Recently Michael Steele, the Republican National Committee Chair, said that the war in Afghanistan was of "Obama's choosing" and "probably a lost cause". He derided the President for not studying history, because if he had, he would know that you don't engage in a land war in Afghanistan ... everyone who has tried has lost.
If Michael Steele does not resign, he should be fired. And if the Republicans let this stand, then they no longer occupy the high ground on principled foreign policy. This is outrageous.
After spending 8 years (rightly) denouncing Democrats for speaking this way about Iraq and Afghanistan, they cannot tolerate such behavior from their own party. Move swiftly and make an example out of Michael Steele.
Republicans should be rallying behind President Obama and the mission in Afghanistan. He is managing the war as he sees fit ... in other words, doing his job. Make suggestions on strategy or tactics. Recommend fewer or additional or different troops. Offer ideas on how we might do better. At least publicly, show a unified front.
But the last thing a government or party leader should do is call the war lost or say that we should not be fighting it. This is what Obama, Clinton, Biden, Pelosi, Reid, Durbin, Schumer, Frank, Murtha and Dean did endlessly and to the detriment of the war efforts (many after voting for the wars in the first place). The result was an encouraged enemy, lower morale among the troops and allies who saw America wobbling. In other words, the Democrats knowingly did harm in exchange for remaining popular among their ever shifting base.
If a government or party leader wants to condemn a war effort and try to end it, do so privately behind the scenes or resign your position ... then live on a cable news network.
Republicans claim that they're more principled than Democrats on foreign policy, that they are true patriots.
Prove it.
Quickly.
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I would be doubly concerned since Mr. Steele seems to lift his history from The Princess Bride and I would challenge him to name someone other than the USSR that has lost while fighting in Afghanistan.
ReplyDeleteVizzini: "You fool! You fell victim to one of the classic blunders! The most famous is never get involved in a land war in Asia, but only slightly less well-known is this: never go in against a Sicilian when death is on the line! ha, ha, ha , HA..."
Perfect!
ReplyDeleteThe British blundered in Afghanistan before the Russians.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your assessment about the wrongness of Steele's comments. I guess I wouldn't say I'm outraged. But I see your point.
Everyone should keep in mind why we are in Afghanistan - how soon we forget? The Taliban were openly harboring and supporting the terrorists who perpetrated the attacks on 9/11. There was no real choice about whether or not to go into Afghanistan.
For me the trouble is both Iraq and Afghanistan is our national insistence that we must depart as soon as possible. This is for one of two reasons I see...
1) To avoid the appearance of being imperial
2) Out of worry about spending blood and treasure unnecessarily
I think we have learned poor lessons from history. Wars often do not have cleanly defined ends. WWI and WWII were as cleanly defined as you might get and still we were reconstructing and dealing with issues for years after. Persistence and dominance are the solutions - give any remaining opposition no real chance to continue. The more we hedge our bets the more we encourage continued armed resistance.
We tend to want to win wars softly now and there are consequences to that. My view.
Steele's comments should not reflect the Repbulican party outlook on Afghanistan. Maybe that requires him to resign. I don't know.
Here is a good and fair article about Steele's comments (usually can't stand Dionne, flaming leftist). There is a related follow up from Richard Cohen too.
ReplyDeleteI think Steele's point after reading more was that Pres. Obama cannot dodge ownership of this war now and point his finger (yet again) back at Bush. He took ownership and prior to being President proclaimed that is was the right war.
I'm not sure after reading that Steele was even saying we should be out of there. Just that Pres. Obama needs to own up to the status and results as Commander in Chief. He didn't start it but it is his job to move it in the right direction and if possible finish it. When it doesn't go well, it is Pres Obama's problem.
My point is that, as the leader of the Republican Party, he should not be playing politics with the war. Whether or not he's right is a different matter. There are places for commentators and there are places for politicians.
ReplyDeleteI do happen to agree that the Democrats, while not being sole proprietors of the war in Afghanistan, have no room to wiggle out of it. It's theirs.
Ok...here's the link.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/07/07/AR2010070703189.html