Obama Dooms Legacy with Afghanistan Escalation

Afghanistan could be for Obama what Mogadishu was for Clinton -- times 1,000

God, I hate writing about this shit. When will people learn?

First of all, I want to make perfectly clear my first concern, which is for the lives of the people who will be killed and maimed by Obama's asinine decision to apply military force to the burgeoning Afghanistan disaster. You can't introduce 17,000 more armed occupants into a hostile environment and expect anything other than increased bloodshed. (Cue John McCain saying, "But the surge worked!") Secondarily my concern is for my country.

Other than that, I couldn't give less of a f*(k if I were a 93-year-old eunuch. Political careers are going to crash and burn. Rush Limbaugh will have a ball. People will say, "Gee, CharlieHipHop, you were right again." None of that matters to me.

One month in to the new administration, upon which so many placed such high hopes, it pains me to have to say: From the cold, calculating standpoint of geopolitics, the decision to escalate in Afghanistan is almost as dumb as Bush's decision to invade Iraq. I hope I'm wrong. I hope that the extra 17,000 pairs of boots on the ground are able to deliver a new era of peace and prosperity to Afghanistan, but that is not a likely outcome, at least in the light of both history and current facts.

If you're old enough, try to remember how the country reacted when U.S. service members were dragged through the streets of Mogadishu. As I recall, a very green Clinton took the blame, even though it was a Bush who put those poor guys there. Think of Afghanistan as Obama's Somalia. Junior really outdid Dear Old Dad on this one. Duhbya left Obama a lot of turds, but the biggest of all was Afghanistan.

Granted, I ain't no military tactician or strategist, but the escalation seems like way too little, way too late. It will bring the total force to 34,000. Maybe that goes up to 50,000 when you include Canadians and Germans. The Taliban have had seven years to build up strength and now control most of the country, plus a pretty decent chunk of Pakistan. Christ, the NYPD can barely keep a lid on New York City with a force that big, and even the most heinous criminals aren't gunning for them the way the Taliban are salivating about the opportunity to slaughter Americans.

Bad juju, man. Bad. As with the growing economic storm, looking at it you have to wonder, "Is America ready for this kind of smackdown?"

I've been wrong before. I pray I am now.