In yet another interview on 60 Minutes last night, President Obama provided another instance where our leader illustrated, with words, what I have been stressing here about the disconnect inherent in our war-fighting system:
"...But I do think that it was important in that speech [at West Point] to recognize that there are costs to war. That this is a burden we don’t welcome. It’s one that was foisted on us as a consequence of 19 men deciding to kill thousands of Americans back in 2001. That there’s unfinished business. And, you know, I think that one of the mistakes that was made over the last eight years is for us to have a triumphant sense about war. This is a tough business. And there are tough costs to it. And I think because it was detached from our day to day lives in so many ways — unless you were a military family; unless you were one of those who were being deployed. Because we didn’t even get asked to pay for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, there was a tendency to say, “We can go in. We can kick some tail. You know this is some glorious exercise.”
1) the costs of war - he correctly points out that only a small number of Americans, veterans and their families, have actually had to pay any price during these last eight years.
2) the disconnect - and he is also right, that because the vast majority of the public is disconnected from war's reality, it is much easier to cheer on the effort and say "let's kick ass over there."
BUT...
3) the President infers at the end that because of this disconnect, the American people should not view this war as "SOME GLORIOUS EXERCISE."
He says we made a mistake in having a "TRIUMPHANT SENSE ABOUT WAR."
This is clearly a man who does not believe there is WINNING and LOSING in war. And this could not be further from the truth. Just ask the Japanese and Germans after World War II. Just ask America after Vietnam. Who won? Who lost? This is all that matters in war. It is the ultimate zero sum game and it should be played for keeps.
The President's words show a man who does not understand the nature of war and the way nations must successfully prosecute these efforts. The people of the country must be behind the war effort in order to prevail in the end. Everyone must believe that they are trying to achieve success if they are actually going to achieve success.
Just ask yourself these questions -
If he does not believe in the notion of "winning" this war in Afghanistan, then what exactly is he sending more troops in there to do?
Why is he asking more men and women to fight and die if it is not to win the war?
How can this war be of such vital importance to the country and yet we are not there to win?
How can it be a war of necessity and yet we will start to withdraw after only eighteen more months?
How can a country ever expect to prevail in a conflict if they have a set deadline for when that conflict is going to end - regardless of if the enemy is defeated by then?
The President clearly illuminated the challenges this country faces:
On one hand - a population that is distracted and disconnected from the sacrifices required for the pursuit of our national interests.
On the other hand - a President who's lack of experience clouds his judgment on how to achieve these national interests and, in fact, misinforms him on just what those interests are.
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