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...
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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...