Enter the contradictions.

Come on. If yer gonna establish a meme, at least know when to hide the truth.

Opening line:

Nobody waves at the soldiers here. Children do not crowd around the Humvees, asking for pens and candy, as they do in the rest of Afghanistan [emphasis added]. Even the girls throw rocks at passing U.S. military helicopters.

Later, this base suddenly becomes the norm:

To see how violent the war in Afghanistan has turned, look no further than the soldiers at this base [emphasis added].

Right. Look no further than the base that is unlike any of the other bases in Afghanistan. Great point. Later still:

These troops aim to put pressure on the Taliban, to go into areas where the U.S.-led coalition has not had a steady presence before [emphasis added].

WAIT a minute. Aren't we talking about everywhere in Afghanistan? No? But I thought...oh forget it. Once again:

And two days after that, on June 20, a medical convoy tried to give free medical help to the village of Sarbesa. Elders said the U.S. soldiers scared the women and children and asked the medics to hold their clinic outside the village. Only 30 people came. In other parts of Afghanistan, such clinics typically draw about 250 people.

''We would have been mobbed anywhere else,'' said Capt. Bill Adams, 36, who has a stash of candy and pens that no Afghans want to take. ''The people here are very guarded. It takes patience [emphasis added].''

Right. Mobbed anywhere else. But THIS base represents conditions in Afghanistan. You know, because that's where the reporter was. Does it matter if it's unlike the rest of the country? Of course not! That would ruin a good story. And, of course, this gem:

The Taliban has been entrenched here for years; so have the poppies and the drug traffickers.

Entrenched for years. Got it. But...no...wait - this story is about NEW violence in Afghanistan. The NEW rise of the Taliban...isn't it? So let's see what the main meme within the story is: Afghanistan is getting worse!

And the story is supported by...talking about a new base established where the Coalition has not been able to operate before...followed by numerous references to how receptive Afghans are elsewhere while they are only beginning to become receptive here.

I'm not really sure if I follow the logic. Afghanistan is SO bad we're now pushing to areas we've never before occupied. It's SO bad that, in these areas where we're just establishing a presence, the Afghans don't mob Coalition troops to ask for things...like they do everywhere else in Afghanistan. You know, where it's getting bad. Only not. Because we now have the ability to push to new regions. Because people ARE mobbing Coalition forces elsewhere. Losing track of the meme? Good. Me too.