https://pjmedia.com/richardfernandez/2010/05/14/the-ten-ships/feed/PJ Media is a leading news site covering culture, politics, faith, homeland security, and more. Our reporters and columnists provide original, in-depth analysis from a variety of perspectives.en-usWed, 10 Jun 2026 08:26:25 -0400<![CDATA[One of the reasons the Navy opposed a Southwest Pacific campaign during the Pacific War was the shrewd appreciation that once bureaucracy started on a task it would grow with it like a cancer whatever its original purpose. Admiral King wasn&#8217;t against an action in the Solomons. He was just afraid that it would take on a life of its own. The passage of time has not changed this this tendency. The campaign in Afghanistan began in 2002 with a specific purpose. But by the time Barack Obama was running for President its chief attraction was the fact that it was an alternative to the campaign in Iraq. A 2009 article in the Wall Street Journal covering his speech before the VWF captured his thinking: Afghanistan was a &#8220;war of necessity&#8221;, unlike Iraq, which was a &#8220;war of choice&#8221;. Of all the &#8220;false choices&#8221; the President was fond of rhetorically raising, this was perhaps the falsest choice of all. By asserting that Afghanistan, not oil or the Middle East or radical Islam was the center of gravity of the enemy, President Obama completely misframed the strategic choices.]]>Fri, 14 May 2010 04:20:43 -0400<![CDATA[Richard Fernandez]]>https://pjmedia.com/richard-fernandez/2010/05/14/the-ten-ships-n189778