[Peace-discuss] Afghan War Winnable...

[C. G. Estabrook]

[Satire or real?]

	U.S. commander says Afghan war winnable, new strategy needed

(CNN) -- Success is achievable in Afghanistan if the United States revises its
strategy there, the top U.S. commander in that country said in a statement
issued Monday...


C. G. Estabrook wrote:
> What do you think it means that such a note is necessary?  What does it mean
> that some people might not notice that this is satire?  That it's in fact
> far too close to the truth?
> 
> The wonderful Tom Lehrer (whom I mentioned earlier today) said that political
> satire became obsolete when the Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to Henry
> Kissinger in 1973. --CGE
> 
> 
> Morton K. Brussel wrote:
>> One should be careful about what one reads or reproduces.  A note on the
>> website which Carl reproduced (below) has the following caveat (in small
>> letters):
>> 
>> Unconfirmed Sources political satire and news story parodies as represented
>> above are written as satire or parody. They are, of course, fictitious.
>> <http://www.unconfirmedsources.com/disclamer.htm>
>> 
>> 
>> --mkb
>> 
>> 
>> On Aug 31, 2009, at 3:19 PM, C. G. Estabrook wrote:
>> 
>> 
>>> Afghan War Winnable If Enough People Die Says General Stanley McChrystal
>>> 
>>> The top commander in Afghanistan jubilantly proclaimed to the news media
>>> that the war in Afghanistan is winnable if we simply kill enough people.
>>> 
>>> "The only thing that stands between us and victory is a bunch of people
>>> shooting at us and opposing us", McChrystal said as he chomped on a Cuban
>>> cigar. "If we can kill those people then we will be guaranteed victory!"
>>> 
>>> McChrystal admitted that many innocent men, women and children who were
>>> not carrying weapons have also died during the war. "One death of an
>>> innocent person is a tragedy", McChrystal explained. "100,000 deaths is
>>> collateral damage".
>>> 
>>> The General explained that his troops were under specific orders to only
>>> kill people that possessed weapons, could possess weapons or may possess
>>> weapons in the future.
>>> 
>>> "That's everyone", McChrystal declared.
>>> 
>>> McChrystal also requested more troops be brought into the country because
>>> having more troops would enable the soldiers to kill more people and
>>> bring the war to an end sooner.
>>> 
>>> Secretary of Defense Robert Gates defended McChrystal's strategy. "It 
>>> makes perfect sense that we will win the war if there's no one left to
>>> oppose us."
>>> 
>>> At least one soldier, who asked to remain anonymous, disagreed with 
>>> Gates. "Why don't we just pull out now and screw this whole thing?" he
>>> asked.
>>> 
>>> http://www.unconfirmedsources.com/index.php?itemid=4133