Second Chances

[xoxoxoBruce]

I'm sure the grunts were tired of chasing ghosts with no discernible progress, with no strategy, plan or goal.

Yon is a blogger, beholding to nobody except the people that read his blog and contribute to his expenses.
He understands the military and the internal politics that make it tick... as well as the necessity of the media for winning hearts and minds. Not only here but more importantly in the middle East.
With his background and contacts, he is is a perfect position to be a shill for the pentagon and/or the administration.

That said, I trust his judgment and his reporting.

Having followed his reports for a couple years, I'm absolutely convinced he is reporting the true situation as honestly as he can. From the git go, he has pointed out the successes and failures of our policies and actions, in Afghanistan and Iraq.
He was quick to say we were leaving Afghanistan half finished, and Iraq had devolved to civil war. He did so without walking away in disgust, but looked for signs the leadership was getting a clue while continuing to report on the difficult job the US and Brit units were doing. He also reports on the various tribes, their peculiarities, and there relations with other tribes and our troops.
I've yet to see a tiny speck of him having any agenda beyond telling the truth.

[glatt]

Originally Posted by xoxoxoBruce

That said, I trust his judgment and his reporting.

I agree with alll of that, Bruce. But Yon is just one person. His reports are limited to what he is able to see himself. I won't say his reporting is purely anecdotal, because he does talk to a lot of people, but I'd feel much better if there were 100 Yons based all over Iraq, reporting what they see. Then I'd trust the big picture better.

The big picture to me is:

1. The Administration says things aren't that bad. I wish I could believe them, but they have lied so often in the past, their words have no value.

2. The media keeps reporting on all the violence, various car bombs, and the civil war, etc. etc. I see no progress in the war there.

3. Yon says things might not be so bad. They are moving very slowly in the right direction. I trust Yon, but I don't trust that he knows it all.

If the war is winnable (for a reasonable cost in blood and money,) then we should stay. We created this mess, so we should fix it. But if we are not making progress, then we should cut our losses and leave. I've said a couple times that I don't see any progress. Since then, Dwellars have posted a couple of stories and Yon blogs that hint at progress. I hope it's true, but I remain unconvinced. The stories coming out if Iraq are overwhelmingly negative.

[xoxoxoBruce]

You're right in there should be at least 100 Yons to cover the country, although he does get around a lot, traveling with the top non-com in the army.

I wonder if the reporting on all the violence, various car bombs, and the civil war, is mostly second hand reports, from deep in the Green Zone. Do they really know what's happening in the hinterlands? The old, build a thousand bridges and one falls down, which one makes the papers, routine.

I'm certainly not saying there isn't a shitload of trouble over there, or that there is a way to stabilize the country... or that I could personally do anything if there is. I'm just looking for reliable sources of information on what's happening and I believe Yon to be one.

Of course there is no reliable source on the big picture, except tw... he told me so.

[Flint]

Originally Posted by xoxoxoBruce

Of course there is no reliable source on the big picture, except tw... he told me so.

FACT: 85% of mental midgets confuse their emotions with reality. . . . . . . . . . . . . . I can't do it as good as glatt.