All Out of Love
23 November 2009 12:18 pm by Lake Lady
I always appreciate what James Fallows has to say. He brings alot of knowledge to the conversation,unlike the usual suspects on the chattering shows.
I also appreciate a President who will change his mind when presented with new facts or knowledge. I get the feeling that Obama does not want to send any more troops and wants to figure a way out of Afganistan but is under enormous pressure from the military and from hawks in his administration. It goes against what we already know of him for him to be able to pull it off if that is he is thinking.
I would love for him to show the same rethinking of his economic team. Robert Reight (sp) said yesterday on ‘This Week’ that Geithner was not going anywhere. I would like to see both Geithner and Summers go,especially Summers. I don’t think either has a clue about main street,not a clue.
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Rep. David Obey finally steps up to the plate and he deserves a pat on the back. Two of the more ludicrous reasons given by the Administration for why we need to stay and fight in Afghanistan are that “Afghanistan and Pakistan are a theater” (AFPAK) and that we need to “disrupt, dismantle and destroy al Qaeda.” Every expert agrees that there are maybe 100 al Qaede fighters left in the country which means that they have already been “disrupted, dismantled and destroyed.” Al Qaeda is in Afghanistan, Pakistan and 100 odd other countries. Does that mean that all of these countries are a part of this “theater?” (AFPAKYEMSUPHILINDO,etc) The National Debt is about $12 trillion dollars today. 49.37% of that debt is owned by the Federal Reserve Bank (a private corporation) and 27.90% is owned by foreign countries (China owns 24.7% and Japan 20.66% the two largest debt holders). The interest on that debt for 2010 will be $700 billion dollars (5.8% interest). We cannot afford to add to that $12 trillion dollar debt or the $700 billion in interst (1/2 of which goes into the pockets of the private owners of the FRB) by continuing to add the debt by fighting the unnecessary and illegal war in Afghanistan. Those who want to keep the war going should be taxed directly using a surtax as Obey proposes. Maybe $5000 each in 2010? And they should supply the human victims to be sent to do the fighting. Perhaps members of their own families? Peace
100 al Qaede (sic) fighters left in the country which means that they have already been “disrupted, dismantled and destroyed Imhotep
Certainly there are more than a few ‘other’ concerns –
but as I recall – it was a lot less than “100″ guys who took down the WTC. It only takes one nutcase – and that area seems to be ‘Nutcase Central’ right now (not counting the Republican caucus). BtW – that ‘border’ between Afghanistan and Pakistan is a white-guys invention. It has almost nothing to do with region reality – or so I’m told.
Did anyone else feel the quiet ’shock’ from everyone there in the studio (The View), when Woody Harrelson declared that Afghanistan was “all about a pipeine” ?
“pipeline”, of course.
(damn Coke on the keyboard)
That “pipeline” that Harrelson referenced has been a Haliburton/Cheney project since the Russian’s left. It was the reason that Afghanistan was invaded by bush in the first place. It’s the reason that everyone to the Right of Naomi Klein wants the country to be ’stabilized’. Anyone who believes that the war in Afghanistan had/has anything whatsoever to do with the average ‘Joe’ either there or here is delusional. $$Billions in $opium and $oil is all. Peace
Bush’s initial hit and invasion of Afghanistan was NOT about the pipeline. If it had been Bush-Cheney wouldn’t have dropped Afghanistan like a hot rock, making sure the country started slipping backwards.
That said, in the recent event I attended that was held in the famous Caucus Room, Zbig addressed the pipeline as something we should focus on in the future. Ray McGovern confronted a later panel on it. But this was *not* why we went in after 9/11.
This is a little OT but I found myself laughing hysterically at the end of the SNL skit – pretty funny delivery, although not funny in real life.
Well said, Taylor – and as far as I know, 100% accurate.
People forget the 9/11 aftermath – when 90% of the world was pro-America and sympathetic. It could be said during that period more of the world smiled at America than ever before. George W. Bush flushed ALL of that sentiment down the toilet with his (Cheney’s) “I’m going to make the world a Democracy” attitude which he eventually took to Iraq.
But at that moment, it wasn’t the pipeline. It was Bush caught up in his ‘kick some ass’ machoism and revenge regarding the Taliban. He even bragged about it later (“Just ask the Taliban” [sneer]).