dagblog - Comments for "Andrew Bacevich, What Matters and What Doesn't"

"The fault belongs to those

A Guy Called LULU — Thu, 07 Feb 2019 19:21:44 +0000

In reply to After 30 "Trump"s in his " I

"The fault belongs to those who have allowed their immersion in the dank precincts of TrumpWorld to preclude serious reexamination of misguided and reckless policies that predate the president by at least 15 years."

Bacevich does not mention, in that statement, the protesters who were right but lost their cause, presumably because that was not his point. He was going in the other direction, laying blame where he thinks it belongs.

The fault for the disastrous wars can be laid at the doorstep of the Republican Party and it's supporters. The word "Republican" does not appear once in Bacevich's piece.

Unfortunately, the "supporters" which you allude to have included many Democrats when the subject was war.

When you were checking for the word count of "Republican" did you count the times he said "Democrat"? Not sure what point you are trying to make but I just skimmed the article anyway and I did not see a time but I sure might have missed some. Do you think Bacevich was unfairly hard on Democrats [which I don't think he mentioned as such] for their part of the last twenty years and his failure to mention failed peace marches is evidence of that?

I followed your link and if it went to where you intended then it was pointless regarding the subject presented.

Anyone looking for an

artappraiser — Wed, 06 Feb 2019 22:00:28 +0000

In reply to Andrew Bacevich, What Matters and What Doesn't

Anyone looking for an alternative to opining, here's some facts:

Can Congress constitutionally require the president to keep troops overseas? Prof. Ashley Deeks has answers in @lawfareblog. https://t.co/UCPFxDbx94
— UVA Law School (@UVALaw) February 6, 2019

They do humor his whims,

artappraiser — Tue, 05 Feb 2019 20:58:21 +0000

In reply to Mr. Bacevich should be aware

They do tend to humor some of his whims, though:

The Pentagon is sending 3,750 U.S. forces to the southwest border with Mexico for three months to provide additional support to border agents, the Department of Defense said on Sunday. https://t.co/6lA9uHAanO
— HuffPost Politics (@HuffPostPol) February 4, 2019

Wondering if like, Puerto Rico, could use some of that transported manpower funded by taxpayers. Also got me wondering if he's already spent near the cost of his damn wall on these razor-wire kabuki shows.

Mr. Bacevich should be aware

artappraiser — Tue, 05 Feb 2019 20:51:20 +0000

In reply to Andrew Bacevich, What Matters and What Doesn't

Mr. Bacevich should be aware that some people might pay attention to "Trump news" because: Trump either lies about what his Defense Dept. is saying and doing, or more likely, he may not even know what they are saying and doing:

ISIS may regain territory lost in Syria within six to 12 months, Defense Department report said.https://t.co/wJUofbirqr
— ConnectingVets (@ConnectingVets) February 4, 2019

After 30 "Trump"s in his " I

NCD — Tue, 05 Feb 2019 19:49:54 +0000

In reply to Andrew Bacevich, What Matters and What Doesn't

After 30 "Trump"s in his " I just realized GWB awesome adventures in Afghanistan and Iraq were a waste" screed, Bacevich doesn't conclude the millions of lefty, Democrat, anti-war protestors in the streets in early 2003 were right, he concludes =

"The fault belongs to those who have allowed their immersion in the dank precincts of TrumpWorld to preclude serious reexamination of misguided and reckless policies that predate the president by at least 15 years."

No.

The fault for the disastrous wars can be laid at the doorstep of the Republican Party and it's supporters. The word "Republican" does not appear once in Bacevich's piece. Supporters of the GOP?... How about "The Collapsed Dream Palaces of Bush Haters" David Brooks, April 23, 2003. link. Brooks. Who is still and forever all over TeeVee.....and who is paid a king's ransom for 2 columns a week at the NYT.

Symptom of the fact:

"The media corporations which will grant priceless air time and column inches to virtually any talentless clown who will help advance their bold agenda of not paying taxes by poisoning healthy public discourse with Both Siderist bullshit. " link. Which would include Bacevich.

Also, I note now before

artappraiser — Tue, 05 Feb 2019 17:48:25 +0000

In reply to The NYTimes had this

Also, I note now before closing the window on the page for O'Hanlon's guest op-ed, the Times has this at the end:

Related

For another view on America’s longest war.

Opinion | Robert D. Kaplan

Time to Get Out of Afghanistan

Jan. 1, 2019

So when Bacevich implies here as if they are warmongering at exactly the wrong time

As a case in point, consider the op-ed that recently appeared in the New York Times (just as actual peace talks between the U.S. and the Taliban seemed to be progressing), making the case for prolonging the U.S. war in Afghanistan, while chiding President Trump for considering a reduction in the number of U.S. troops currently stationed there. Any such move, warned Michael O’Hanlon of the Brookings Institution, would be a “mistake” of the first order.

He is incorrect to make that leap.

The NYTimes had this

artappraiser — Tue, 05 Feb 2019 17:35:43 +0000

In reply to Andrew Bacevich, What Matters and What Doesn't

The NYTimes had this Editorial at the top of their home page just the other day

End the War in Afghanistan

It is time to bring American soldiers back home.

Mr. Bacevich wonders what caused them to publish O'Hanlon's piece. I suspect that's probably because they are committed to offering a variety of opinion including those opinions with which they disagree. Unlike Tom's Dispatch, which is in my experience, is committed to selling one P.O.V. for many years.

Wow, I'd say what happens in

PeraclesPlease — Tue, 05 Feb 2019 17:11:11 +0000

In reply to Andrew Bacevich, What Matters and What Doesn't

Wow, I'd say what happens in Afghanistan barely matters.