Comments on: In Focus: Has the Surge Failed? http://pjmedia.com/blog/in_focus_has_the_surge_failed/ Wed, 15 Feb 2012 18:15:55 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: JM Hanes http://pjmedia.com/blog/in_focus_has_the_surge_failed/#comment-23783 JM Hanes Mon, 25 Feb 2008 23:55:37 +0000 http://dev.pajamasmedia.com/blog/in-focus-has-the-surge-failed/#comment-23783 The only one defining victory downward here is Kinsley. The only one defining victory downward here is Kinsley.

]]> By: WR Jonas http://pjmedia.com/blog/in_focus_has_the_surge_failed/#comment-23782 WR Jonas Mon, 25 Feb 2008 02:46:33 +0000 http://dev.pajamasmedia.com/blog/in-focus-has-the-surge-failed/#comment-23782 I do not read the Post so I don't know if Mr.Kinsley made this judgment based on a visit to Iraq. Or whether he made the decision based entirely on political factors. It seems that his desk in Washington was the focal point for gathering Intelligence, fact and current assessments. Then with all of the critical information in place ( a scribbled line in the margin of his legal pad), he renders a totally pointless opinion based on a couple of useless illustrations . Its amazing to think people get paid for this crap. I do not read the Post so I don’t know if Mr.Kinsley made this judgment based on a visit to Iraq. Or whether he made the decision based entirely on political factors.
It seems that his desk in Washington was the focal point for gathering Intelligence, fact and current assessments. Then with all of the critical information in place ( a scribbled line in the margin of his legal pad), he renders a totally pointless opinion based on a couple of useless illustrations .
Its amazing to think people get paid for this crap.

]]> By: MarkD http://pjmedia.com/blog/in_focus_has_the_surge_failed/#comment-23781 MarkD Sun, 24 Feb 2008 18:16:48 +0000 http://dev.pajamasmedia.com/blog/in-focus-has-the-surge-failed/#comment-23781 Kinsley will next cite crime statistics in Detroit, Philadelphia, and Washington DC to prove the Civil War was lost. Kinsley will next cite crime statistics in Detroit, Philadelphia, and Washington DC to prove the Civil War was lost.

]]> By: Lee Salter http://pjmedia.com/blog/in_focus_has_the_surge_failed/#comment-23780 Lee Salter Sun, 24 Feb 2008 16:50:25 +0000 http://dev.pajamasmedia.com/blog/in-focus-has-the-surge-failed/#comment-23780 Any sober-minded person realises that wars are not as simply as to dichotomise as "the surged has worked/not worked". Just a little knowledge about the strategy in Iraq would move focus away from "The Surge". The facts of the situation are: 1. A surge took place 2. A massive anti-al Qaeda Sunni alliance has turned Sunni attention away from the US 3. Shia militia are under a ceasefire. Whilst the surge may have increased security in some areas it is quite clear from most observers that the Sunni alliance and the Shia ceasefire are the main initiatives. To put a spanner in the works of those who think that the Democrats simply want to give up, I'm afraid the bad news is that the Bush strategy has been similar - to arm and support former Baathists and other arab nationalists and Islamists! To allow them to run Sunni areas and to leave the Shia alone to run their areas. THESE strategies are the real reason for a decline in violence, but as outcomes, they are a long way from what Bush et al wanted!! Any sober-minded person realises that wars are not as simply as to dichotomise as “the surged has worked/not worked”. Just a little knowledge about the strategy in Iraq would move focus away from “The Surge”. The facts of the situation are:
1. A surge took place
2. A massive anti-al Qaeda Sunni alliance has turned Sunni attention away from the US
3. Shia militia are under a ceasefire.
Whilst the surge may have increased security in some areas it is quite clear from most observers that the Sunni alliance and the Shia ceasefire are the main initiatives.

To put a spanner in the works of those who think that the Democrats simply want to give up, I’m afraid the bad news is that the Bush strategy has been similar – to arm and support former Baathists and other arab nationalists and Islamists! To allow them to run Sunni areas and to leave the Shia alone to run their areas. THESE strategies are the real reason for a decline in violence, but as outcomes, they are a long way from what Bush et al wanted!!

