Today’s hearings on Afghanistan for the Senate Armed Services Committee were a somewhat depressing affair for the long-time committee members, who recall a time when the American public would hang on their every word about the military conquest.
13 years in, Americans just aren’t that into the war anymore, and the Senate hawks who fill this panel think that’s a real shame, because they reckon the decades of war to come are when they’re really going to start seeing some progress.
Chairman Sen. Carl Levin (D – MI) was looking for someone to blame, and as is often the case, it was the media. Levin insisted the media should be hyping the “positive” aspects of the endless war right now, and was “depriving the American people of the sense of accomplishment.”
Gen. Joseph Dunford said he believes the US is “winning” the war after 13 years, but that it would quickly lose if troops were withdrawn. The upcoming troop deal, which Dunford was confident would be signed, would keep the occupation going through 2024 and beyond.
2004 and the US military verdict was, "we're winning in Afghanistan."
2007 and the US military verdict was, "we're winning in Afghanistan."
2009 same as above.
2010 same as above.
2011
2012
2014… official Washington is an exceptionally rare form of stupid.
Just waiting for them to tell us that they can see the light at the end of the Westmoreland Memorial Tunnel.
Yet another of a long line of Democrats and Republicans to rail and complain about the very notion and concept of democracy. The fact that a true democracy wouldn't be fighting a war that the people have opposed for many years now never seems to occur to these people. They just assume they are our divine leaders and that we must do only what they tell us to do. King George III would have recognized the type, but Thomas Jefferson would be appalled at their constant insults to democracy and freedom.
Is Levin serious? He laments that the "media should be hyping the war right now." Can there be anything about war that should be hyped? Following 5 tours in Afghanistan, 1986-87-90-91 and 97, I did not observe anything to hype. From the mass burial sites at the Pul-I-Charki complex in Kabul to the mountains of Paktia, hiding from Soviet helicopter-gunships and Russian patrols there was nothing that I could discern warranted "hyping." But then I was not there for profit.
The "positive" aspects of our involvement in Afghanistan ? Such as the slaughter of innocent Afghanis, the occasional loss of American military lives and a lot of wasted money – reminds me of the "positive"
aspects of the last time I had hemorhoids.
Gen. Joseph Dunford: What EXACTLY is the mission that you say the US is winning? No one that I can remember, from the beginning, has stated exactly what the goals were going in.
And as for Sen. Levin: It's been obvious that for the past 13 years, the "positives" that you think should be "hyped" have been recognized by the American people to be unimportant – and that there have been few, if any, "accomplishments" that benefit the American people. But, then, if you listened to the American people, you'd already know that.
Gen. Joseph Dunford: What EXACTLY is the mission that you say the US is winning? No one that I can remember, from the beginning, has stated exactly what the goals were going in – or now.
And as for Sen. Levin: It's been obvious that for the past 13 years, the "positives" that you think should be "hyped" have been recognized by the American people to be unimportant – and that there have been few, if any, "accomplishments" that benefit the American people. But, then, if you listened to the American people, you'd already know that.
"What EXACTLY is the mission…"
I believe it was retaliation for the sinking of the USS Maine, wasn't it?
That's as good as what we've been told so far, eh?
How about said senator go there and fight? That should revive interest.
Supurb idea, dan. Let all the pus gutted Congress people and Senators hump 90 pound packs and hit the dusty trail. I gurantee that all military actions would stop (ex grunt, Vietnam, 1968.
If the people who declared wars, were the ones who actually had to fight them, you would see very few wars indeed John.