Anonymous replied on Permalink
Different wars
Coming as I have from a mostly pacifist background, I understand John's frustration that those who opposed one war might support any escalation in another.
But please keep in mind that many who completely opposed the war in Iraq did so in part because it was a distraction (perhaps "disruption" is a better word) of the presumably more worthwhile fight in Afghanistan. That isn't to say that both fights were hideous under Bush, and Af/Pak may well be hideous under Obama (war usually is), but a resurgent Taliban is one of the few things Americans might still be in favor of attacking--especially if it were to be done intelligently. (Oh, that it had been originally...)
I'm not defending Matzzie, the Sustainable Security report, or any other specifics--but the very fact that the plan includes Pakistan, which is arguably more of a threat to the world than either Afghanistan or Iraq ever was, means that someone up there gets the idea of regional stability. Before we condemn, many of us want to see what the administration has in mind--if it turns into Obama's Vietnam, there's always time to oppose.
Meanwhile, you keep up the pacifist front--I'm glad you're doing it--but let's not gloss over one war for another. Just because the last administration couldn't seem to keep them separate in their "War on terror" branding, doesn't mean many of us can't tell the difference.
