The American Spectator

Tim| 10.13.09 @ 12:29PM

Afghanistan needs our help, this is not debated. However, Afghanistan does not actually want our help and thereby arise all our problems.

Or , to put it another way: Will Afghanistan be fielding a 2012 Olympic team or will we just pay Americans to compete for them?

S.L. Toddard| 10.13.09 @ 3:01PM

Conservatives need to make the rest of the Right aware of the fact that a state of perpetual, never-ending war is *incompatible* with constitutional government. William F. Buckley recognized this, when he pushed the Right to abandon small government principles to fight the Cold War, saying: "we have got to accept Big Government for the duration–for neither an offensive nor a defensive war can be waged... except through the instrumentality of a totalitarian bureaucracy within our shores".

It is entirely inconsistent to claim to advocate for small government while insisting that this same government rule over and police the entire world. That Bacevich piece is excellent and should be read by any conservative who cherishes republican virtues.

P.S.

I think framing it as a "Hawk or Dove moment" is misleading. GOPers here will likely misconstrue that to mean "Tough Guy Patriot or Hippie Pacifist," when in reality the choice is between National Security State in Perpetual War or a Constitutional Republic - the two are categorically mutually exclusive.

Ken (Old Texican| 10.13.09 @ 3:02PM

Screw Hawk vs. Dove.

The only question is whether we want to keep the jihadists on their heels in Iraq and Afghanistan, or on their toes here in New York City and Houston.

S.L. Toddard| 10.13.09 @ 3:21PM

If what you're worried about is jihadis coming to America, then the problem is one of immigration policy, and one that nation-building in the Middle East (obviously) won't solve.

Tim| 10.13.09 @ 4:13PM

Trouble is, they walk right in no matter what is going on in Afghanistan. We should invade Pakistan next, then Saudi Arabia and then those Yemeni fookers, and then...