The Snickers Bar Theory of the Afghanistan War

An awesomely simple and truthful dissection of OEF-A, from Spencer Ackerman:

Ask yourself this: if there was no such thing as al-Qaida, would we ever fight the Taliban? If your answer is no, you understand where Biden’s coming from. But if your answer is yes, then let us visit the land of delicious candy.


Imagine a Snickers bar. The Taliban are the chocolate. al-Qaida is the precious gooey nougat inside. We care about the nougat. Nothing must get in the way of our pursuit of the nougat. The chocolate is in our way. So much worse for the chocolate.


The trouble with the Afghanistan war is that right now we care too much about the chocolate. You could make an argument that it’s worth caring about the chocolate because it’s better for us if the nougat goes uncovered. I found that compelling for a while, and to a degree still do. But we’re eating too much chocolate in southern Afghanistan; it’s hurting us in eastern Afghanistan; and it pulls us too deeply into the machinations of Afghan governance, which is like eating the wrapper.


Plus we’re finding out something significant in the drone war. We can eat a lot of nougat without eating any chocolate. The problem there (and also in Afghanistan) is that we also destroy innocent peanuts, with which the Taliban and al-Qaida deliberately intermingle. But we have a viable model for a nougat-centric strategy with minimal chocolate distraction. Biden, you’ll recall, pushed that model from the start.


There’s also a diplomatic reason for Biden to say the Taliban aren’t the U.S. enemy. Apparently, secret Taliban peace talks are at a critical juncture. Even if you don’t buy the Snickers Bar Theory of the Afghanistan War — and hey, look: I had to do this before Tom Friedman did — perhaps you’ll agree that we have an interest in ending the war through a peace deal, and if so, then Biden’s comment is useful to that effort. If you don’t agree that we actually do have an interest in a peace deal, then I’m afraid you’re advocating a chocolate-based diet that will lead to clogged American arteries.

Roses Baby!

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O

Occupy WTF?

I haven't honestly cared one way or the other about the self styled 99%. I can't believe its garnered so much media and pundit attention. Nor have I had to experience the tired chants and vapid bellowing of the new hippie generation first hand.

But I will say this....you're right to peaceably protest does not revoke my right of free passage. Any of these pale, rat bearded hygiene-free, Che shirt wearing knuckleheads keep me from getting to my place of employment, of home from said place....my fist might accidentally occupy the same space as their face.

Walk around with signs asking for free stuff all you wish. Camp on the sidewalk, feel good about your self-righteous intentions all you want.

Just don't dare and try to keep me from occupying the place where I earn a paycheck.

Quote of the Day

You cannot subcontract out the duties of President.

-Tea Party Nation...speaking of Herman Cain

Cain finally says something intelligent

GOP presidential candidate Herman Cain said he supports the ability of states to make medical marijuana available as a treatment for patients.

"If states want to legalize medical marijuana, I think that's a state's right," Cain said while campaigning in Iowa. "Because one of my overriding approaches to looking at all  of these issues -- most of them belong at the state, because when you do something federally ... you try to force one-size-fits-all."

MSNBC 

Oh look...an allegedly conservative show to rail against the allegedly conservative media

How far has true Conservatism fallen by the wayside when celebutwits have shows like this?

As we all know, Conservatives have few outlets in the media. Other than Fox News and a few talk radio shows, Conservatives are greatly outnumbered. TV talk shows and news programs are inundated with liberal robots spewing their hatred toward all-things-Conservative; so the folks at Patriot Update have created an alternative.

http://www.politichicks.tv/

As we all know, if the media were institutionally liberal, they'd do a far better job taking apart these hacks who really believe that they're Conservative.

They're not Conservative...they're Republican....huge difference. They're just not smart enough to realize it.

Why does Michelle Bachmann hate General Petraeus?

"Obama is allowing the ACLU to run the CIA" - Bachmann

I'm sure General Petraeus would be interested in that bit of information.

"The CIA is no longer interrogating anyone" - Bachmann

The High Value Detainee Interrogation Group would be interested in that sort of intelligence, no?

"Michelle Bachmann is an idiot" - Me

Duh....

Mad Max All-American Style!

The Local Motors Rally Fighter is literally the Frankenstein of the car world and looks like the love child of the Dark Knight’s tumbler and a Maserati Gran Turismo. If its arresting form seems strangely familiar to you, it’s probably because of the crowd-sourced origins of the Rally Fighter’s design, which utilizes a hodgepodge of parts sourced from a wide swath of major automakers. For example, you’d find the Rally Fighter’s door handles on the Mazda MX-5 Miata, taillights on the Honda Civic Coupe, steering column on Ford’s F-Series pickups and side mirrors on the Dodge Challenger.