Blue Mass Group

Reality-based commentary on politics.

  • Shop
  • Subscribe to BMG
  • Contact
  • Log In
  • Front Page
  • All Posts
  • About
  • Rules
  • Events
  • Register on BMG

Hedges + Gravel skewer Obama on military

December 14, 2009 By hubspoke

WARNING: not for the faint-hearted. New and blunt from Chris Hedges, talking with Mike Gravel. This column is to Obama’s military strategy as Taibbi’s Rolling Stone piece is to Obama’s financial strategy.

“The first time I met him I felt there was arrogance with a touch of cynicism,” Gravel said of the president. “Now the cynicism and the arrogance have overwhelmed his intelligence. Like Clinton, he is into power.”

“Obama has wasted an opportunity to be a great president,” Gravel lamented. “More than 50 percent of the American people do not buy into this war. He could have stood up and said ‘we are getting out.’ Forget the Congress. Forget the Republicans. Forget the hawks. Forget mainstream media, including The New York Times and The Washington Post, which are hawks. He would have weathered that storm because he would have had the American people on his side. And what did he do? He caved in to the leadership of [David] Petraeus and [Stanley A.] McChrystal and adopted a scenario that is a total loser.”

Please share widely!
fb-share-icon
Tweet
0
0

Filed Under: User Tagged With: gravel, hedges, obama, war

Comments

  1. argyle says

    December 15, 2009 at 8:06 am

    From the New York Times 7/14/2008

    <

    p>Ending the (Iraq) war is essential to meeting our broader strategic goals, starting in Afghanistan and Pakistan, where the Taliban is resurgent and Al Qaeda has a safe haven. Iraq is not the central front in the war on terrorism, and it never has been. As Adm. Mike Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, recently pointed out, we won’t have sufficient resources to finish the job in Afghanistan until we reduce our commitment to Iraq.

    <

    p>As president, I would pursue a new strategy, and begin by providing at least two additional combat brigades to support our effort in Afghanistan. We need more troops, more helicopters, better intelligence-gathering and more nonmilitary assistance to accomplish the mission there.

    <

    p>From:
    “My Plan for Iraq”

    <

    p>  By BARACK OBAMA

    <

    p>http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07…

    <

    p>

    • hubspoke says

      December 15, 2009 at 10:07 am

      During the campaign, it sounded wise to me and many others to wind down the fraudulently launched Iraq war and go back and complete the job in Afghanistan that W had flubbed. That was then. I submit that nationally we’ve paid a ton more attention to what Afghanistan is all about since Obama was elected. We’ve become acquainted with the complexities – the tribal nature of the country, its backwardness, abject poverty, harsh topography and lack of a central government. And who the Taliban are composed of, the extent of Al Qaeda in country, the delicate situation in Pakistan and the relationship between what we do in Afghanistan and its impact in Pakistan – not to mention our very active, covert operations within Pakistan.

      <

      p>All this is to say that a re-energized Afghanistan strategy that sounded good on the surface during the campaign no longer stands up in the light of new understandings about the Af-Pak region. So,to those who correctly say, “well, this is what Obama was saying and this is what you voted for,” I say, “that was then and this is now.” After reading, listening and learning, I’ve changed my mind on Afghanistan. I believe there’s no “winning” it, that we should wind troop levels down, keep some forces (maybe 20,000) there to monitor and hunt Al Qaeda and engage more in infrastructure-building they desperately need (water, schools, electricity, roads) than in state-building.

  2. howland-lew-natick says

    December 15, 2009 at 9:25 am

    Excellent post.  The sad part is that, while the Afghans can’t win any military battles, the fact is they don’t have to.  We are paying $1M/year for each soldier.  Fuel for the military costs $400/gallon, and the military uses lots of fuel.  The smarter players see the bottom line.  Eventually, there will be no more tax dollars to support the engagement.  Economic collapse?

    <

    p>The Wall Street boys are getting ready for the backlash…  A hint that things are going to get very bad, very fast.  

    <

    p>In the words of Mr. Obama, “You can take that to the bank.”

    • hubspoke says

      December 15, 2009 at 9:48 am

      Even though they’ve been expert at putting the risk burden on others.

      • howland-lew-natick says

        December 15, 2009 at 1:27 pm

        They rehired retired examiners before the 2008 crash.  

        <

        p>Little wonder the police are being militarized, the military practicing roadblocks and urban warfare.  Powerful people know that our course is unsustainable and plan to control the hungry, homeless people by terror.  We have tough times coming.  

    • syphax says

      December 15, 2009 at 5:21 pm

      In 2007, the US military consumed at 133 million barrels of oil.  At $400 a gallon, that works out to $2T.

      <

      p>They actually spent $12B on fuel in 2007; what’d I miss?

      • howland-lew-natick says

        December 15, 2009 at 5:49 pm

        Here.

Recommended Posts

  • No posts liked yet.

Recent User Posts

Predictions Open Thread

December 22, 2022 By jconway

This is why I love Joe Biden

December 21, 2022 By fredrichlariccia

Garland’s Word

December 19, 2022 By terrymcginty

Some Parting Thoughts

December 19, 2022 By jconway

Beware the latest grift

December 16, 2022 By fredrichlariccia

Thank you, Blue Mass Group!

December 15, 2022 By methuenprogressive

Recent Comments

  • blueeyes on Beware the latest griftSo where to, then??
  • Christopher on Some Parting ThoughtsI've enjoyed our discussions as well (but we have yet to…
  • Christopher on Beware the latest griftI can't imagine anyone of our ilk not already on Twitter…
  • blueeyes on Beware the latest griftI will miss this site. Where are people going? Twitter?…
  • chrismatth on A valedictoryI joined BMG late - 13 years ago next month and three da…
  • SomervilleTom on Geopolitics of FusionEVERY un-designed, un-built, and un-tested technology is…
  • Charley on the MTA on A valedictoryThat’s a great idea, and I’ll be there on Sunday. It’s a…

Archive

@bluemassgroup on Twitter

Twitter feed is not available at the moment.

From our sponsors




Google Calendar







Search

Archives

  • Facebook
  • RSS
  • Twitter




Copyright © 2025 Owned and operated by BMG Media Empire LLC. Read the terms of use. Some rights reserved.