Troop Surge

The proposed increase in troop levels in Afghanistan has been a popular topic of debate lately, as the pertinence of the matter is growing. President Obama has been confronted and pressed to make a staggering decision as to whether more troops will be put on the ground in the region, or if we'll continue as we have. Through the recommendations of General McChrystal and other military specialists, an alleged forty thousand soldiers are to be placed in the inhospitable territories, to aid in the U.S. forces and quell the hostile resistance.
Obama, however, has been hesitant toward the proposition, for he is weary to endanger more lives than necessary. Simultaneously, he is responding not to the necessity as conveyed by our military leaders, but to public opinion. Poll numbers have appeared to dictate his actions more clearly than logic, for the difference in standings has delayed his decision. With fifty five percent of the population supporting a 10,000 troop increase, yet only forty three percent supporting the full 40,000, Obama is wary to make a decision that will further withdraw from his declining approval rating.
The issue that needs to be resolved is an issue of indecision. Soldiers are dying in a foreign land, for they are unequipped to successfully complete their mission. Obama needs to take immediate action, heeding the advice of his generals, and send the entirety of the recommended 40,000 troops over to quickly gain control of the region, or he needs to remove all brigades and bring them home. The soldiers on the ground currently have no opportunity to be victorious in their endeavors. It is the Commander and Chief’s job to supply them with a route to victory. If a democratic system and the general establishment of peace in the region is no longer a viable goal, we need to protect our men and bring them home.