Barak Obama.. Change you can.. what? oh, not so much change I guess..

I'm not sure what to make of Barack Obama. He is a gifted orator for sure, and that's not a trivial matter in difficult times - a leader who can inspire hope, in an of itself is a major asset in motivating people to work through adversity.

However, more and more it becomes apparent that the job of government is not easy and that the mistakes that Bush Jr. made, that the Democrats suggested were so simple to correct, well, aren't so simple..

Today, Obama announced a further 4,000 troops being sent to Afghanistan, on top of the 17,000 troops he recently added. In discussing why he did this, he made the following statement:

"The United States of America did not choose to fight a war in Afghanistan. Nearly 3,000 of our people were killed on September 11, 2001, for doing nothing more than going about their daily lives. Al-Qaeda and its allies have since killed thousands of people in many countries. Most of the blood on their hands is the blood of Muslims, who Al-Qaeda has killed and maimed in far greater numbers than any other people. That is the future that Al-Qaeda is offering to the people of Pakistan and Afghanistan –- a future without opportunity or hope; a future without justice or peace.

"The road ahead will be long. There will be difficult days. But we will seek lasting partnerships with Afghanistan and Pakistan that serve the promise of a new day for their people. And we will use all elements of our national power to defeat Al-Qaeda, and to defend America, our allies, and all who seek a better future. Because the United States of America stands for peace and security, justice and opportunity. That is who we are, and that is what history calls on us to do once more."

Ok. Here's a first. A conservative saying, increasing military presence in Afghanistan is a mistake. Mr. Obama - you had it right the first time - a gradual withdrawal is the proper policy - as embarrassing as that may be. Yes, similarities with Vietnam will be raised, validly, and hopefully, the U.S. will learn from their mistakes in Vietnam, in Korea, and Iraq.. you can't impose change, you can only subtly support it where it is already coming from within.

As I've opined before, I think the war can't be won, because there isn't broad enough support of the people of that country. If a people truly don't accept the Taliban and Al Quaeda, they will, eventually, revolt and do the job that we're trying to impose upon them presently. The problem, as with so many misguided government initiatives, is that we want the McDonald's answer. We want it now - and sometimes, change and progress are evolutionary processes that have to find their own time. The Soviet Union did not fall because of military force, contrary to what the Reaganites try to suggest - it fell from within, it fell because they failed to deliver what their people needed - hope.

That being said - I can hardly wait to see how our Liberals and NDP parties react to the recent comments and plans of Obama.. I'm sure they'll be twisting themselves into pretzels trying to reconcile his plan with their own. Can the left speak out against the Obamasia? It will be interesting.

Indeed.