America Has Been Launching Wars and Losing Them for Virtually the Entire 21st Century

The original name for OIF was Op Iraqi Liberation (OIL) until an aide noticed it and realized it didn't look good. The folks actually in charge were former oil execs with briefcases. The military and later Ambassador were just facilitators. A good documentary was done by Rachel Maddow "Why we did it" Part 1 and 2. Forget the source if it offends you but the content is factual and has been vetted. It gives a good overview of how things took shape from the onset. It's nothing new because the military has been a tool for capitalism expansion of US historically from Banana Wars in S. America, and even before, till now. Some were more deeply rooted in communist or nationalist expansion such as WWI, WWII, and Korea and others were less so. Matters not because the military answers the call regardless. It only becomes a problem when the suits prevent the military leaders from fully prosecuting the strategy or when they enter into conflicts without a clear objective or exit strategy.

This has been an ongoing issue since the Koran war. It is not a matter of the Troops, or the Generals it is a matter of America being the world Police and going to "War" with no defined goals. Political hacks sitting in Washington being good idea fairies telling those in the mud and on the seas how they should be fighting. Bombs only being dropped at tea time so some Political Aid can pull out a watch and say yep right now so and so is being bombed arnt I important.

Setting the ROE to such an insane response level that half your team has to be dead before they will call someone on the other side of the planet to ask for permission to send you aid... and then have them deny it because they were not briefed on that mission so it really isn't happening.

Want to win a War, start by telling everyone in Washington if they don't want to hump the dirt with you then STFU and let us do our job. Washington sets the goal they should not get to tell us how to achieve it. You can tell me what you want done or you can do it your self but you don't get to tell me how you want me to do it.

just my two cents.

it's a bit of a loon read and it does bring out interesting ideas...
One of the Key issues not really addressed is the way that Congress and State Department Hamstring the troops and not let them really win a war...