ABC News pulls story alleging deliberate falsification planned for Petraeus report

[Berzerker]

There's a couple of ways to read this paragraph.

1) These generals "expect to report enough progress" because they plan to lie.

2) These general "expect to report enough progress" because they believe in what they're doing and are optimistic about how things will turn out.

and 2 is the logical reading

[Slaughtermeyer]

Originally posted by Berzerker


and 2 is the logical reading

General Petraeus admitted that the troop surge has only a one in four chance of succeeding. That doesn't sound like optimistic to me, although it may be optimistic compared to the real chances of the surge succeeding.

Is it logical to expect something to succeed when you believe that there's only a one in four chance of it actually happening?

And before you argue semantics, the surge is succeeding if it is making progress. It is not succeeding if it is not making progress.

[Berzerker]

he didn't say they would succeed by sept, just that he expects enough progress to justify continuing the surge

semantics

[Slaughtermeyer]

Originally posted by Zkribbler


There's a couple of ways to read this paragraph.

1) These generals "expect to report enough progress" because they plan to lie.

2) These general "expect to report enough progress" because they believe in what they're doing and are optimistic about how things will turn out.

I'll admit that there's even a possibility that when Cheney said the insurgency was in its last throes he really believed it and was optimistic about how things will turn out. But I don't think the chances of that are much higher than Baghdad Bob being optimistic about how things would turn out when he made his pronouncements.

[Berzerker]

dont compare Cheney to the general, or anyone else for that matter

[Patroklos]

Is it logical to expect something to succeed when you believe that there's only a one in four chance of it actually happening?

When did he say that? Like Jon said, you modify your expectations as you observe how things are going.

Do you even have a job?

[Slaughtermeyer]

Originally posted by Patroklos


When did he say that? Like Jon said, you modify your expectations as you observe how things are going.

He said that during the beginning of the year, prior to the

negative trend the war has taken since then according to the latest intelligence assessment.

Do you even have a job?

That's an ad hominem attack if I've ever seen one. Why should my employment status affect my credibility? But I'll answer your question anyway. I'm self employed, but have done so well that I'm seriously considering early retirememt.

[Kuciwalker]

@ Patty, for making me agree with Slaughtermeyer.

[Patroklos]

That's an ad hominem attack if I've ever seen one. Why should my employment status affect my credibility?

It most certainly is not. Anyone with a job other than flipping burgers would understand how deadlines and expectations are changed according to the status/progress of the project being worked on and that part of the reason you have your job is becasue you have the expertise and to make future predictions one way of the other.

Though you seem to have absolutely no problem with him predicting probable failure before the thing even started, with NO data.

If my boss (Congress/President) asked me how my (GEN Petreaus) project (Iraq) was going and I told him "you know I have no idea, I'll let you know when I am done" I would be fired.

But I'll answer your question anyway. I'm self employed, but have done so well that I'm seriously considering early retirememt.

What do you do?

@ Patty, for making me agree with Slaughtermeyer.

That is up to you, somehow I doubt that is the truth.

[Kuciwalker]

Originally posted by Patroklos
It most certainly is not.

Yes it is, go look it up. And your next sentence was an appeal to authority, another fallacy.

[Krill]

Spam. It is all Sluahgtermeyer deserves.