The Obama administration is close to announcing its decision to escalate the war in Afghanistan. Reuters reports that the "final number [of troops added to the war zone] could reach 35,000 once U.S. trainers are factored in, but estimates on the number of trainers vary widely. Obama would not be drawn out on specifics but said he would have an announcement on how to proceed after this week's Thanksgiving holiday."

This comes after months of deliberation where self-proclaimed leaders of the conservative movement have complained that Obama has been "dithering" in his decision to send more troops into the meat-grinder known as Afghanistan. General Stanley McChrystal, the Commander of U.S. Forces to Afghanistan, set off a firestorm of controversy from right-wing critics when his request for more troops was leaked to the public. The President's critics complained that he wasn't listening to the generals on the ground. Former Vice President Dick Cheney said the following:

I worry that there’s a lack of understanding of what this means from the perspective of the troops.... You know, if you’re out there on the line day in and day out and putting your life at risk on a volunteer basis for the nation and you see the Commander in Chief unable to or appearing to be unable to make a decision about the way forward here — you know that raises serious doubts.

Similarly, former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin joined in on the Beltway Right strategy of trying to retake the White House by rallying for "war, war and more war!" In an interview with Fox News's Greta Van Sustren, Palin complained that Obama was not escalating foreign quagmires fast enough for her.

I want to see ...  a surge strategy in Afghanistan.... I want our President and this administration to listen to the advisers who they hired ... McChrystal, for one, back in March, telling the President, "Here's what we're going to need there" and then ramping up that advice lately, saying, "Mr. President, here's what we need in Afghanistan to win, to make sure that those terror cells don't grow, so that those terrorists don't come back over to the homeland in America, on our soil, and kill innocent Americans."

Other top voices in the conservative movement repeated the neoconservative, pro-war stance that has come to dominate both the Republican Party and many activists on the Right. Notorious neocons William Kristol and Robert Kagan clamored for Obama to escalate the Afghanistan conflict in an article entitled "No Substitute for Victory: Don't abandon Afghanistan" featured in the neoconservative Weekly Standard.

Despite efforts by political operatives around the president to push him toward withdrawal now, the president may yet do the right thing — soon, please — and provide General McChrystal with the forces he needs to pursue decisive operations in 2010. And the president might put real effort into explaining his decision and the war's importance to the American people.

Tragically, it appears that Obama is doing exactly what his neoconservative critics desired. The Obama-enamored media is trying to spin the 35,000 troop escalation as a pragmatic compromise but Antiwar.com reports that the troop build-up only reflects how over-extended the U.S. Armed Forces are.

The Pentagon had maintained it only had a little over 30,000 troops in spare manpower however, so while President Obama’s escalation can be portrayed as a "compromise" the reality is it is about as large as the military could withstand. It will put America’s Afghan presence just over 100,000 troops, at a time when almost 120,000 troops remain in Iraq.

This is an increase in U.S. troop levels in Afghanistan of over 300 percent from 32,000 at the start of 2009. The cost alone associated with sending more forces over is staggering. Obama's Office of Management and Budget estimated the cost per for every additional service member at $1 million. Spending in Afghanistan on the war has more than doubled over the last year with $6.7 billion spent in June alone. Add this to the sickening fact that the United States just suffered the deadliest month in its eight-year war with 59 deaths in October. Civilian casualties have also been climbing up to 202 in September from 168 in August.

Obama vows that he will "finish the job" in Afghanistan to the cheers of warmongering neoconservatives but the simple question is: at what cost, Mr. President? How many more billions will be spent? How many more U.S. service members will perish or suffer serious injuries? And how many more innocent civilians need to die or be maimed in this endless military occupation/nation-building project? The administration refuses to answer those tough questions but it appears they are already planning to increase troop levels well into 2011.

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Flu-Bird said:

	Not a peace maker Obama is not a peace maker he is a fruad and his peace prize should be taken away and the peace prize commity should resign in disgrace
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November 25, 2009
Votes: +11

Loraine said:

	OBAMA/AFGHANISTAN I would like to take back my vote for Obama. THIS IS NOT CHANGE WE CAN BELIEVE IN!!!
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November 26, 2009
Votes: +10

Loraine said:

	afghanistan/obama I would like to take back my vote for Obama! THIS IS CHANGE WE CAN BELIEVE IN???? NO TO A L L DEMOCRATS in 1910 and 1012.
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November 26, 2009
Votes: +7

jsbar said:

... It is long past the time for Congress to remove from the Executive Branch all the powers that the President(s) have usurped from them and those that they willingly surrendered. The power to commit our armed forces to invasions without a Congressional declaration of war is clearly a violation of Article I. However, The Executive Branch (President(s) have written law(reserved to only the Congress) giving unto themselves unlawful power that is reserved for only the Congress, with nary a whimper from our traitorous Representatives of the people. Presidents are now usurpers and "Change we can believe in" President will be instrumental into the final transformation of the US into a presidential monarchy or dictatorship. The entire House of Representatives, the Senate and the Judiciary must be subjected to a wholesale housecleaning the country that we think we live in today will cease to exist. I remain astounded the ignorant ill informed voters that they are, still returned over 90% of these traitorous criminals to the Congress when they know they are no better than common criminals and worse than thieves. I fear it will too late by the time of the next election cycle to rectify what has been transpiring for decades under numerous president..

