Obama not unlike Benedict Arnold

President Obama’s selection of West Point for his Afghanistan speech was entirely appropriate. In the summer of 1780, Benedict Arnold betrayed George Washington’s movements and offered to surrender West Point to the British. This betrayal would have allowed the British to divide the colonies and force Washington’s retreat from his position in New York. It may have cost us the loss of the American Revolution.

With his characteristically political decision to announce an attack and intent to retreat by a specific date, Obama has, like Arnold, offered our enemies an opportunity to demoralize our military and divide our country and allies in the face of a resolute and fearless enemy. The big picture that many Americans ignore at their peril is that if we lose Afghanistan we lose nuclear-armed Pakistan and that means World War III. If you want to see what the aftermath of that might be like, go see the movie “The Road,” or “Testament,” (1983) and you’ll see the consequences of leaders without principle.

David Meyering

Arlington