Sen. Russ Feingold (D-WI) shows the kind of spirit and initiative required to drum some sense into the debate about how long Pres. Obama intends to keep our troops in Afghanistan. Unfortunately, there aren't many Democratic politicians willing to stand with him in an election year. Listen to what he says - he's not anti-war, he understands the need for a military and that there is a time and place to use military force. But spending our soldiers' blood and our nation's treasure against unclear objectives and without clear progress toward achievable objectives just isn't wise.
As the war in Afghanistan surpasses the Vietnam war in length and cost, maybe the Dems will find their courage after the mid-terms.
Between conservatives and liberals, defense policy is treated the same way as drug legalization: As a realm of political opportunism and posturing.
Examples:
Democratic candidate for president says: We should decriminalize some or all drugs.
Republican establishment would respond: You're soft on crime, you libertine hippy!
Republican candidate(with a libertarian streak) says: We should decriminalize some or all drugs.
Democratic opponent responds: You heartless Republicans don't care about what's happening in our inner cities. Drug abuse disproportionately affects minorities! RAAAAACIST!!!
Now lets look at national defense:
Democratic candidate: We need to reduce our military presence overseas and make deep cuts in our unsustainable defense spending.
Republican responds: You Dems are so weak on national security! If you were in charge, al-Qaeda would be occupying the eastern seaboard within a year!
Republican Candidate: We need to reduce our military presence overseas and make deep cuts in our unsustainable defense spending.
Democrat responds: Ha! You want to weaken America's military and I won't stand for it! You're an isolationist! You don't care about human rights! Democrats are the REAL Party of National Security!
Political divisions keep anything important from getting done before it's too late. Look, you probably loath Glenn Beck, right? I'm not a fan myself. He seems like a choad even when he says something I agree with. He's our Keith Olbermann. But read this piece he wrote on reducing defense spending and military interventionism and then tell me what you actually disagree with him about on the topic.
http://www.glennbeck.com/content/articles/article/198/39209/
Posted by: Doug | 31 May 2010 at 01:32 PM