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November 26, 2009
Votes: +13

Donna said:

On the contrary... I find it most stunning to read so many angry comments, from Obama supporters, with regard to Obama's pending announcement about surging in Afghanistan. In all honesty, what did you expect?! He campaigned on this, he promised to 'shift' the war to Afghanistan and Pakistan. (Oh and we are not leaving Iraq anytime too soon or have you figured that one out yet?...) Where any of you paying attention? Or were you too busy believing in 'hope and change'??? Be careful what you vote for, you just might get it and you did. It was a clever ruse by the powers that be, the real power behind the Presidency, to choose Obama. The non-thinking masses just assumed because his skin color was different, his policies would somehow miraculously be different as well. (Everyone was too busy seeing this man as the first Black President, while many of us saw him as another White Elitist.) Most of you voted based on rhetoric and personality, and were not paying attention to what the man said. The collective intellectual deficit in this country is simply stunning... See you all in Iran (next stop for the war machine).

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November 26, 2009
Votes: +13

richard vajs said:

Selling out to the neocons? It is not a matter of left/right or liberal/conservative, it is a matter of whether one is corrupt or noncorrupt. America is deeply corrupt - our corporate capitalistic system has become terminally corrupt, our media is corrupt, our Israeli-centric foreign policy is corrupt. Even our situational beliefs such as believing that America has the right to use drones to kill groups of innocents in the hopes of maybe getting one "bad guy", are hopelessly corrupt. Offhand, I would say that 80% of Americans are corrupt. The rot is too deep to root out politically; just let it fall.

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November 26, 2009
Votes: +7

christian said:

Angry ? Next time, listen at the candidates. Or vote Cinthya McKinney. It's as Donna wrote. Everyone who listened to Obama's campaign or who read Obama's campaign web site (and understood it, it seems not be evident when one reads the comments about how Obama betrayed all of them) knew what was coming: more wars abroad, more repression and cower-ups at home. Obama's worse than Bush, and I told you so well before the election. Next time (if there is a next time), vote Cynthia McKinney, for example, a women of courage and convictions, not only with words, but with deeds.

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November 26, 2009
Votes: +2

jsbar said:

... I tend to agree with most of the comments stating that the voters got what they deserved if they thought Obama, the first black president was going to change things for the better. Your first clue should have been the republicans putting up John McCain to run against him. McCain didn't have a chance in hell of winning the election and the Republican Party knew it. It was a done deal between both wings of the same bird of prey. Obama was already packing his bags and measuring up the Oval office for his furniture in Sep 08. The election itself was just a formality. Now that you progressives, multiculturalists or whatever else you call yourselves have your first black president, Bill Clinton in black face, make sure you elect a woman next election cycle. I'm sure the Republican party will find a suitable candidate to run against Hilary in 2012. Only it will be the Democrats turn to throw the election.

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November 26, 2009
Votes: +4

David Smith said:

	... Lyndon Baines Obama.
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November 26, 2009
Votes: +2

mark aleshnick said:

	... The liar in chief has betrayed, we who were stupid enough to believe in him. Impeachment should not be an option. Haul his sorry as* before the Hague, along with the previous genocidal bunch and charge them all with crimes against humanity. Ever read the Constitution mr constitutional scholar? Probably too busy smoking ganja during class no offense intended toward ganja).
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November 26, 2009
Votes: +0

evisu jeans said:

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November 27, 2009 | url
Votes: +1

colonelgirdle said:

heartbreaking After voting for Nader in 2000 & 2004, I was dumb enough to fall for Obama's baloney. The Obamapologists keep pointing out that at least he's better than McCain or Bush, but the difference is really only very slight. With O's election, I suspect the powers that be got what they wanted all along: a frontman who would keep most the anti-war & economic equality forces at-bay while the rich continued to loot the nation. Obama is proving that being a minority doesn't automatically make one courageous or compassionate.

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November 28, 2009
Votes: +0

cheap supra shoes said:

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November 29, 2009 | url
Votes: +0