31 Americans dead

[Puckstop31]

Why would you think like that Puck ??? Why do you believe that we can't leave them in a position to govern themselves peacefully ???

Read up on the history of Afghanistan. Me thinks you will figure it out.

Why couldn't we have done in South Vietnam like we did in Korea ???
Why is it so difficult to believe that it can happen in Afghanistan ??
Why don't we simply just DO IT ????
No rules. No bloody politician imput. Sack idiots in Congress. Just get in there and kick the hell out of them.

Because, thank God, our military is beholden to our civilian government. As frustrating as it can get watching the aliens we send to represent us, play politics with our finest men and women, I am still assured that our military still is under the control of our civilian leadership. Awful as said 'leadership' is most of the time.

Think very long and very hard about what you are asking for Wom. It sounds to me like you want a very authortarian leadership.... Only YOUR kind of authortarians. "No bloody politician input..." It SHOULD NOT ever be that simple man.

You know Puck, we do have the ability, I know, I've been involved in it. So no one EVER can convince me of the relevance of "UNWINNABLE", that word is just junk. We as soldiers know that, and you should know that.

ABSOLUTLEY. You have to know that I know what our militaries are capable of. It has never been a question of the ability of our forces to win. Its the people who our military serves, not having the will to do what is necessary.

I know and you know that war is a ugly, horrible thing. Many people cannot get past the fact that it costs lives to win freedom. Plus, with the way the media lustily craves any story where our forces do something wrong....

Until we have the civilian leadership with the guts to do what it would take to win, its not worth wasting our time, treasure and hte blood of our finest.

Just keep all of this in mind when, a few years from now when all the western forces are gone.... When the Taliban take their revenge on the populace who dared support freedom.... Remind the usual suspects of this day.

Sorry for the rave, I get upset a bit.

No worries. My father is the same way about it. He is a multiple tour Vietnam vet as well.

[wombat2u2004]

Think very long and very hard about what you are asking for Wom. It sounds to me like you want a very authortarian leadership.... Only YOUR kind of authortarians. "No bloody politician input..." It SHOULD NOT ever be that simple man.

No mate, I don't want an authoritarian leadership at all. I just believe that if we commit ourselves to helping people, we have to follow through. We can't just go there and make all the promises in the world, and then just walk away from it.