"....one sergeant tells McChrystal: "Sir, some of the guys here, sir, think we're losing, sir." "

Thanks, I would settle for a snood-repellent emoticon. He's supposed to have left in a huff anyway. No idea why he lingers.

You might not gather that all of us posting recently do NOT agree.

Be so thoughtful as to not try to make others shut up.

Thanks, appreciate it. With one trying exception the guys and gals here are a fun crowd. Do you have any predictions on Afghanistan war developments?

We respect Snood, when or if not we agree with him.

So far, you present as buffoon. Containing your venom would be a good idea.

electro, for the sake of your self-actualization, I suggest you click on my name/avatar bringing up my home page. under my image you will 3 buttons. one of those buttons says "ignore" use it in good health.

I should add, I might agree with you on this or that. But ramp it down, work on arguments. I say this as a bad arguer, myself. Learning to argue well is somewhat what a2k is about.

I don't know him from anywhere except this thread. I'm not interested in sheer negativity so I wish he'd do as he said, stay away and ignore me.

But the instructions he gave were how to ignore him.

I looked it up. How would ignoring you help with any of this?

Are we talking about the same "he"? I don't want to ignore Dyslexia. I see no reason to, he actually makes a positive contribution.

Dys is super bright and educated. He tends for various personal reasons to post shortly, and sometimes snappily. When he posts longer, it's a delight. Listen to him, if you catch his ear, no matter if you agree at the time.

Thanks I'm sure you're right but my focus isn't on personalities. See my headline here, I agree with that sergeant. I'm glad McChrystal is out of that snakepit and I hope Petraeus will stick to the original plan and get everyone out by July 2011. I couldn't care less if the Taliban takes over Afghanistan.

But we got to be realistic about how we got into 2 disastrous wars (WMDs in Iraq, anyone?) not just to get out of them with as few casualties as possible but also to squelch mad talk of opening a 3rd front http://able2know.org/topic/153502-1#post-4186829

Dyslexia, you didn't reply so I had to think about your advice some more. Whatever else about you I'm convinced you're an honest man. Unlike the peremptory empty suits who run away the moment their statements are proved to be nonsense. Gungasnake is one such, this one is another http://able2know.org/topic/153013-5#post-4180809 and there's plenty more on this thread alone. I've met other honest posters here but I'm writing to you because I think I finally got what you meant in that message. William James (unlike his brother the bore a brilliant man) put it better than I ever could:

I will comply with your wish to ignore you and extend it to everyone else here because I understood your warning as meaning that the "cloud" William James spoke of is contagious. Thank you. Fare thee well.