There is outrage in the world of politics tonight. Outrage in the world of media as well. Who could imagine that the first few paragraphs of an article in the current issue of Rolling Stone Magazine would/could change the face of a war. That is the decision that weighs hard and heavy on President Barak Obama as he prepares to meet with his head man in Afghanastan, General Stanley McChrystal. The main topic of discussion: The public dissing of the Commander-In-Chief in newsprint, saying that he found Obama "uncomfortable and intimidated" upon first meeting with McChrystal and a bevy of military hard-hitters. In addition, a reference to Vice President Joe Biden as Joe "bite me" by the General's chief-of-staff, referring to having dinner in Paris with a French minister as "fucking gay", and an overall disdain for all things authoritative and dignified unless created by said General.
The schrapnel that is the Rolling Stone piece has already caused some serious collateral damage. The future of the direction of the war will be decided tomorrow should the President decide to accept or not accept the General's resignation. Counterinsurgency, a.k.a. COIN has McChrystal's mark all over it in Afghanastan in the same fashion as a dog marking a tree.
Should Obama can the General does he also can the COIN? Is it worth it to virtually scrap current policy in this greatly fractured region of the world and start from scratch AGAIN?Is the criticism from both the left and the right worth it just to save face? Can the American taxpayer stand to watch as Congress allots additional billions and trillions of dollars to a war that seems to have no direction, not to mention a definitive plan for an outcome?
Should Obama keep the General in charge, what might the collateral damage be then? The President perceived to be weak, thus confirming McChrystal's "intimidated" theory? The pundits to speculate openly about who is really in charge of this war? The left and the right pointing fingers at each other? All of the above and more?
This is what I suggest the President and all Americans do: Read the article ("The Runaway General"). Read the whole thing, not just the infalmmatory parts pertaining to the Administration. Pay attention to what the reporter, Michael Hastings learns, observes, and reports. Pay attention to how America is going about fighting this war, how our allies are throwing up their hands in disgust, how our fighting men have become frustrated and angry over how this current doctrine forces them to do battle with one hand virtually tied behind their backs in order to minimize casualties. Pay attention to the loss of life incurred by our troops because of said doctrine.
General McChrystal is no angel, but he's not the devil either. This is war and war is hell. The rules of engagement have changed, but it is war nontheless. Tomorrow the world will find out just how much our President can stomach. Tomorrow may be the day that changes the face of a war. And the shape of a presidency.
Read the whole thing before you form an opinion.
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Sunday, June 20, 2010
In The Beginning
Greetings and salutations! This is the first of many posts that I will be displaying on my new site. It is time to "unplug" myself and let my hair down (what little of it that is on my head!) Some of you may have questions as to why I decided to start this.
Q: What got you started?
A: I was looking to write a little more than just a reply on The Huffington Post. The article, written by entrepreneur Russell Simmons dealt with an amendment that Congress was considering passing that would pass the fees associated with small debit card purchases to the consumer rather than the business absorbing this cost. The business, in turn could either accept or refuse debit card payments for under the targeted amount and/or reward customers for using cash or credit for these purchases. I will go further into detail about this later, but this is how I got started with this blog.
Q: What else?
A: Well, I had a life-changing event that occurred on June 7th...that's for another post. To be continued.
Q: What do you plan to cover on this blog?
A: Everything! Well, everything that pops in my head, that is. Hence the name Mark Unplugged. You see, I consider myself a creative person, but lately, my creative juices have been reduced to a trickle and I don't like that.
So kick back, relax, get ready to smile, laugh, cry, and by all means, comment!
This Just In: On http://www.zoxsy.com/, my brother, Mo is #1 in the adult contemporary music category! Go Mo! Check out this site if you like music. BTW Mo will be appearing tomorrow on the streets of NYC playing some of his original tunes and some you may know well. I am going to go down and lend my support. He will be at the Dana Discovery Center Plaza at Central Park (West 110th St and Malcom X Blvd) 12 sharp! I will film and post to this site as well as YouTube.
For more information, visit http://www.makemusicny.org/
Speaking of music, I'm making it a point to start creating some of my own in the not too distant future. Look out for pix of blisters on my fingers!
