[Peace-discuss] Upcoming Exit Ramp? What Was Wrong With This One?

[Morton K. Brussel]

I think that one has to admit that it is possible that more force and cash in Afghanistan might largely subdue those who oppose us. It may be unlikely but it is a possibility. History is not necessarily a guide; it often morphs. What one should object to is the destruction, the deaths and the misery that will occur in the process, and for ends which are at most highly dubious, even admitting the silky words used by Mr. Obama to drug the "people". This is not even considering what the war is/has been doing to our own society. --mkb


On Nov 25, 2009, at 11:43 AM, Robert Naiman wrote:

> Recent press reports suggest that President Obama is likely to try to
> sugarcoat his announcement next week of a major military escalation in
> Afghanistan with talk of "exit ramps": opportunities in the future to
> evaluate and possibly reduce the U.S. military commitment. That's
> supposed to make opponents of military escalation feel better, the
> media suggests.
> ...
> But it's hard to see why this should be at all reassuring. After all,
> we just had such an evaluation, which, despite the widespread view
> that the present policy has failed, resulted in the policy choice of
> sending 50% more troops that the President is about to announce. Why
> should we expect the next evaluation by the same actors to be
> substantially different from the one that just took place, if the data
> is the same?
> 
> 
> http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robert-naiman/upcoming-exit-ramp-what-w_b_370680.html
> 
> http://www.dailykos.com/story/2009/11/25/808011/-Upcoming-Exit-Ramp-What-Was-Wrong-With-This-One
> 
> http://www.justforeignpolicy.org/node/419
> 
> --
> Robert Naiman
> Just Foreign Policy
> www.justforeignpolicy.org
> naiman at justforeignpolicy.org
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