RW patriots urgently needed for the escalation!

[XOKCowboy]

Glenn Greenwald has a great blog entry today. The "surge experts" are saying they'll need 30,000 troops and 18 months (impeccable timing eh?) for it to be successful. Greenwald calls out the 101st Fighting Keyboardists!

ATTENTION: War supporters - Your Country Needs You!

One of the two principal architects of the "surge" strategy about to be adopted by the President is Frederick Kagan of the American Enterprise Institute. He recently appeared at an AEI event with the other surge architect, Ret. Gen. Jack Keane (along with surge advocates Sens. McCain and Lieberman), to detail and defend his plan. Kagan thereafter issued an "Executive Summary" to accompany a report detailing what the "surge" plan requires in order to succeed (h/t Chasm).

Kagan makes it absolutely clear that an increase in the number of available troops and American military volunteers is critical to the success of the surge specifically, and for "victory" in the war in Iraq generally, and he therefore emphasizes how urgent it is for more Americans to enlist in the military if we are to Win:

Victory in Iraq is still possible at an acceptable level of effort. We must adopt a new approach to the war and implement it quickly and decisively. . . . This approach requires a national commitment to victory in Iraq:

The president must request a substantial increase in ground forces end strength. This increase is vital to sustaining the morale of the combat forces by ensuring that relief is on the way. The president must issue a personal call for young Americans to volunteer to fight in the decisive conflict of this generation.

http://glenngreenwald.blogspot.com/2007/01/attention-war-supporters-your-country.html

Oh and how about their call for Bush to urge more volunteers to fight this most decisive conflict of this generation. That'll be a riot when you consider his record and that NONE of the Bush kids are fighting. That's includes all of the Bush kids not just Jenna and Babs. Do you think anyone will see the hypocrisy when he does that? I can't wait.

[Lex]

1. I'm looking for a successful military recruitment drive at Freeper-land.

Surely they are going to help Bush in this regard and sign right up!

[XOKCowboy]

3. If Fearless Leader calls I'm sure that the Freeps will...

come up with some doozies of excuses about why they support the war but.......

I liked the quote in the article that said that you can tell if what you want to fight for is justified by overwhelming support and high volunteerism, neither of which are evident in Bush's little ego trip gone bad.

[BlooInBloo]

2. Easier to deal with the numbers when you normalize to Friedman Units....

18 months = 3 F.U.s

[whistle]

4. Surge, smurge....the term is escalation...troop escalation

[XOKCowboy]

8. I know I'm sorry...

It's escalation, The McCain/Leiberman Doctrine, Vietnam all over again. I got lazy and used their term. Won't happen again.

[XOKCowboy]

9. OK is that better?

I edited the title just for you.

[whistle]

17. Thank you, I am proud of you...please remember....

...this what Bush is proposing in no way represents a surge, it is an escalation....a troop escalation, the language needs to be made clear, especially by those who know the difference. The Bushites and Rovekovians want us to now understand and be confused so they can get away with their crimes. As reference for all DU to see, I am posting below web definitions which point out the differences and distinctions between the two terms:

Definitions of surge on the Web:

billow: rise and move, as in waves or billows; "The army surged forward"

soar: rise rapidly; "the dollar soared against the yen"

rush: a sudden forceful flow

tide: rise or move forward; "surging waves"
a sudden or abrupt strong increase; "stimulated a surge of speculation"; "an upsurge of emotion"; "an upsurge in violent crime"

scend: rise or heave upward under the influence of a natural force such as a wave; "the boats surged"

billow: a large sea wave

1. See storm surge. 2. See surge current. 3. See surge line. 4. In hydrology, a sudden change in discharge resulting from the opening or closing of a gate that controls the flow in a channel, or by the sudden introduction of additional water into the channel. 5. The fore and aft movement of the center of gravity of a ship. See heave, sway, ship motion. 6. Water transported up a beach by breaking waves.

Definitions of escalation on the Web:

Escalation is the phenomenon of something getting worse step by step, for example a quarrel, or, notably, military presence and nuclear armament during the Cold War. (Compare to escalator, a device that lifts something to a higher level.)
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Escalation

The right reserved by the lender to increase the amount of the payments and/or interest upon the happening of a certain event.
www.sanderco.com/Glossary%20Pages/E.htm

The right of a lender to increase the rate of interest in a loan agreement.
www.trustors.com/Glossary/finance_glos.htm

an increase to counteract a perceived discrepancy; "higher wages caused an escalation of prices"; "there was a gradual escalation of hostilities"
wordnet.princeton.edu/perl/webwn

[walldude]

5. Wow great post bro.. K&R. I clipped this from one of the links:

This is the plan for Iraq laid out:

"We must act now to restore security and stability to Baghdad. We and the enemy have identified it as the decisive point.

There is a way to do this.

* We must balance our focus on training Iraqi soldiers with a determined effort to secure the Iraqi population and contain the rising violence. Securing the population has never been the primary mission of the U.S. military effort in Iraq, and now it must become the first priority.
* We must send more American combat forces into Iraq and especially into Baghdad to support this operation. A surge of seven Army brigades and Marine regiments to support clear-and-hold operations that begin in the spring of 2007 is necessary, possible, and will be sufficient to improve security and set conditions for economic development, political development, reconciliation, and the development of Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) to provide permanent security.
* American forces, partnered with Iraqi units, will clear high-violence Sunni and mixed Sunni-Shia neighborhoods, primarily on the west side of the city.
* After those neighborhoods are cleared, U.S. soldiers and Marines, again partnered with Iraqis, will remain behind to maintain security, reconstitute police forces, and integrate police and Iraqi Army efforts to maintain the population’s security.
* As security is established, reconstruction aid will help to reestablish normal life, bolster employment, and, working through Iraqi officials, strengthen Iraqi local government.
* Securing the population strengthens the ability of Iraq’s central government to exercise its sovereign powers.

