Five Paragraphs That Define Republican Strategy

The BBQ Pit
1

Here is the link to the article, and here is the article (bolding mine).

WASHINGTON (AP) – Defense Secretary Robert Gates will ask Congress on Wednesday to approve nearly $190 billion for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan in 2008, increasing initial projections by more than a third.

[Throw more money at the problem, and at the same time, give some more lucrative contracts to cronies before the next election.]

Defense Secretary Robert Gates will ask Congress to increase funding for the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.

[Pretend we are still looking for Osama in Afghanistan.]

In remarks prepared for a Senate hearing, Gates says the extra money is necessary to buy vehicles that can protect troops against roadside bombs, refurbish equipment worn down by combat and consolidate U.S. bases in Iraq.

[Act as if this is only needed for safety of the troops, so them liberals can’t veto it without looking like heartless assholes. Ignore fact that this is a bit late in the game to start worrying about it.]

A copy of the remarks was obtained by The Associated Press.
In that prepared testimony, Gates said, “I know that Iraq and other difficult choices America faces in the war on terror will continue to be a source of friction within the Congress, between the Congress and the president and in the wider public debate.”

[Make sure you continue to scare people and call it the “war on terror” and imply this is not just a war for oil in Iraq. Oh, and mention again how them liberal Dems are a bunch of terrorist loving idiots if they don’t vote for this.]

"Considering this, I would like to close with a word about something I know we can all agree on – the honor, courage and great sense of duty we have witnessed in our troops since September 11th.

[Wrap it up by hitting the hot buttons - imply you hate soldiers if you are against this and remind them of of our biggest fuck-up, the ace in the hole, the free-pass to all things costly and ineffective, the greatest excuse to re-write laws ever handed to us on a platter - that famous day of infamy, September 11th - and then hang your head solemnly and know you have them by the balls. Amen.]

2

Hmmm. Sorry, but on this one you’re very, very wrong.

How do you defeat an IED? You simply cannot continue to pile layers and layers of armor on vehicles and people - eventually both will stop moving. Meanwhile, the IEDs have been evolving into sophisticated weapons using shaped and armor piercing charges to inflict horrendous damage.

Technologies to remotely detect and disarm them are evolving, but aren’t perfect, not by a long shot. And even if we were to wrap up this war tomorrow, the next conflict we are in will have the same weapons aimed at us. Count on it.

So is it late in the day to be worrying about IEDs? Well, if the problems isn’t solved, you keep worrying. And while you can argue budget points all day, that particular point probably ought to be conceded.

If you like, some context for my remarks.

3

Well, one sure way to avoid getting blown up by an IED is to not be anywhere near it. Congress has been trying to work on that, but there’s a minority faction that can’t seem to get with the program.

4

I recall no faction trying to get us out of Afghanistan, and IEDs have been killing us there too.

I can understand you wanting to bail from Iraq, and I have seen you making noises about Afghanistan as well. Is this your solution to every problem our troops face? If so, I don’t think it is realistic.

5

It is late in the game as it was the Democrats who were screaming back when the war first started that troops were sent to Iraq with ridiculously outdated armor. There were articles about families collecting money to buy better equipment for their kids over there.

It is also a bit late in the game to pretend the billions of dollars they are now asking for will suddenly and miraculously find its way to research, development, production and delivery of better equipment - considering this has obviously not been a priority to date. What, they didn’t have the money or time to do this for the past 6 years?

6

Did you actually read the article I provided? It was pretty clearheaded about the difficulties involved in countering these weapons, as well as what the military might do to improve research in that area.

7

Oh yes, I read your propaganda article from the National Defense Industrial Association - gee, wonder if they have any ulterior monetary motives in all of this?

Instead of playing the “gee, it is going to be hard, and very expensive, to do this” game, how about explaining why this is only NOW suddenly a priority?
Didn’t hear a damned peep about it for the past several years.

Total bullshit and is only being tossed into the mix to ensure another batch of billions is fed into the White House favored contractors fund. Or should I assume $185 billion of that money will be spent on improving equipment? Ha!

8

Shouldn’t have been in Iraq in the first place, and we’re not getting much done in Afghanistan these days. The thing is that our military are excellent invaders and shitty occupiers (what occupiers aren’t, for that matter?). You can wave the flag and cry terrorism all you want, but we’re engendering this shit faster than we can fight it, and I think that putting a bunch of National Guard troops in harm’s way for some pissing contest is crimminally reckless.

9

Just now became a priority? You missed the big issue this has been for years now?

10

Such a big issue that nobody really did anything about it?

11

Bit of a Hobbe’s Fork there…if they started to do something about it, they would be implying something they didn’t want to admit. There was, nor is, no solution that can be immediately and directly imposed, right now. So, if five years ago, they started working on a solution, they would be admitting that they expected that the “dead enders” weren’t quite so dead. Why start working on a solultion for a three year problem when its all going to over in the next six months?

12

You. Have got. To be fucking. KIDDING me.

13

Are you an engineer? Can you get to work on this for us if you are one?

Can’t you understand that some problems cannot be easily fixed by merely throwing money at them?

IEDs are getting more and more deadly - the technology of them has been increasing by leaps and bounds. In fact, their name is somewhat of a misnomer now - they aren’t improvised much anymore. They are engineered to take out troops, and they have the backing of the military of a largish Middle Eastern country behind their design and manufacture.

Meantime, like I said, there are limits to how much something or someone can be armored - there are tremendous trade-offs in maneuverability, speed, and endurance. All of those losses can make one vulnerable to attacks as well. This goes for people and vehicles alike.

Now, if you can envision a technological advance that can crack this egg, bring it on. I’d love to see it. But if you haven’t personally done it, you might want to read up on these things before griping that it hasn’t been done yet.

This is a technological challenge. I’d put it right up there with code cracking in the pre-computer days, or the early days of space flight. It isn’t easy, and waving your hands and saying it should have been done won’t help.

14

BTW, a commonly used IED employed now sends a molten copper projectile at troops and vehicles at about 1km/s.

Got some armor that can handle that?

15

Which again brings me back to the point - since when has the White House given a holy damn? This is one more smoke screen to scam more money before the cash cow up and dies.

But I have to give you credit, Mr. Moto, for showing how easily it is to take a long litany of fuckups, cherry pick one little nugget, re-write history, dwell only on that point and keep harping on it until the other points have been forgotten. Excellent work. You have learned well from your masters.

But getting back to the original speech to be given tomorrow, I am just disgusted at one more attempt to rip off $$billions by scaring the bejesus out of the idiot masses (WAR ON TERROR, SEPT 11th!!) and hide behind fake patriotism (SUPPORT OUR TROOPS) - troops who have been treated like shit since the day there were sent there, by the same hypocritical people who now suddenly claim to be their biggest supporters. Ever notice the only people still banging the war drums are the ones who stand to make a financial profit?

If there is ever a US referendum to send Bush and his cronies to the Haag to be put on trial for war crimes, you can bet there will be a lot of nervous people hiding out in Crawford, Texas waiting to see the results of that vote.

In the meantime, the White House propaganda machine keeps churning out the same message; “Give us every single thing we ask for or else terrorists will be climbing into your bedrooms and raping your daughters, all because those sissy Democrats hate our brave troops.” All that is missing is for them to scream, “Boo!” to make people pee in their pants at the end of the speech.