Favorite Things, Places, Spaces Today:Ever Increasing Faith, Oven Fried Chicken, Black Eyed Peas (not the group), the Yonkers Waterfront, Zoxsy
Fathers Day: Happy Fathers day to all the fathers out there. I did not grow up knowing my father and to the best of my knowledge, never laid eyes on him, which makes me sad. I mean, don't you think that I should have the opportunity to celebrate this day like others do? It's not like I'm the only one that has this dilemma. There are millions of children of deadbeat dads that don't exactly know what to do on Fathers Day. In reality my mom, Ida Cobb was both my mother and my father and I must say, she did a damn good job (although she would most likely slap me for saying "damn"). We lost her in 1995 but she is never too far from my thoughts. Thank you mom for everything you did for me.
Back to the deadbeat dads...I have a solution on how we can celebrate the holiday...have our own holiday! The name of the new holiday is...Baby Daddy Day! Baby Daddy Day would be celebrated on the Monday after Fathers Day, because baby daddy doesn't deserve to have a day off to celebrate! Baby daddy needs to go to work! Appropriate gifts for baby daddy would be a gift certificate for one free cup of coffee at Dunkin' Doughnuts, but no doughnut! How about batteries for the digital camera you didn't get him? How about a t-shirt with nothing on it? Or #1 on the front and #2 on the back! And nothing says happy Baby Daddy Day like a framed picture of you and your mom smiling and holding his bounced check!
Let's not forget about the card: "The roses died, the skies are grey, it must be Baby Daddy Day!"
Or: "The lights are turned off and mom's a wreck because you bounced another check!"
Let's make this happen America! Next year, let's celebrate Baby Daddy Day!
Mark
Q: What got you started?
A: I was looking to write a little more than just a reply on The Huffington Post. The article, written by entrepreneur Russell Simmons dealt with an amendment that Congress was considering passing that would pass the fees associated with small debit card purchases to the consumer rather than the business absorbing this cost. The business, in turn could either accept or refuse debit card payments for under the targeted amount and/or reward customers for using cash or credit for these purchases. I will go further into detail about this later, but this is how I got started with this blog.
Q: What else?
A: Well, I had a life-changing event that occurred on June 7th...that's for another post. To be continued.
Q: What do you plan to cover on this blog?
A: Everything! Well, everything that pops in my head, that is. Hence the name Mark Unplugged. You see, I consider myself a creative person, but lately, my creative juices have been reduced to a trickle and I don't like that.
So kick back, relax, get ready to smile, laugh, cry, and by all means, comment!
This Just In: On http://www.zoxsy.com/, my brother, Mo is #1 in the adult contemporary music category! Go Mo! Check out this site if you like music. BTW Mo will be appearing tomorrow on the streets of NYC playing some of his original tunes and some you may know well. I am going to go down and lend my support. He will be at the Dana Discovery Center Plaza at Central Park (West 110th St and Malcom X Blvd) 12 sharp! I will film and post to this site as well as YouTube.
For more information, visit http://www.makemusicny.org/
Speaking of music, I'm making it a point to start creating some of my own in the not too distant future. Look out for pix of blisters on my fingers!
Favorite Things, Places, Spaces Today:Ever Increasing Faith, Oven Fried Chicken, Black Eyed Peas (not the group), the Yonkers Waterfront, Zoxsy
Fathers Day: Happy Fathers day to all the fathers out there. I did not grow up knowing my father and to the best of my knowledge, never laid eyes on him, which makes me sad. I mean, don't you think that I should have the opportunity to celebrate this day like others do? It's not like I'm the only one that has this dilemma. There are millions of children of deadbeat dads that don't exactly know what to do on Fathers Day. In reality my mom, Ida Cobb was both my mother and my father and I must say, she did a damn good job (although she would most likely slap me for saying "damn"). We lost her in 1995 but she is never too far from my thoughts. Thank you mom for everything you did for me.
Back to the deadbeat dads...I have a solution on how we can celebrate the holiday...have our own holiday! The name of the new holiday is...Baby Daddy Day! Baby Daddy Day would be celebrated on the Monday after Fathers Day, because baby daddy doesn't deserve to have a day off to celebrate! Baby daddy needs to go to work! Appropriate gifts for baby daddy would be a gift certificate for one free cup of coffee at Dunkin' Doughnuts, but no doughnut! How about batteries for the digital camera you didn't get him? How about a t-shirt with nothing on it? Or #1 on the front and #2 on the back! And nothing says happy Baby Daddy Day like a framed picture of you and your mom smiling and holding his bounced check!
Let's not forget about the card: "The roses died, the skies are grey, it must be Baby Daddy Day!"
Or: "The lights are turned off and mom's a wreck because you bounced another check!"
Let's make this happen America! Next year, let's celebrate Baby Daddy Day!
Mark
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