Bomb Kills 80 as Clinton Arrives in Pakistan

Enough killing. There is no potential win here. Containment of the Taliban is the only logical possibility. Otherwise, bring the troops home. What's to think about anymore? Indecision could implode Obamessiah's reign. Reply

We have to see this for what it is: a civil war. Winning it will require a long, bloody counter-insurgency - possibly decades. The stakes are extremely high because of Pakistan's nuclear arsenal. If the Taliban and Al Qaeda win and get that arsenal, the U.S. will be facing the greatest danger in its history. There is no turning back. We need to work with Pakistan. We need to work with India. We need to get out of Iraq. We need to create a Palestinian state so that its absence is no longer a rallying cry for our enemies. We need to win in Afghanistan. In short, we must be prepared to put in what may be decades worth of sacrifice in both blood and treasure in order to win this. The alternative is unthinkable. Reply

one of the problems about discussing this shit is the loose and sometimes contradicting definitions to words we are all using , and unspoken assumptions , that may not be shared by all ,.... what is it to " win " in this situation ? What is the nature of the problem with Pakistan ? what happens if we are not there ? when does India decide to make a statement ? what will China think about India getting froggy ? , what will Pakistan do if it thinks it must fight India ? , and then there are all the other stans of Central Asia just teetering on the brink , waiting for the rumours of war , with huge populations of uneducated , poor , restless males under thirty ,...muslims for the most part , and sitting on a vast reserves of energy ,....much under what the Russians say is theirs , oh , and India and China are growing by leaps and are starving for energy and are destined to be the next two superpowers ,....... so we need to be there and we need to be influencing the outcomes ,.... no matter how painful ,..... this is the shit , man ..... Global hegemony for the next century, low level asymmetrical guerrilla / insurgent warfare , with localized regional violence and repression ..... or , potential chaos , collapse of social structure , trade , price of oil and food , famine, reversion to thuggish dictators selling oil and gas to faceless multi nationals ,..... starving displaced populations ,..... and then you can consult Tom Clancy for an ending,...... Reply