President Donald Trump speaks to members of the National Security Council at the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., July 20, 2017 (DOD/U.S. Army Sgt. Amber I. Smith)
Fabius Maximus: Our generals reveal why we lost in Afghanistan, and will continue to lose
Summary: Afghanistan was invisible during the campaign, but has surfaced again in the news. This time, so rare in modern America, we hear some truth about the war from our generals. They reveal why we have lost so much for so little gain, and why we continue paying in blood and money to get nothing. All that remains is for us to listen — and act.
Trump is a clown president, but he fills one role of a court jester: he says truths that are unspeakable in the Capital. As he did on a July 19 meeting in the White House with his military advisers (per NBC News).
“We aren’t winning. We are losing.“
That is refreshing honesty after 15 years and ten months of happy talk from both civilian and government officials. Our military leaders did not respond well to this obvious truth, as awareness of the failure of their past plans implies skepticism about their shiny new plans. Their response to Trump’s words reveals much about why the war in Afghanistan has run for so long, at such great cost, for no gain to America. It deserves your attention.
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WNU Editor: My must read post for today.
THE TRUMP DOCTRINE: let the generals handle it
ReplyDeleteand so.....??
I posted This NYMag article in June. My perception at the time was that Trump was very clear in separating operational plans, and a strategic plan for success. I have posted more than enough stories that he does not want to be involved in making operational decisions, but he does want to be in the loop. The dropping of a massive ordinance bomb in Afghanistan a few months ago is one story where I do recall that the White House did not tell the Pentagon to use the bomb, but they were upset that they were not in the loop (i.e. notified) when the decision was made that it was going to be used. As to strategic plans .... no question about that .... Trump has made it very clear that he wants to be in the loop, and the final decision is his.
ReplyDeleteSorry, wnu..but this guy confuses massive weapons procurement programs and administrative decisions with what generals do. Extremely amateurish. How's that a must read?
ReplyDeleteHe's right about one thing though. ..trump is refreshingly good at identifying and talking about inconvenient truths. But we all knew that.