Reply #37: You make several assumptions without much evidence. [View All]

[Radical Activist]

First, we had the military power to keep troop levels up in Iraq. If there was anyone forcing the hand of Patreaus it was public pressure against the war, followed by Obama taking office. Both of those pressures exist today over Afghanistan.

Neither of us can read Patreaus' mind. But it really doesn't matter if he secretly wanted to stay in Iraq as you assume. He followed the plan of withdrawal, which is what a soldier should do when given direction by the civilian head of state. So, it's reasonable to think he's likely to do the same in Afghanistan where the President has set a date to begin withdrawal next year. Career military understand that they're supposed to put their personal feelings aside when a mission has been ordered and Patreaus knows he just replaced a guy who got fired for failing to do so.

You don't need to have hope. I think you'd reach stronger conclusions if you didn't always discount any positive signs and cynically make the worst assumptions. Realism would be a happy middle ground for you to settle on.