hillary Clinton says Japan’s PM will be first foreign leader to meet with Obama
• Republican governors, many of them hailed as future party leaders embrace Obama and his spend-a-thon
• Automakers are in talks with the UAW as GM & Chrysler prepare to submit requires recovery plans to Congress
• Obama decision on surging troops in Afghanistan expected shortly (possibly tomorrow) | Meanwhile civilian deaths are on the rise
• Income tax refunds and state employee paychecks may be delayed as Kansas deals with its budget woes.
• California is said to be near crisis as Legislature adjourns with no budget
• NY Senator Gillibrand quickly running away from her gun stance

Worth a watch

Megyn Kelly & Bill Press debate the Fairness Doctrine

(Hat tip: Hot Air)

Bristol Palin discusses motherhood

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