Comments on: Ending America's Longest War http://www.chrisweigant.com/2014/05/27/ending-americas-longest-war/ Reality-based political commentary Thu, 30 Apr 2026 02:50:11 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: Chris Weigant http://www.chrisweigant.com/2014/05/27/ending-americas-longest-war/#comment-49193 Chris Weigant Tue, 03 Jun 2014 05:39:37 +0000 http://www.chrisweigant.com/?p=9146#comment-49193 akadjian - I agree, that was a powerful and important statement from an American president. -CW akadjian -

I agree, that was a powerful and important statement from an American president.

-CW

]]> By: akadjian http://www.chrisweigant.com/2014/05/27/ending-americas-longest-war/#comment-49037 akadjian Thu, 29 May 2014 02:00:51 +0000 http://www.chrisweigant.com/?p=9146#comment-49037 My favorite line from the President's speech today on the subject: "For our actions should meet a simple test: We must not create more enemies than we take off the battlefield." http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/obama-wants-to-set-up-new-5-billion-counterterrorism-fund/2014/05/28/c5ee3362-e662-11e3-a86b-362fd5443d19_story.html It's a good thing that he's reiterating a vision like this. -David My favorite line from the President's speech today on the subject:

"For our actions should meet a simple test: We must not create more enemies than we take off the battlefield."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/obama-wants-to-set-up-new-5-billion-counterterrorism-fund/2014/05/28/c5ee3362-e662-11e3-a86b-362fd5443d19_story.html

It's a good thing that he's reiterating a vision like this.

-David

]]> By: Chris Weigant http://www.chrisweigant.com/2014/05/27/ending-americas-longest-war/#comment-49013 Chris Weigant Wed, 28 May 2014 06:24:14 +0000 http://www.chrisweigant.com/?p=9146#comment-49013 goode trickle - I'm going to tackle the VA problem tomorrow. Probably not from the angle you're seeking, but just wanted you to know. Also, thanks for your service and I hope you had a good Memorial Day. :-) -CW goode trickle -

I'm going to tackle the VA problem tomorrow. Probably not from the angle you're seeking, but just wanted you to know.

Also, thanks for your service and I hope you had a good Memorial Day.

:-)

-CW

]]> By: goode trickle http://www.chrisweigant.com/2014/05/27/ending-americas-longest-war/#comment-49011 goode trickle Tue, 27 May 2014 23:38:34 +0000 http://www.chrisweigant.com/?p=9146#comment-49011 I agree that to some extent there is going to be some interesting political drama created by both sides in Washington over the announcement of the "end" of the Afghanistan conflict , most of it drummed up to support the corporate interests that bought them. I am somewhat disappointed over the overall ending to your summation on the situation. Going forward we hopefully will not have fresh combat graves to decorate, as you state, unfortunately you fail to mention that their will be plenty of fresh graves for decades to come as veterans continue to pay the price for a system that has steadfastly refused to treat veterans benefits and the psychological /physical maladies that come from actively participating in combat as a part of the war. I can most certainly guarantee that as everyone heaves their collective sighs of relief at the conflicts "end" congress and the president will not really be discussing the longer term casualties from the last two wars. I also can see that by 2016 that congress as a whole will be back to it's old tricks of raiding the veterans benefit funds to protect the interests of those who bought them, instead of those who fought for them and the media will cozy up to them and not ask the hard questions about the true costs of the war as that doesn't fit into the sound bite medium that is our media. Perhaps my world view is shaped by my experience as a veteran who every Memorial Day remembers his buddies who died in combat and then remembers his his buddies who died because of combat. I personally feel that any analysis worth it's salt on the subject of an ending conflict also carries analysis of the fact that, really, the conflict is far from over for many who fought in it and asks the questions of those who have the levers of power in their grasp "what are you going to do to stop these deaths ?". I agree that to some extent there is going to be some interesting political drama created by both sides in Washington over the announcement of the "end" of the Afghanistan conflict , most of it drummed up to support the corporate interests that bought them.

I am somewhat disappointed over the overall ending to your summation on the situation. Going forward we hopefully will not have fresh combat graves to decorate, as you state, unfortunately you fail to mention that their will be plenty of fresh graves for decades to come as veterans continue to pay the price for a system that has steadfastly refused to treat veterans benefits and the psychological /physical maladies that come from actively participating in combat as a part of the war.

I can most certainly guarantee that as everyone heaves their collective sighs of relief at the conflicts "end" congress and the president will not really be discussing the longer term casualties from the last two wars. I also can see that by 2016 that congress as a whole will be back to it's old tricks of raiding the veterans benefit funds to protect the interests of those who bought them, instead of those who fought for them and the media will cozy up to them and not ask the hard questions about the true costs of the war as that doesn't fit into the sound bite medium that is our media.

Perhaps my world view is shaped by my experience as a veteran who every Memorial Day remembers his buddies who died in combat and then remembers his his buddies who died because of combat. I personally feel that any analysis worth it's salt on the subject of an ending conflict also carries analysis of the fact that, really, the conflict is far from over for many who fought in it and asks the questions of those who have the levers of power in their grasp "what are you going to do to stop these deaths ?".

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