Sen. Sanders has 'real problem' supporting Afghanistan troop increase
By David Sunday Nov 29, 2009 4:00pmYou can view this video right here by getting the latest version of Flash Player!
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Sen. Bernie Sanders hasn't heard President Barack Obama's proposal for how to move forward with the war in Afghanistan but he's already saying that he will have a "real problem" supporting an increase of 30,000 or more troops. "You have to put Afghanistan into the context of what's happening in America today. What's happening now, not only a trillion-dollar national debt, we're in the mid midst of the worst recession since the great depression," Sanders told ABC's George Stephanopoulos Sunday.
Cost estimates put the cost of escalation at $1 million per soldier each year.
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...have a problem, and don't vote any money to do it.
It's important to remember that, at this point, this is a voluntary war for us and it's well passed time to start doing cost/benefit analyses of it.
We're there because we choose to be there. We most certainly deserve the option of calculating whether it's worth it.
and how much it is costing.
To hell with the Pottery Barn Rule. Afghanistan was broken before we went in. We've made it worse. We cannot fix it. We need to get the hell out.
Republicans need to be forced to vote on funding the war after the public has been made aware of the costs. No more whining about how much social programs cost without mentioning how much military programs cost and how much the Pentagon loses track of annually.
Yep, they are given so much money that they lose enough to fund health care. They need to be put on the budget and they need to be cut down to a manageable level.
Of course, that won't ever happen. We've long past the point Eisenhower warned us about. The most we could hope for is to put the GOP on the hot seat by forcing them to vote on funding any escalation with a tax.
Thanks, you're middle paragraph is dead on. I think the public will rebel when they find out what this war will cost in money and blood while folks shuffle off to the unemployment line. Problem for dems is when the public finds out what mandatory healthcare will cost them without a public option or single payer plan.
..they've got no f-ing guts to do anything!
I'm starting, check that, I'm beyond the point of caring. These spineless ba$tards in Congress and the Senate won't stand up to the party of NO, won't keep their caucus in line, give joe LIE-berman committee chairmanships and bargain the Electorate's desires down to something useless.
obl is probably NOT in afghanistan, if he was, would we know it, would we care if only one more soldier didn't have to die while refereeing a civil war? w committs war crimes and no investigations, w screws up the afghanistan war, makes us less safe and what are these pin-heads going to do..make it worse and send more troops to their death all the while this country is reeling economically.
The next time we go to war..we better go to war. Whatever it is we're doing in Afghanstan and Iraq was pretty costly and stupid. As Mr. Miyagi said, "You karate do, YES. You karate do, NO. You karate do, so-so, squish!"
I found myself laughing out loud at the TV when I watched this discussion yesterday. Bernie Sanders on several occasions talked about the out of control spending and passing the cost of this war on to the next generation. He also talked about the need for a public insurance option to control rising health insurance costs. Graham never mentioned any concerns around paying for the war or concern over reigning in health care costs.
I bet if you brought in a bunch of people from other countries that knew nothing about our politicians, had them watch this interview, then ask them to identify who was the "conservative" they would guess wrong and pick the self proclaimed socialist Bernie Sanders.
What made the whole thing even more ridiculous was that I had just finished watching a bunch of Republican talking heads on CBS state that Republicans were physically conservative compared to out of control spending liberals.
Go figure. Only in Amerika...
Tom
just like the other one.
The basis for this war is oil pipelines and the russians and chinese are building them. Iraq is another oil war. both wars are profit centers. Add Iran, which is conveniently sandwiched between the two and you have the eventual third front in the war to capture the remaining oil reserves not being serviced by american or european oil companies.
no one can deny that this is the ultimate goal of the capitalist colonizers.
OIL!
All great armies go to Afghanistan to die.
Why increase troops; to what end? If they specifically came out and said Oil, at least America would get it and probably get behind it too, as everyone wants cheap oil. Other than that it is all crap; get the f*&^ out before more have to die for no good reason.
Agree completely with taxing the war; let's see who supports it when it hurts, especially those mofo Repuke teabaggers.
where empires go to die.
while the b00sh/chainey neocon generals plot their retirement as lobbyists and tv 'experts', they send the american future off to get wounded and die.
Obama needs to have a purge just like booschainey did.
Not necessarily "cheap" oil. Just control.
The money isn't even the most considerable point.
We need to declare victory and make an orderly exit.
If the oil companies want security for their pipeline let them pay the private army and let them deal with the Afghanistan government.
"No skin off my nose.
Oh wait, I forgot, I got leprosy."
equals 30 BILLION DOLLARS. Why are we there? What is our "mission" there? Why should we continue to stay? Are these sufficient reasons to spend this kind of money and commit these troops' lives in Afghanistan?
I know he didn't start this war, but President Obama needs to answer these questions to justify this amount of money which the U.S. can ill afford to spend.
I was heartsick when I heard Bush was going into Iraq. I don't want to feel the same Tuesday.
Hey Bernie, what's the big deal? It's only money.
Unless it's earmarked for the American people; then it's "socialism," and we can't have that, now can we?
i hereby dissolve the constitution of the united states, and create a monarchy with bernie sanders as king of america....
too bad we aint got more like him..............
we are in a world of hurt.....
And the thing that makes Bernie Sanders even better is that he would never accept such a position because Bernie Sanders believes in the the Constitution and power of the people.
LBJ tried to escalate the Viet Nam war and his Great Society without increasing taxes. He finally had to raise taxes and didn't run for re-election. I can't believe we are sending tens-of-thousands more troops to Afghanistan. Westmoreland said with troop increases the war would be over by the end of 1967. I wonder if Obama is getting similar promises.
This is insanity. No more lives for lies!
That's the typical response you'll get from a warmonger republican. To hell with all the problems here. War is much more fun and interesting.
there is a ton of money to be made from that million dollars per soldier each year.
that ton of money goes to the few who are smart enough to know that america is an imperialist nation and there is money to be made from our imperialism.
even ike knew that 50 years ago.
americans love affair with capitalism and imperialism and super power status has proved one point. all three lead to bankruptcy and moral decline.
the repubs worry about the gays while they kill people including women and children all over the world. aint reigion great?
christianity died on the cross
the only thing that will stop this country's imperialism and war mongering is a complete economic meltdown.
the southern states take pride in supplying the military with their young to fight these wars for profits. ie then call their young heroes for killing others in our wars for profits.
Vermont is wonderful. South Carolina is a shit hole.
a little Bitch! When it comes to helping out people in America all you can do is bitch about the cost and vote NO every time. When it comes to finding money for a Lost War, You guys find lots of money. If any asshole in congress wants to keep this war going, Sent Your Kids First. I voted for obama. hell he was better than that 2 faced McNut and the milf that was running. He had a good LINE. Now we see that he has given the country to walstreet. Will not get out of the 2 wars he said was going to get out of. Will not close getmo, and put an asshole in charge of afghanistan. Hey christoll, you want to tell America why YOU were the main jetk who covered up PAT TILMANs MURDER.
obama, do this and cant pull it off, one term is all you will get, And the US will not ever see another black man in the whitehouse ever. You said change, tell me just change are you making. The change will be the millions of people who voted for you and now will just stay home next time. You are handing over our country to the repugs, thanks a lot.
Following President Obama's "troop increase" speech tomorrow night, I GUARANTEE we'll hear Conservatives complaining about how "Obama is legislating defeat" or otherwise is "unwilling to do what it takes to win in Afghanistan."
I mention this because after this "surge", there will be roughly 68,000 U.S. troops in Afghanistan... FIVE TIMES the 13,000 that were there when he took office less than a year ago.
has a real problem with this insanity!
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