Just as President Obama discusses the idea of putting Afghanistan more in charge of its own security, Central European troop contributors, despite growing casualties, mull sending more soldiers and equipment to the country.

With around 2,000 soldiers in the Ghazni province, Poland is leading the Central European pack. The country is mulling an increase of its contingent as generals complain at insufficient staffing and equipment, even blaming politicians for underfunding that may have led to several recent deaths of Polish soldiers.

The Czech Republic is also planning to boost its contingent in 2010 to about 600 from more than 300 at present, adding a combat helicopter squadron supposed to train Afghan pilots. The use of refurbished Russian-design helicopters means Afghan forces should have no problems flying them.

Southeastern EU state Bulgaria, which has troops in Afghanistan, has no intention of cutting them despite tough times and budget woes. Romania, which is exiting Iraq, also agreed to increase deployment in Afghanistan.

Officially, Poland is still thinking about how to respond to the call by U.S. commander in Afghanistan Gen. Stanley McChrystal for more than 40,000 troops. There’s been speculation in the Polish media that the country has already responded, even though there is nothing official neither from the office of the prime minister, which would need to make a formal request, nor the president who approves it.

Do us a favor — work out your daddy issues with a shrink, and stay the fuck away from the government. You’re correct that one of us is living in reality. You’re wrong about which one. Your not-much-to-begin-with intellect has been overwhelmed by your overactive imagination, and you’re being manipulated accordingly. WAke the fuck up.

I think they know that and they will evolve. Afghanistan and Pakistan are problems that need to be solved together. Pakistan is fragile enough without having an even more out of control state next door.

Oh, grow up. They succeeded once. They cannot use that method of attack again, as all sorts of protocols have been changed in response. “Burning cities”? Such as where? Even in Israel, which is right in their midst, they can’t do much more than explode the occasional suicide bomb. To prevent these mosquito bites, we should spend tens of billions of dollars, not to mention the lives lost?

And you call yourself a “conservative”? What is it you claim to be conserving?

The war tax should be progressive, because the richest have benefited from the war (think oil/Halliburton investors). Now it’s time to claw back the money.

I appreciate Obey’s suggestion that everybody be taxed at least 1% with the richest taxed 5%.

I’m OK with taxing the middle class and the poorest 1%, because they need a wakeup call that war is not free.

I guess you missed the headlines–we are out of the recession. Check GDP numbers–they’re positive. This is called a recovery–the word starts the same …

Lowering taxes during a war? Bad idea. (Unless you are a foreign lender who is happy to see higher and higher interest rates on the loans you extend to the low-tax-while-in-war-USA to fund their war-worsened budget deficits.)

Conservatives are always telling us don’t raise taxes, cut the spending instead. Now it is time to apply that philosophy to our foreign wars.

So, if you don’t want to pay for the wars, what is your exit strategy?

Hope we get a clue as to the mission in Afghanistan…