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Reinhold Niebuhr at TNR
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COMMENTS (5)
Compared to other sites/blogs/ whatever, the immediate coverage here of Obama's big war speech is pathetic.
Compared to other sites/blogs/ whatever, the immediate coverage here of Obama's big war speech is pathetic.
What's to cover, basman? Everyone has known everything about this policy adjustment for weeks.
As far as what President Hillary would have done, I shudder to think. Suffice to say that how Afghans have traditionally treated their womenfolk hardly amounts to a vital national interest, much less a causus belli.
What's to cover, basman? Everyone has known everything about this policy adjustment for weeks.
As far as what President Hillary would have done, I shudder to think. Suffice to say that how Afghans have traditionally treated their womenfolk hardly amounts to a vital national interest, much less a causus belli.
I don't shudder to think what President Hillary would have done about Afghan women's rights. Thanks to the profligate adventurism of the Bush years, any American president would face extraordinary material constraints on the use of American force even where American forces are already deployed. Basically anyone in the world who would defy the president's wishes has only to ask, "You and what army?" and go about his business without worry. The 56,000 deployable troops left in our reserve are barely enough to cover Obama's minimalist escalation; they are far too few for any president even to consider pursuing the broader reform of Afghan society.
I don't shudder to think what President Hillary would have done about Afghan women's rights. Thanks to the profligate adventurism of the Bush years, any American president would face extraordinary material constraints on the use of American force even where American forces are already deployed. Basically anyone in the world who would defy the president's wishes has only to ask, "You and what army?" and go about his business without worry. The 56,000 deployable troops left in our reserve are barely enough to cover Obama's minimalist escalation; they are far too few for any president even to consider pursuing the broader reform of Afghan society.
"Pursuing broader reform of Afghan society" would be, imho, a fool's errand no matter how many troops we have.
And, per Obama during the campaign, we are going to be adding about 96,000 new infantry troops to the Army and Marine establishments going forward. I doubt they'll be used to reinforce our garrison in Germany...
"Pursuing broader reform of Afghan society" would be, imho, a fool's errand no matter how many troops we have.
And, per Obama during the campaign, we are going to be adding about 96,000 new infantry troops to the Army and Marine establishments going forward. I doubt they'll be used to reinforce our garrison in Germany...
...What's to cover, basman? Everyone has known everything about this policy adjustment for weeks....
Ahhh Powell, would that I had your sophisticated prescience. Me. I was all a'naive twitter after his speech and found the sites and blogs bursting, including live streaming. Not here though, even though there is at TNR an abiding division between considered opinion and on the spot commentary ranging from Oprah to securitized derivatives to what all.
...What's to cover, basman? Everyone has known everything about this policy adjustment for weeks....
Ahhh Powell, would that I had your sophisticated prescience. Me. I was all a'naive twitter after his speech and found the sites and blogs bursting, including live streaming. Not here though, even though there is at TNR an abiding division between considered opinion and on the spot commentary ranging from Oprah to securitized derivatives to what all.