Jobs Not Wars

Obama campaigned on this, and now he's fulfilling that promise.
And you want to throw him under the bus for it.

This is about not letting the area completely destabilize, which is precisely what it WILL do if we don't let the *admittedly corrupt* Karzai government get on its feet before we leave.

Afghanistan goes back to what it was before we spent 8 years, thousands of lives, and billions in treasure: a festering cancer in the region, and host to the same organization that attacked us on 911.

Pakistan, Indias rival and a nuclear power, goes back to appeasing its internal extremists, who are closely allied with AQ and Taliban. Or falls to them.

India, the worlds most populous democracy and a nuclear power, becomes increasingly jumpy about its antagonistic neighbors. Or attacks them. Or is attacked by them. Remember the Mumbai attack last year? Look up Lashkur E Toiba. Pakistani.

The only way to not fuck this up is what Obama has chosen to do: surge to wipe out opposition and get the Afghans trained, while helping Pakistan with their problem as we have been, then get the hell out.

There is no other option. Our fist is in the tar baby already.

As for the money spent *that money doesn't evaporate*: it goes to contractors, soldiers and their families, manufacturers. Just like with the stimulus package, wealth spent is wealth generated. Instead of worrying about it, consider it a shadow-stimulus.

This attack on America is about freedom and human rights..... about integrity and sacrifice . About the individuals who planned and attacked the United States over mystical religious concepts praising their God over the horrific death of individuals from 80 or so Nations working and doing business as usual in New York on 911 .

So, the objective has not changed . eliminate the religious fanatic who attacked us. I have family in the arm services and I feel I have a strong right to voice my opinion over this matter @ hand ... If we are to wage war it better count for something and not go into the pages of history seen as ' just another politicians failed war .'

It is extremely difficult to imagine how it must be to make tough decisions as the president of such a divided country.

I have been a peace activist for many years. I marched against the first Gulf War before I was really even old enough to be aware of what it was all about. I have attended many vigils and honk for peace at the guys on the corner who go out every Saturday rain or shine to end the war in Iraq. I would have protested the Vietnam War if I had been born yet.

I however support Mr. Obama in his recent decision to send more troops to Afghanistan. He is doing what must be done to put an end to what was started by radical extremists that attacked our country eight years ago. Does anyone really think that if he had decided not to send the troops, he would be better received by the masses?

I force myself to listen periodically to the right wing media talking machine so that I, too, can be fair and balanced.

And do you know what they were saying while Obama was carefully weighing all of the evidence brought before him about the situation in Afghanistan? They all seemed to be fully convinced of what awful thing the inexperienced "community organizer" might be planning for our country by not following the advice of a general with thirty years experience if he did not decide to send more troops. After the announcement was made to send more troops, suddenly his speech wasn't good enough, the plan wasn't clear enough, and establishing an exit strategy was a bad idea.

I watched the president give his speech, carefully listening to everything he said. Then I read it twice. It was a very well thought out message precisely explaining why leaving the situation in Afghanistan in its current state would clearly be a threat to American security. He specifically said that if he thought our nation's security would not be at risk by doing so, he would bring all of our troops home tomorrow. And I believe he truly means that. He just got the Nobel Peace Prize for crying out loud! They don't just go handing those out to anyone, you know. We cannot risk nukes in the hands of these maniac terrorists who actually think they are justified by God to kill the infidel that they have decided is us.

The president is playing the cards he's been dealt. He's got Republicans ready to be the Devil's advocate on either side of the decision no matter which way it goes. He's got Democrats whining and crying because he hasn't saved the world the way they think he ought to yet. Now I'm getting tons of emails from various activist groups totally shooting down the need for more troops in Afghanistan. He carefully laid out his exit strategy for both Iraq and Afghanistan in his speech. Isn't that what we want; to end the wars? We can't just wave a magic wand and make them go away.

I am so disappointed with all of this. Does anyone think things will be better in 2010 when Obama loses support in the House or Senate due to all of the complaining. How about in 2012 when some Republican gets elected instead? You saw who was running the last time.

I understand why people are frustrated and want to point fingers in one direction or another. Many people I know are out of work and the jobs there are don't pay enough.

My husband is extremely lucky to have a $12/hr computer technology job in his field of study, a very good wage for where we live. After working a nine hour day, he continues to go to college full time and get student loans in hopes that it will enable him to make more money someday. I work the rest of the time when I'm not taking care of our two sons. I haven't gotten a raise in four years even though my boss says she doesn't know what she'd do without me. And we live paycheck after next to tax return with no savings and no hope of buying a used car, let alone a house.

My inlaws are probably going to lose their house because my father in law lost his job of 28 years to outsourcing and he hasn't been able to find steady work ever since. Even though he went back to school to try to establish a new trade, he's been unemployed for five months looking constantly for any kind of job he can get with no luck.

The list goes on and on. But the last person I'm ready to blame for this is Barack Obama.

Now is not the time to bicker and continue to argue over everything President Obama is doing. He has many things to fix from the broken world he inherited from Bush. He is doing his absolute best to make the right decisions for our country and I really think people ought to give him a chance to do his job. Of course we are not going to all agree on everything he chooses to do, but none of us has walked a mile in his shoes.

Of course we'd all like to see the money of the wars spent on job creation instead. Somebody probably should have mentioned that to Bush back when he decided to finish his Daddy's war in Iraq.

Obama is trying to fund job creation with the stimulus money that everybody wants to grumble about already.

Please, fellow Americans, give Mr. Obama a chance before you destroy it. He's the best hope our country may have for many years to come and we are truly lucky to have elected him as our president.