National Journal – 30 November 2009

11 Responses to National Journal – 30 November 2009

1. optimax says:

   November 30, 2009 at 12:32 pm

   This quote is on my homepage, refdesk, today:
   It is incumbent on every generation to pay its own debts as it goes. A principle which if acted on would save one-half the wars of the world.” – Thomas Jefferson
   If we are going to remain in a state of perpetual war, we need to implement a tax structure that will pay for the war and pay down our current debt.
   In WWII that was 90% of income over $200,000, about 2.5 million in today’s dollars. The only way to stop the military-industrial complex from influencing foreign policy is to cut its profits.Personally, I don’t care how much money a person makes but think TJ was right– as long as the politically powerful, money is power, are funded by war and federal debt; the closer the U.S. gets to financial ruin.
2. N. M. Salamon says:

   November 30, 2009 at 2:21 pm

   An interesting view on Pakistan politics and USA relation’s shakiness on the expiry of the balnket pardon for corruption etc:
   http://www.atimes.com/atimes/South_Asia/KL01Df03.html
   Their analysis is always pertinent.
3. Jackie says:

   November 30, 2009 at 6:33 pm

   I like your phrase “our reach will exceed our grasp”. It already has exceeded our capacity.
   I’ll wait to hear what Obama has to say tomorrow night. I hope there is an exit in the speech somewhere, some day.
4. Patrick Lang says:

   November 30, 2009 at 6:39 pm

   All
   I have become popular with TV the last few days with a number of requests for instant analysis tomorrow. I have declined.
   I have had my say. I will wait to hear what he has to say. pl
5. fred says:

   November 30, 2009 at 9:33 pm

   You seem to be one of the few to get as many facts as possible and eliminate the emotions before making a judgment. I wish the press would do the same. Haven’t some of these reporters been ‘on the beat’ for years? It doesn’t show in the reporting I’ve seen to date. But then maybe I don’t watch enough TV.
6. William R. Cumming says:

   December 1, 2009 at 2:50 am

   The nation is and has been permanently crippled by the illusion that “War” is a solution that in its crudest sense can bring victory. Having just finished Modris Ekstein’s book “The Rites of Spring” about the Great War and impact on culture of the WEST it is clear that one of the “fruits” of that Victory by the Allies was that they had won nothing of significance to the long run of human history despite the enormus expenditures of lives and treasure. Agree with OPTIMAX comments and also Paul Sullivan on the National Journal blog who seems to be one of the few that understand the international production and trade of narcotics at which Afghanistan is dead center. Apparently the US gives them no alternatives.
7. William P. Fitzgerald III says:

   December 1, 2009 at 10:05 am

   Dr. Brenner’s description and analysis of the strategic review and decision-making process are concise, cogent, and correct. Particularly apt are the four postulates on which the main players seem to have signed off and the merits of which we’ve kicked around here on the CofC.
   The most, perhaps only, feasible course of action is that proposed by W. Patrick Lang.
   Others made good points in their responses, however, Scheuer and the fellow from the Lexington Institute are somewhere in neo-con cloud-cuckoo land.
   WPFIII
8. Jackie says:

   December 1, 2009 at 8:58 pm

   I was prepared to like the West Point speech. I didn’t. I’d prefer Bill Clinton blowing smoke.
9. charlottemom says:

   December 2, 2009 at 10:57 am

   WPFIII
   Not sure how scheuer is viewed as being in neocon cookoo land seeing that the biggest neocons support Obama’s expanded war adventure and clearly Scheuer does not. Seems to me Collins displays more of a neocon policy stance.
   PS Zakiem’s comment is not what I would have expected as I have perceived him to display neocon-ish tendencies.
10. DE Teodoru says:

    December 2, 2009 at 11:35 pm

    We are again sworn to our least appropriate surgical instrument, the military, a very expensive tool to both replace and run. Yet, it is more a bone cutter than a microsurgical tissue repair instrument. McChrystal gets the out he wanted: “I asked for more and because I didn’t get it so I lost.” There was no strategy in the speech, just an awkward political Frankenstein of BUSHISMS– a speech that ESCAPED THE LOGICAL CONCEQUENCES OF EVERY PARAGRAPH BY DISJOINTLY MOVING ON TO ANOTHER PLATITUDE. For the first time ever, Obama gave a speech that sounded as hollow, as contrived and as hot-buttonish instead of substantive as McChrystal’s report. Read report yourself and compare to the speech:
    http://media.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/documents/Assessment_Redacted_092109.pdf
    On the other hand, Obama expects a NATO surge as well. Nevertheless, before raising hopes, one should read the following report by one of Europe’s most respected experts on Afghnaistan:
    http://www.carnegieendowment.org/files/fixing_failed_strategy.pdf
    I am for Obama and pray that he succeed. But I admit that his speech was a clumsy paste-up of Republican platitudes. Perhaps he hopes they’ll go easy on him. THEY WON’T! I am left dumbfounded and anxious wondering: AND WHAT IF MORE OF THE SAME– intel blind, language deaf and culture dumb soldiers just trying to stay alive– don’t save the KARZAI GOV that Obama admitted is a “fraud”? More troops? On TV I saw a black Bush!
11. charlottemom says:

    December 3, 2009 at 8:10 am

    seems no one wants to buy Obama’s used, but “improved” Afghanistan War

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