Bravery

It is not especially brave for a military commander to keep ordering his troops (read cannon fodder) to charge up hamburger hill. Unless of course he is personally on the ground, and he leads the attack each time. Usually he is a long distance from the danger and is following some pseudo intellectual geopolitical strategy.

It is clear that we will not stay at war in Afghanistan/Pakistan for another 10 to 20 years. These areas which are so valiantly fought for by the brave men and women actually there on the ground, will be given up. It makes most of these deaths seem hideously futile. Like in Vietnam. The whole Vietnam war was one giant error. America took over a war that other large powers had previously failed at. Just like in Afghanistan.

The military generals always call for more troops and equipment. Always. They sit in their comfortable offices a long way from the front, and they advise the president to be brave and stay the course.

This is why we have a civilian as commander in chief. It takes someone with real strength of character to stand up and explain that this senseless waste of human life and resources has to stop. President Obama needs to significantly reduce the troop levels (and civilian contract workers) in Afghanistan-Pakistan, not continue adding to the current course of insanity.

LINK: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/11/11/AR2009111118432.html?hpid=topnews
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