President Obama (our oh-so-glorious leader) recently had some issues with General Stanley McCrystal, the coalition commander in Afghanistan, and McCrystal was forced (for lack of a better word) to step down- or resign- as the theater commander. Now it seems General David Petraeus- the CENTCOM Commander- is being brought in to take the place of Gen McCrystal. Obama still claims a US Troop draw down by June '11 and this I believe is a mistake. Now, to get my cards on the table, I've never been to the US Military War College (like Generals Petraeus and McCrystal), I've never led troops in combat, and I've never studied Counter-Insurgency Tactics (COIN) in that great of extent, but in my experience as a US Army Intelligence professional, I do feel that I have a bit more ground to speak from than a man who ran for the office of the President after less than 2 years in the Senate, no military service to show for, and no real experience in studying our enemies, our enemy's Tactics and procedures. Having spent 12 months in Afghanistan, and seeing first hand what the hell is actually going on there- and having been subject to the Rules of Engagement (R.O.E.), I do know that the way things are going currently, a draw down by an means this time next year is a bad idea, and frankly, it's quite foolish. Now, with the way the situation is going, with 85 Coalition casualties this month so far, and several sectors of the country still controlled by the Taliban, I feel that there would have to be some very serious steps in the right direction very soon, and very swiftly in order for Obama to get his wishes.
One of the prime reasons McCrystal got in trouble for his criticism of his superiors was because they weren't giving him what he needed to win the war, they were not letting him lead the way he wanted, and they were partially tying his hands in terms of what policies and strategies he wanted to implement but couldn't. Personally, and with all due respect to our duly (sort or) elected leaders, these bureaucrats in D.C. don't know fuck all about fighting, much less winning a war. I'm also very insulted by people referring to Operation Enduring Freedom (IE: The War in Afghanistan) as "Obama's War." Really? So he was in office on Tuesday, September 11, 2001? He was the one that ordered TF Dagger, TF Ranger, and Tier1 into Afghanistan to make contact with the Northern Alliance and hunt down Bin Laden? I didn't think so. This is/was/and will be Bush's war, give the man some credit. Obama just wants to be known as the president who brought the troops home in Iraq and Afghanistan. While Iraq is much more stable than it was years ago, Afghanistan still has a long way to go, and 2011 is a little too soon to pass the buck over to the ANA and ANP (Afghan National Army and Afghan National Police, respectively).
So in conclusion, let the officers and NCOs on the ground, the ones who get the knowledge at face value, in full, without any delusion by advisors, aides, and directors, fight the war the way they need to. Allow Gen Petraeus to modify the ROE as he sees necessary, make the decisions he needs, and for crying out loud, GIVE HIM THE FUCKING RESOURCES he asks for, unlike his predecessor (McCrystal asked for 65,000 troops, Obama pledged 30,000). There is no way Washington can win a war being a bunch of armchair generals who have 2nd, 3rd or even 4th hand word from the field. Give the power to the commanders on the ground, let them fight without all the stupid red tape and bureaucratic nonsense, and perhaps, just perhaps, we'll win sometime before I have to worry about my children having to go fight the same damn war I did.
That's my opinion, and now you can consider yourselves enlightened.
Saturday, June 26, 2010
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Awesome Email
The following came to me in an Email from a friend who obviously thinks on the same wavelength as me:
This is very interesting and if Arizona can do it, why can't the rest of America ?MEXICO IS ANGRY !The shoe is on the other foot and the Mexicans from the State of Sonora, Mexico do not like it. The State of Sonora is angry at the influx of Mexicans into Mexico . Nine state legislators from the Mexican State of Sonora traveled to Tucson to complain about Arizona's new employer crackdown on illegal's from Mexico. It seems that many Mexican illegal's are returning to their hometowns and the officials in the Sonora state government are ticked off.A delegation of nine state legislators from Sonora was in Tucson on Tuesday to state that Arizona 's new Employer Sanctions Law will have a devastating effect on the Mexican state. At a news conference, the legislators said that Sonora, - Arizona's southern neighbor, -made up of mostly small towns, - cannot handle the demand for housing, jobs and schools that it will face as Mexican workers return to their hometowns from the USA without jobs or money. The Arizona law, which took effect Jan. 1, punishes Arizona employers who knowingly hire individuals without valid legal documents to work in the United States. Penalties include suspension of, or loss of, their business license. The Mexican legislators are angry because their own citizens are returning to their hometowns, placing a burden on THEIR state government. 'How can Arizona pass a law like this?' asked Mexican Rep Leticia Amparano-Gamez, who represents Nogales .'There is not one person living in Sonora who does not have a friend or relative working in Arizona ,' she said, speaking in Spanish. 'Mexico is not prepared for this, for the tremendous problems it will face as more and more Mexicans working in Arizona and who were sending money to their families return to their home-towns in Sonora without jobs,' she said. 'We are one family, socially and economically,' she said of the people of Sonora and Arizona.Wrong! The United States is a sovereign nation, not a subsidiary of Mexico, and its taxpayers are not responsible for the welfare of Mexico's citizens. It's time for the Mexican government, and its citizens, to stop feeding parasitically off the United States and to start taking care of its/their own needs.
