The EXEGETIST: A Library Of Independent Political Thought. By: Jack H. Dawsey

More Troops for Afghanistan?

By: Jack Dawsey

Will President Obama send more troops to Afghanistan?  In the opinion of this writer, perhaps the more important question is: “Will the political climate in Congress support him, and if so, how much?” 

History may record that the modern U.S. Congress is a “war-mongering” body.  Consider their recent histories of authorizing the invasion of other nations:  Korea, Viet Nam, Panama, Granada, Somali, Iraq, and Afghanistan.  According to some, political necessity justifies action, i.e., “means justifies the end.”  Remember the weapons of mass destruction?  

But in the case of more troops to Afghanistan, the Congress may not support the President if he chooses to ratchet up the Afghanistan War.  The heretofore political narrative: “The Afghanistan War is a good war…” is losing support in Congress.  The President may not receive support for three reasons.  (1) Many republicans are so opposed to a Black Man occupying the White House that they will manufacture a reason, or reason(s) to balk at any request from him.  (2) Leading democrats are so self-absorbed until they have become “limber-legged” and undependable.  (3) With American casualties rising, and the revelation that the Afghan government is riffed in fraud, deceit, graft, and corruption, support will likely diminish among Independent voters.   But what’s going to be interesting to watch is this.  What will Senator John “bomb, bomb, bomb Iran” McCain, (and other neo-con republicans) do in the face of Obama’s request for more troops? 

I suspect they will find political cover under the skirt of conservative columnist, George F. Will.  The right-wing columnist recently revised his “cut and run” approach, (where he bludgeoned democrats mercyless over their objections to the War in Iraq, calling them cowards).   He now wants President Obama to adopt his new and revised cut and run method.  Cut and run?  Wasn’t that the slogan that got Bush (43) reelected in 2004?   How bout that for hypocrisy?   By the way, this writer believes the Iraq War was ill-advised and presented under false pretense from the get-go.  It seems to me that we should have learned from the histories of the French, the Turks, the British, and the Russians with respect to Afghanistan.  Consider an excerpt of the immortal words of Rudyard Kipling, Young British Soldier.

“When you’re wounded and left on Afghanistan’s plains, And the women come out to cut up  what remains, jest roll to your rifle and blow out your brains, An’ go to your Gawd like a soldier. Go; go, go like a soldier.  Go; go, go like a soldier.  Go; go, go like a soldier, Soldier of the Queen!”   -R. Kipling.

But alas, it seems that what we learn from history is: “We don’t learn.” 

What I find interesting about the political hypocrisy of democrats and republicans in this particular case is this.  On the one hand, the republicans did paint the democrats as cut and run, unpatriotic cowards.  They called them every name in the book when they opposed Bush (43) over the War in Iraq.  But when the worm turns and the war goes south, the republicans in congress and George Will insist that President Obama adopt his cut and run approach.  What a set up!

 But perhaps the worst of the worse is this.  Neither the democrats in power, nor the republicans desiring power, have sympathy or compassion toward the families of the soldiers and Marines lost in combat.  They don’t give a rat’s shit about the suffering mothers and fathers.  Someone said that we could retire war from the lexicon of American history if we drafted all military age children and grandchildren of the Congress and the President’s Cabinet to serve in the most dangerous, front line positions. Bingo!

Will President Obama asks for additional troops?  I don’t know.  But I suggest he watch his “back-six”  because this current crop of politicians are known for eating their own kind, and then vomiting them up on K-Street in Washington, DC.  

* Rare AP Photo Captures Deadly Attack on U.S. Marine in Afghanistan — Pentagon Protests.   http://nbm.typepad.com/.a/6a00d83451b8c069e20120a54909c7970b-400wi