"The First Signs of Vietnamistan"

From Paul at Celestial Junk:

The first signs of a failed strategy by a modern army from a liberal democratic state is that the troops begin to lose hope ... now that the first small signs are manifesting themselves in Afghanistan, it is indeed time for Obama to become a winner, to go in big as McChrystal calls for, or go home:

“The many soldiers who come to see us have a sense of futility and anger about being here. They are really in a state of depression and despair and just want to get back to their families,” said Captain Jeff Masengale, of the 10th Mountain Division’s 2-87 Infantry Battalion..."

It is entirely possible that the Times-online piece is simply a typical hit piece, where a tiny minority view is taken and grown out of all proportion ... but I've been picking up similar echoes from some of our own soldiers...