This is very interesting and if Arizona can do it, why can't the rest of America ?MEXICO IS ANGRY !The shoe is on the other foot and the Mexicans from the State of Sonora, Mexico do not like it. The State of Sonora is angry at the influx of Mexicans into Mexico . Nine state legislators from the Mexican State of Sonora traveled to Tucson to complain about Arizona's new employer crackdown on illegal's from Mexico. It seems that many Mexican illegal's are returning to their hometowns and the officials in the Sonora state government are ticked off.A delegation of nine state legislators from Sonora was in Tucson on Tuesday to state that Arizona 's new Employer Sanctions Law will have a devastating effect on the Mexican state. At a news conference, the legislators said that Sonora, - Arizona's southern neighbor, -made up of mostly small towns, - cannot handle the demand for housing, jobs and schools that it will face as Mexican workers return to their hometowns from the USA without jobs or money. The Arizona law, which took effect Jan. 1, punishes Arizona employers who knowingly hire individuals without valid legal documents to work in the United States. Penalties include suspension of, or loss of, their business license. The Mexican legislators are angry because their own citizens are returning to their hometowns, placing a burden on THEIR state government. 'How can Arizona pass a law like this?' asked Mexican Rep Leticia Amparano-Gamez, who represents Nogales .'There is not one person living in Sonora who does not have a friend or relative working in Arizona ,' she said, speaking in Spanish. 'Mexico is not prepared for this, for the tremendous problems it will face as more and more Mexicans working in Arizona and who were sending money to their families return to their home-towns in Sonora without jobs,' she said. 'We are one family, socially and economically,' she said of the people of Sonora and Arizona.Wrong! The United States is a sovereign nation, not a subsidiary of Mexico, and its taxpayers are not responsible for the welfare of Mexico's citizens. It's time for the Mexican government, and its citizens, to stop feeding parasitically off the United States and to start taking care of its/their own needs.
Too bad that other states within the USA don't pass a law just like that passed by Arizona. Maybe that's the answer, since our own Congress will do nothing!New Immigration Laws: Read to the bottom or you will miss the message...
1. There will be no special bilingual programs in the schools.
* * * * * * * *
2. All ballots will be in this nation's language.
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3.. All government business will be conducted in our language.
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4. Non-residents will NOT have the right to vote no matter how long they are here.
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5. Non-citizens will NEVER be able to hold political office
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6 Foreigners will not be a burden to the taxpayers. No welfare, no food stamps, no health care, or other government assistance programs. Any burden will be deported.
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7. Foreigners can invest in this country, but it must be an amount at least equal to 40,000 times the daily minimum wage.
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8. If foreigners come here and buy land... options will be restricted.Certain parcels including waterfront property are reserved for citizens naturally born into this country.
* * * * * * * *
9. Foreigners may have no protests; no demonstrations, no waving of a foreign flag, no political organizing, no bad-mouthing our president or his policies. These will lead to deportation.
* * * * * * * *
10. If you do come to this country illegally, you will be actively hunted &, when caught, sent to jail until your deportation can be arranged. All assets will be taken from you.
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Too strict ?The above laws are current immigration laws of MEXICO !These sound fine to me.NOW, how can we get these laws to be America's Immigration Laws?
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