As the country gears up for President Obama's long-awaited decision on Afghanistan, Helene Cooper's New York Times story-headline of November 25th trumpeted, "Obama Will Use West Point as Backdrop to Present Afghan Strategy." The operative word here is "use." Yes, Obama will use--as in exploit and manipulate--the United States Military Academy and its future 2nd Lieutenants in order to promote the illusion that he is a president who can identify with the soldiers of whom he is Commander-In-Chief, and that he understands their mission. No matter that he hasn't had much time to speak to their General or that he probably won't find himself able to approve an increase in their budget. One wonders how Obama will even talk about the mission when his administration has whitewashed war talk from its vocabulary.Obama must be counting on these facts receding into the background as his backdrop provides the necessary visual to persuade the American public that Obama...(Read Full Post)