Top American Commander in Afghanistan: Taliban Winning

[DamnYankee]

Umm, no that is not true.

"The most important thing is for us to find Osama bin Laden. It is our number one priority and we will not rest until we find him."
- G.W. Bush, 9/13/01

Bush just started saying he wasn't concerned about finding bin Laden after a year of chasing him and failing to get him.

Out of context, since it was two days after the worst attack on American soil in history. Obama, in contrast, used it as a campaign pledge. *shrug*

...Barack Obama has pledged to try to succeed where his predecessor George W. Bush failed by catching or killing Al-Qaeda terror network leader Osama bin Laden.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jrcY8FOAOT_yBcbAqJasTZNqLsHg

 

[WinterBorn]

Out of context, since it was two days after the worst attack on American soil in history. Obama, in contrast, used it as a campaign pledge. *shrug*

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jrcY8FOAOT_yBcbAqJasTZNqLsHg

Perfectly within the context of this conversation. You said "When Bush was CIC he never claimed that killing bin Laden was a top priority.".

But Bush did claim he was the number one priority. This was not about campaign promises, but what was said by the CIC.

 

[WinterBorn]

Shouldn't what you suggest be considered before engaging in wars that we can't win?

You make my point about it isn't just the weapons and you make a point about the limits of military power .. something Hollywood created Americans have no clue of.

And, the Mosin-Nagant is no match for our more sophistcated weapons. It's been around since the Ice Age.

Indeed it should have been considered before the war was started. But then, we have a history of going in where other major powers failed and thinking we can win.

What the military can accomplish is limited. Humanity spent thousands of years devising strategies for conquering. Now we no longer conquer. We destroy and then help them rebuild. The first wave is about military might, the rest is mostly PR.

The Mosin-Nagant makes a decent sniper rifle in the right hands. And a man who has been living his whole life fighting in the same mountains and living by his marksmanship would constitute "the right hands".

 

[DamnYankee]

Perfectly within the context of this conversation. You said "When Bush was CIC he never claimed that killing bin Laden was a top priority.".

But Bush did claim he was the number one priority. This was not about campaign promises, but what was said by the CIC.

He wasn't acting as CIC on September 13, 2001. He was expressing the gut emotions of the country. *shrug*

 

[WinterBorn]

He wasn't acting as CIC on September 13, 2001. He was expressing the gut emotions of the country. *shrug*

Bullshit. He was the Commander and Chief of the largest military in the world. He didn't need to express gut emotions. He was telling people what he was going to do.

He was the CIC and he said bin Ladsen was the number one priority.

You stand corrected.

 

[blackascoal]

Indeed it should have been considered before the war was started. But then, we have a history of going in where other major powers failed and thinking we can win.

What the military can accomplish is limited. Humanity spent thousands of years devising strategies for conquering. Now we no longer conquer. We destroy and then help them rebuild. The first wave is about military might, the rest is mostly PR.

The Mosin-Nagant makes a decent sniper rifle in the right hands. And a man who has been living his whole life fighting in the same mountains and living by his marksmanship would constitute "the right hands".

I don't disagree with what you've said here .. but the bottom line is what limited "victory" the US might achieve isn't worth the lives and resources it will cost.

Even further, at what point will "anti-war" Obama supporters lose their patioence with him?

It will happen.

 

[WinterBorn]

I don't disagree with what you've said here .. but the bottom line is what limited "victory" the US might achieve isn't worth the lives and resources it will cost.

Even further, at what point will "anti-war" Obama supporters lose their patioence with him?

It will happen.

I agree. But at what point will the american people lose their patience with political promises being disposable?

 

[DamnYankee]

Bullshit. He was the Commander and Chief of the largest military in the world. He didn't need to express gut emotions. He was telling people what he was going to do.

He was the CIC and he said bin Ladsen was the number one priority.

You stand corrected.

Again, although he was the CIC, obviously, he wasn't acting as the CIC at that particular historical moment that I remember quite vividly.

 

[DamnYankee]

I agree. But at what point will the american people lose their patience with political promises being disposable?

You can't paint all Americans with such a broad brush. The liberal faction will swallow every lie Obama tells forever.

 

[WinterBorn]

Again, although he was the CIC, obviously, he wasn't acting as the CIC at that particular historical moment that I remember quite vividly.

Ok, whatever.

You stand corrected. You said Bush never...

And I showed where he clearly did. If you want to maintain that he was having some emotional release on national television, go ahead.

 

[WinterBorn]

You can't paint all Americans with such a broad brush. The liberal faction will swallow every lie Obama tells forever.

You also can't paint either part with such a broad brush and then pretend its only them.

There are parts of both parties that will swallow every lie forever.

Its the ones that fit neither bill that can make the difference.

 

[DamnYankee]

Ok, whatever.

You stand corrected. You said Bush never...

And I showed where he clearly did. If you want to maintain that he was having some emotional release on national television, go ahead.

I see that you've taken up with the straw man again. What I said was "When Bush was CIC"... *shrug*

 

[DamnYankee]

You also can't paint either part with such a broad brush and then pretend its only them.

There are parts of both parties that will swallow every lie forever.

Its the ones that fit neither bill that can make the difference.

Perhaps, but judging from the lefties v righties on this board I suspect the percentage of O-bots is much, much higher than for any corresponding conservative president.

 

[WinterBorn]

I see that you've taken up with the straw man again. What I said was "When Bush was CIC"... *shrug*

Straw man? WTF?

You said "When Bush was CIC he never claimed that killing bin Laden was a top priority"

The quote I posted obviously showed that to be wrong. Bush was CIC when he made that statement.

 

[WinterBorn]

Perhaps, but judging from the lefties v righties on this board I suspect the percentage of O-bots is much, much higher than for any corresponding conservative president.

My experience shows blind followers on both sides. Numbers of them are hard to say, because we are talking about who would blindly follow their leader.

 

[DamnYankee]

Straw man? WTF?

You said "When Bush was CIC he never claimed that killing bin Laden was a top priority"....

Correct, but earlier you argue that I said this:

...You said Bush never...

....

Pesky facts. *shrug*

 

[DamnYankee]

My experience shows blind followers on both sides. Numbers of them are hard to say, because we are talking about who would blindly follow their leader.

My experience does as well, but again, much higher percentage on the O-bot side. Remember they tend to be younger, hence more idealistic, easier to lie to and lead.

 

[WinterBorn]

Correct, but earlier you argue that I said this:



Pesky facts. *shrug*

Not pesky facts. Paraphrasing your quote, but accurate nonetheless.

 

[DamnYankee]

Yes my quote was accurate; thanks for agreeing. *shrug*

 

[Cancel 2016.2]

Again, although he was the CIC, obviously, he wasn't acting as the CIC at that particular historical moment that I remember quite vividly.

That is incorrect. When he was sworn in as President Bush was acting as CIC every day until Obama was sworn in. There isn't a switch that you turn on and off. The President is CIC as you stated, therefore every action they take is done as CIC. Regardless, you are cutting a fine line and it borders on idiocy.