This approach requires a national commitment to victory in Iraq:

* The ground forces must accept longer tours for several years. National Guard units will have to accept increased deployments during this period.
* Equipment shortages must be overcome by transferring equipment from non-deploying active-duty, National Guard, and reserve units to those about to deploy. Military industry must be mobilized to provide replacement equipment sets urgently.
* The president must request a dramatic increase in reconstruction aid for Iraq. Responsibility and accountability for reconstruction must be assigned to established agencies. The president must insist upon the completion of reconstruction projects. The president should also request a dramatic increase in Commander’s Emergency Response Program (CERP) funds.
* The president must request a substantial increase in ground forces end strength. This increase is vital to sustaining the morale of the combat forces by ensuring that relief is on the way. The president must issue a personal call for young Americans to volunteer to fight in the decisive conflict of this generation.
* The president and his representatives in Iraq must forge unity of effort with the Iraqi government.

Other courses of action have been proposed. All will fail.

* Withdraw immediately. This approach will lead to immediate defeat. The Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) are entirely dependent upon American support to survive and function. If U.S. forces withdraw now, the Iraqi forces will collapse. Iraq will descend into total civil war that will rapidly spread throughout the Middle East.
* Engage Iraq’s neighbors. This approach will fail. The basic causes of violence and sources of manpower and resources for the warring sides come from within Iraq. Iraq’s neighbors are encouraging the violence, but they cannot stop it.
* Increase embedded trainers dramatically. This approach cannot succeed rapidly enough to prevent defeat. Removing U.S. forces from patrolling neighborhoods to embed them as trainers will lead to an immediate rise in violence. This rise in violence will destroy America’s remaining will to fight and escalate the cycle of sectarian violence in Iraq beyond anything an Iraqi army could bring under control.

Failure in Iraq today will require far greater sacrifices tomorrow in far more desperate circumstances.

I may have to give this document it's own thread...

[XOKCowboy]

7. I've been reading Greenwald for a couple of weeks

He's got some great stuff. Check out his rant on how the RW Blogs are never held accountable. I was reminded of that banner you once saw on Drudge about him being right 37% of the time! :)

[Cleita]

6. Let's see, among the Bush family there seems to be besides

the twins many cousins of military age. I think we should start with them.

[XOKCowboy]

10. Especially Jebbie's oldest..

31 yrs old. Being touted as the Bush that can reclaim the dynasty. I think of JFK. When he was needed he enlisted but that's not the Bush's way. War is for those who have no other options.

Oh and who was that snot nosed son of that snot nosed Neil Bush who was whining about how the press was treating Uncle George? Oh yeah Pierce Bush. Now there's prime fighting material. Wonkette has a couple of interesting things about him...

http://www.wonkette.com/politics/scandal/douchebag-of-the-day-pierce-bush-160204.php

and of course his Facebook page.

http://www.wonkette.com/politics/top/pierce-bush-and-facebook-need-we-say-more-182289.php

[Lex]

11. 'Pierce Bush' is his name? For real?

Kind of like 'Magic Johnson.'

What a name.

[XOKCowboy]

12. He's the little punk that put on his little suit and went on the "morning news" shows

when Uncle George wanted to sell the ports to the UAE. He was upset that his uncle wasn't being treated fairly by the press. Poor baby. Katie Couric had him on Today and fawned all over him while he was spreading family propoganda. It was sickening. Nice to see his FaceBook page so we can all see he's following in his Uncle George's foot steps. :)

[Initech]

13. Someone should go post enlistment forms on Free Republic

and see what kind of reaction it gets!

[Kelly Rupert]

14. You've obviously not spent much time there.

The general reaction will be either "I am/was a soldier, and I'm serving/I've served with honor" (perhaps true, perhaps not) or silence.

[Initech]

15. Yeah, I wonder what percentage are telling the truth...

[Kelly Rupert]

16. Probably about the same percentage that bathed today. n/t

[Lex]

18. Ha!

Wasn't that freeper who was arrested for sending white powder to Olbermann an unemployed 45 year old living in his mother's basement?

That's always been the way I have most of freerepublic-ville pegged anyway.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

19. 37% of the country support Bush so line them up for Iraq

37% is a little more than 20,000. Can you see the boat loads of Bush supporters heading out to the Gulf?

[Diane R]

20. I want all those young Republican staffers on Capitol Hill to go.

[jazzjunkysue]

21. Right. Let him have his escallation as long as he has volunteers

to go die in the desert for low oil prices.

[Bjorn Against]

22. And I am sure Kagan will be the first to enlist...

After all there is absolutely no way he could be a hypocrite is there?

[XOKCowboy]

23. Have you seen this guy??

I wonder how he'd hold up on the streets of Baghdad right now? Hold your nose and read his bio here.

http://rightweb.irc-online.org/profile/1240

[Bjorn Against]

24. Yep, I think he needs to go to Iraq

These people want us to go fight their dirty wars, I say they are chickenhawks. They have no problem sending others to die, but they certainly aren't enlisting.