Charles Krauthammer Blasts Obama For Opposing Perpetual War

 
 A muddy stack of legal pad paper held together by stalactite goo arrived at the Washington Post headquarters this morning: It's Charles Krauthammer's latest column! Today Krauthammer wants us to know that Barack Obama does not want to be in Afghanistan forever, even though, as commander in chief, that is his ONE job! Obama doesn't "have his heart in" staying in this country for all of time, even though he is currently running the war over there. SCANDAL!

What kind of commander in chief sends tens of thousands of troops to war announcing in advance a fixed date for beginning their withdrawal? One who doesn't have his heart in it. One who doesn't really want to win but is making some kind of political gesture.

Yes, what kind of commander in chief would not want to leave his troops in a country forever? Barack Obama does not want to win this war because losing wars is always good politics.

First, isn't this the party that in two consecutive presidential campaigns -- John Kerry's and then Obama's -- argued vociferously that Afghanistan is the good war, the right war, the war of necessity, the central front in the war on terror? Now, after acceding to power and being given charge of that very war, Obama confides that he must retreat, lest that very same party abandon him. What happened in the interim? Did it suddenly develop a faint heart? Or was the party disingenuous about the Afghan war all along, using it as a convenient club with which to attack George W. Bush over Iraq, while protecting Democrats from the charge of being reflexively antiwar?

Umm, what happened to wanting to leave countries after they are relatively stable and able to fend off insurgents? There is a point when wars stop being a "necessity," Krauthammer. The goal is not to keep shooting the world's brown people until they're all dead.

And also, "protecting Democrats from the charge of being reflexively antiwar"? Being "reflexively antiwar" is what human beings actually are supposed to be. Really, are you saying we should be reflexively prowar, Krauthammer? We should just bomb and take over any country that does anything we dislike ever, no matter how small the issue? If the UK sends us a bad shipment of fish and chips, we should immediately shoot over some nukes? Yes, you probably do think that. Never mind, fascist.

"He was looking for choices that would limit U.S. involvement and provide a way out," writes Woodward. One can only conclude that Obama now thinks Afghanistan is a mistake.

 That ? That is the only thing one can conclude?

Fair enough. But in that case, what is he doing escalating it?

See, Krauthammer would not be so fucking confused if he understood some people want to WIN wars and THEN GET OUT OF THE COUNTRY THEY WERE FOUGHT IN. But he doesn't. Because he lives in a hate cave far away from all of civilization. [ WP ]