Dexter Filkins assesses the chance for “victory” in Afghanistan:
The Iraq analogy is useful again. There the military hung in, and got it right, and also got lucky. In some ways, really, they got a miracle. But strategies and policies generally do not deliver miracles. Can we expect a miracle in Afghanistan? Of course not. But it may take a miracle for us, and Afghanistan, to win.
So, it will take a miracle to win, where “win” is defined as “Iraq”. Awesome.
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March 1, 2010 at 5:53 pm
Part of the problem is that conservatives will only support a war insofar as it means they can drop bombs on foreigners, and liberals will only support a war insofar as it means they can paint some preschools and hold some elections.
It’s hard to win those hearts and minds when your foreign policy basically boils down to a half-trillion-dollar projection of your own bipolar disorder.
March 1, 2010 at 6:47 pm
And others who will only support a war when 1.) There are actually two sides “fighting,” as in an actual “war,” as opposed to one side unilaterally KILLING and the other side reacting reflexively, and 2.) There are actually any possibly even marginally clear-cut goals AT ALL to the carnage, other than political campaign speeches.
Other than that, I’m down with killing people every day – preferably suddenly and anonymously for whatever reason I/we happen to pull out of my/our ass.
And if their sorry ass survivors can’t take a joke, well here’s what I’ve got to say to them:
March 2, 2010 at 7:05 am
words to live ny. I know I do.
March 2, 2010 at 7:07 am
Yes, “words to live New York”! Goddamn it.
And “by”.
March 1, 2010 at 6:03 pm
War? You mean mean fighting a war? In Afghanistan? Don’t be silly.
March 1, 2010 at 7:32 pm
“So, it will take a miracle to win, where “win” is defined as “Iraq”. Awesome.”
The things we learn from the internet.
March 1, 2010 at 7:58 pm
Look, America is new at this whole taking over entire countries preemptively thing. Of course we’re gonna get the first one wrong. It’s like the oldest child. Everyone fucks it up a little. That’s why we chose such a poor backwards country to begin with. I mean, we could hardly make that place any worse! I be the soviets were a lot meaner, too.
March 5, 2010 at 9:41 am
[...] a comment » The Editors nails it, and helps us to understand “why we [...]