The Wisdom of Salamiman

Related Link » Judgment of Solomon
“After some deliberation, King Solomon calls for a sword to be brought before him. He declares that there is only one fair solution: the live son must be split in two, each woman receiving half of the child. [...] In the end, Solomon, by his wisdom, avoids the destruction of the subject matter of the dispute (the baby). There is no reason to believe that destruction was ever his intent [i.e., he was bluffing].”
— based upon the Biblical passage in 1 Kings 3:16-28

Related Link » A little learning is a dangerous thing
“A little learning is a dangerous thing;
drink deep, or taste not the Pierian spring;
there shallow draughts intoxicate the brain,
and drinking largely sobers us again.”
— Alexander Pope, An Essay on Criticism

Full Disclosure: I do not pretend to know what our "best" strategy for the war in Afghanistan should be. That doesn't necessarily preclude, however, the possibility that I could have useful insight for the decision making process currently ongoing.

So, as I see this rather complicated scenario, there appear to be two opposing schools of thought. There is the position advocated by the Commanding General McChrystal, which involves a troop surge a la the successful one in Iraq. Then, there is the minimalist view (in terms of troop strength) advocated by the Commanding Jester Biden. Despite the disproportionate military expertise of these opposing views, it is not a given which view is to be favored. It depends almost entirely on the objective of the Decider-in-Chief Obama. There's the rub, so to speak.

All eyes are on the "King Solomon" of this exercise in theatrics, for if The Obama remains true to form, His likely objective is to be compared favorably to the Biblical wise man. Nothing is beyond the reach of a Nobel Lariat, capable of snagging prizes with the flick of a wrist.

Our Hero is a churchgoing Man, so it is likely He is familiar, at least superficially, with the Judgment of Solomon. The key, however, is whether or not He understands that Solomon was bluffing. My guess? It's 50/50. I think The Obama will end up "splitting the baby" like a man slicing salami. His brand of "wisdom" will be to allocate more troops than Biden requires, but not enough to make it possible for McChrystal's plan to succeed. The worst of both worlds, especially for our troops.

h/t Theo

Post #964 The Wisdom of Salamiman