War Mart

So we are sending 30,000 soldiers to Afghanistan, in a convenient, if totally unrealistic, mini-surge which is supposed to last one tidy year because we still are under the misguided impression that people who would not know democracy if it bit them in the ass, are suddenly clamoring for one, and we're the ones supposed to give it to them.
Just tell us that we need to kill us some terrorists. Don't start with the stupid values schmaltz. At this point, in the richest country on Earth where people have lost their jobs, their homes, are on food stamps and can't pay for medicine, who could possibly believe it?
  
Apparently, nobody in the Obama administration has gotten the memo that our military misadventures abroad tend to rather inflame the outrage and the membership ranks of potential terrorists. Merrily we roll along, getting deeper into quagmires of our own devising. You just cannot impose moderation on people; specially not with a military offensive.
Plus, these are people over there who stone women because they look funny at a guy.
I agree that we should pulverize Al Qaeda. I just don't know exactly how to do that without swelling their ranks. I guess that the long slog of financial aid (to deserving and responsible parties, if they exist), better living conditions and "hearts and minds" is inexplicably less desirable than sending American soldiers to fight unwinnable, interminable wars in medieval hellholes.

As I will not tire of repeating: BRING BACK THE DRAFT.
Everybody should pitch in for the sake of freedom, democracy and unbridled, selfish greed. You will see how soon we forget all about the terrorists.

Why do we insist on being the supernanny of the world? Why couldn't we live in peace, and enjoy our largesse to ourselves (or rather the fruits of our corruption) and be like Canada, Norway, or Finland, which don't mess with anybody and don't go where they are not welcome? Tom Friedman thinks we can't stop being the supernanny to the world (and a loopy one at that) because then China or Russia would take our place. Let em. They are so benighted and disorganized, but at least they don't futz around with values. They're just in it for the money.