Let's say there is a fellow in your neighborhood that really doesn't like you. One day he comes over to your house, grabs you, and throws you in a deep box he keeps in his basement. Before you know what is happening, he starts to dump bagels on top of you. I'm not talking about a dozen, several dozen or even one hundred. No, he's dumping thousands and thousands of bagels into the box.
At first, he seems satisfied with around 30,000 bagels. However, since you aren't groaning as much as he had hoped for, he throws in another 30,000. Later he adds another 20,000 and then 20,000 on top of that.
As each load of bagels tumbles into the box, they thump you in the head, the torso and all over your body. In time, though each one doesn't weigh very much, the aggregate weight bears down on you. In fact, the total weight is so heavy that you can hardly move.
By now, you're not merely groaning, you are shrieking in agony. You beg for mercy. Your captor tells you that he doesn't want you to think that he's such a bad guy, so to show his benevolence, he promises to remove 10,000 of the bagels...by the end of the year. But that's not all! He wants you to know that he genuinely feels your pain, so he promises to remove an additional 20,000 or so bagels by the conclusion of the subsequent year.
Here's my question for you. If you found yourself in this kind of situation, do you think the promise of taking 30,000 bagels out of your boxed prison within 18 months would engender warm feelings toward your captor?
At first, he seems satisfied with around 30,000 bagels. However, since you aren't groaning as much as he had hoped for, he throws in another 30,000. Later he adds another 20,000 and then 20,000 on top of that.
As each load of bagels tumbles into the box, they thump you in the head, the torso and all over your body. In time, though each one doesn't weigh very much, the aggregate weight bears down on you. In fact, the total weight is so heavy that you can hardly move.
By now, you're not merely groaning, you are shrieking in agony. You beg for mercy. Your captor tells you that he doesn't want you to think that he's such a bad guy, so to show his benevolence, he promises to remove 10,000 of the bagels...by the end of the year. But that's not all! He wants you to know that he genuinely feels your pain, so he promises to remove an additional 20,000 or so bagels by the conclusion of the subsequent year.
Here's my question for you. If you found yourself in this kind of situation, do you think the promise of taking 30,000 bagels out of your boxed prison within 18 months would engender warm feelings toward your captor?
When Obama came into power, there were roughly 35,000 American troops in Afghanistan. Within two years, he tripled that number. Now, Obama announces that 10,000 soldiers will come home by the end of 2011, and 33,000 by the end of next summer. He surges twice, pulls back once, and declares it a successful withdrawal, as promised. I’m sure glad Obama’s not my accountant, or both of us would be arrested for fraud, but wait a sec, Obama is my accountant, and my banker, and my president.
~ from Sentimental Mass Murderer by Linh Dinh ~
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