Time will tell...

[kentuck]

Whether or not the President's decision to escalate the troops in Afghanistan was a mistake or not? Most folks are simply expressing their set biases, in regards to war in general. The truth is, no one knows how this is going to turn out. We hope, for the best.

But war is a defining and divisive issue. The more people that die, the more divisive it becomes. Our country and our Party has always been divided by war. It is an irrational act at its core.

The President has taken a gamble. He understands that the ongoing war in Iraq and Afghanistan was instrumental in George W Bush winning in 2004. That campaign was about war and terror and 9/11 and the "war on terror". It worked to George W Bush's advantage. However, Barack Obama cannot depend on the same support to work for him.

All of us are biased in our opinion about war. We tend to automatically oppose or support, depending on our politial bias, much of it affected by our political affiliation. Most liberal Democrats tend to be "anti-war". Most conservative Republicans tend to be "pro-war". That is just the reality within American politics. And that is where most of our opinions are coming from...

[NYC_SKP]

1. Thank you for posting more than a simplistic or clever epithet filled OP.

The noise around here lately, and the absence of substance, has been disturbing.

K and R.

:donut:

[optimator]

2. as if there is something wrong with those who have beliefs

I reject that premise completely.
The objections to this war have been based in the failure to PROVE the necessity and national security claims, and not based in the condescending assumption of being "anti-war" biased.
War is to be of the ABSOLUTE LAST RESORT FOR DEFENSE, and nobody has proven that this war meets that criteria.

[theophilus]

3. "Time will tell" implies patience. That is a good thing, imo.

I hope more will show signs of patience and thoughtfulness.

[Echo In Light]

5. Patience is unacceptable re the loss of human life w/the aid of our tax $

[SammyWinstonJack]

10. No doubt.

:thumbsup:

[Johonny]

4. not to disagree but hasn't time already told?

Most people are not liking the war here are doing out of rational thought. This isn't the beginning of the war. There's a lot of evidence out there about how this war is going and how it is very likely to continue going. If the low probability event happens and Obama finds success of some kind in Afghanistan then no doubt he will receive the credit. But there is no reason for me to pretend that there isn't enough "time" to evaluate high likely positive out comes are. There's been a lot of time already.

[kentuck]

7. Time has told us...

that the previous Administration diverted our country and invaded Iraq. The Taliban is now in control of much of Afghanistan. Many of them moved into Pakistan. The situation has changed. Whether or not we can do anything about the present situation remains to be seen. Many of us are skeptical. We do not see the necessity of this war. It is part of our bias. We are part of the "anti-war" base of the Democratic Party. We need to see more. Our biases do play a part in our opinions, in my opinion.

[JonQ]

6. I wish I could have been around

for other large wars in our history that have now been deemed "worth the sacrifice", the world wars, civil war, korea, etc. I wonder what popular sentiment was like then, compared with the consensus decided afterward. I imagine the final conclusion whether a war was worth it, determined years after the event, is very different from the opinions of those living through it.

[Ron Green]

8. It's fear vs. love.

War, control of others, rampant consumerism, destruction of the environment - it's all fear-based, and what runs the Republican party (and too much of the Democratic one.)

Making love, that is, forgiving our "enemies" and taking the risk of looking weak as we spread accord around the world, is just too much to ask of a politician.

[get the red out]

9. Agree

Thank you for rationality. We need more of it and less rage.