]]> By: SgtDad http://pjmedia.com/blog/in_focus_has_the_surge_failed/#comment-23779 SgtDad Sun, 24 Feb 2008 00:35:23 +0000 http://dev.pajamasmedia.com/blog/in-focus-has-the-surge-failed/#comment-23779 A whole column, by an intelligent man, built around a complete <i>non sequitur.</i> No wonder MS & Slate dumped him. Germany was under military occupation until 1955. Even after being given back its sovereignty, the Allied Powers still maintained forces there that dwarfed the Bundeswehr. And a good thing, too, for all mankind. Just a thought. A whole column, by an intelligent man, built around a complete non sequitur. No wonder MS & Slate dumped him.

Germany was under military occupation until 1955. Even after being given back its sovereignty, the Allied Powers still maintained forces there that dwarfed the Bundeswehr. And a good thing, too, for all mankind.

Just a thought.

]]> By: Kevin McCann http://pjmedia.com/blog/in_focus_has_the_surge_failed/#comment-23778 Kevin McCann Sat, 23 Feb 2008 11:29:03 +0000 http://dev.pajamasmedia.com/blog/in-focus-has-the-surge-failed/#comment-23778 John: I want a warbot. John:
I want a warbot.

]]> By: John Samford http://pjmedia.com/blog/in_focus_has_the_surge_failed/#comment-23777 John Samford Sat, 23 Feb 2008 01:12:46 +0000 http://dev.pajamasmedia.com/blog/in-focus-has-the-surge-failed/#comment-23777 I wonder why they don't count the warbots? There are over 10,000 battle droids of various types in Iraq. Why aren't they counted? The battle droids are doing most of the dangerous jobs which is a big part of why the casualties are so low. If we pull out 20,000 humans and replace them with 50,000 warbots, would that be a troop increase or a troop decrease? <a href="http://cbs3.com/topstories/robots.iraq.army.2.410518.html" rel="nofollow">http://cbs3.com/topstories/robots.iraq.army.2.410518.html</a> <a href="http://blog.wired.com/defense/2007/08/httpwwwnational.html" rel="nofollow">http://blog.wired.com/defense/2007/08/httpwwwnational.html</a> In another decade the US Army will be able to deploy Brigades consisting mostly of warbots. I can almost here the Liberals screaming now. I wonder why they don’t count the warbots? There are over 10,000 battle droids of various types in Iraq. Why aren’t they counted? The battle droids are doing most of the dangerous jobs which is a big part of why the casualties are so low.
If we pull out 20,000 humans and replace them with 50,000 warbots, would that be a troop increase or a troop decrease?
http://cbs3.com/topstories/robots.iraq.army.2.410518.html

http://blog.wired.com/defense/2007/08/httpwwwnational.html

In another decade the US Army will be able to deploy Brigades consisting mostly of warbots. I can almost here the Liberals screaming now.

]]> By: Richard http://pjmedia.com/blog/in_focus_has_the_surge_failed/#comment-23776 Richard Fri, 22 Feb 2008 23:41:38 +0000 http://dev.pajamasmedia.com/blog/in-focus-has-the-surge-failed/#comment-23776 Kinsley? Give me a break. When was the last time anyone actually listened to this weasel? He's long been irrelevant and only survives as a pundit because the MSM props him up. In the marketplace of ideas, he was long ago bankrupt. Kinsley? Give me a break. When was the last time anyone actually listened to this weasel? He’s long been irrelevant and only survives as a pundit because the MSM props him up. In the marketplace of ideas, he was long ago bankrupt.

]]> By: RE http://pjmedia.com/blog/in_focus_has_the_surge_failed/#comment-23775 RE Fri, 22 Feb 2008 21:24:34 +0000 http://dev.pajamasmedia.com/blog/in-focus-has-the-surge-failed/#comment-23775 Defeatists are incredibly pathetic creatures. Defeatists are incredibly pathetic creatures.

]]> By: Morton Doodslag http://pjmedia.com/blog/in_focus_has_the_surge_failed/#comment-23774 Morton Doodslag Fri, 22 Feb 2008 21:12:36 +0000 http://dev.pajamasmedia.com/blog/in-focus-has-the-surge-failed/#comment-23774 By a similar and similarly absurd metric -- our victory in WWII can be defined downward and has been a complete failure. In Germany too we've failed to withdraw our troops... By a similar and similarly absurd metric — our victory in WWII can be defined downward and has been a complete failure. In Germany too we’ve failed to withdraw our troops…

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