My last posting on this subject was November 1st. Now it is November 13Th and during these past 12 days we have lost ANOTHER 31 souls to the misguided "war" in Iraq and an additional 153 have been wounded! The totals are now 2848 DEAD and 21572 WOUNDED. These are REAL PEOPLE! Click on this link to see the sons and daughters and brothers and sisters that are being KILLED; http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2003/iraq/forces/casualties/
This is an URGENT crisis and there is no time for government red tape!
During those 12 days American voters have gone to the polls and rejected the current administration's "war" policy. Citizens have indicated that they want change and they want it NOW. The Republicans are floundering and many are jumping off their "ship to nowhere" with reckless abandon. Conservative radio talk show hosts such as Rush Limbaugh are even turning their backs and their voices. Even he could not sustain blind partisanship in the face of administration that has proven itself to be nothing more than an inept bully. Americans no longer need to worry about the "terrorists" or others that would wish us harm becoming "emboldened" should we leave Iraq because they already are emboldened! Why is this? To the extent that the military actions in Iraq and Afghanistan are actually a fight with "insurgents" or "terrorists", which doesn't appear to be the worst problem (at least in Iraq), the U.S. military has not been allowed (to date) to do what they would have to do to get rid of this presence.
We keep hearing of the 140,000 plus troops that are in Iraq. How many of this amount are actually engaging the "insurgents" or terrorists"? How many are having to try and keep a lid on the sectarian "war" that is taking place throughout the country? I suspect that a larger portion of U.S. troops are mired in the latter strategy. Was the current President and all his advisers actually under the impression that the various ethnic and religious groups in Iraq were going to "magically" embrace each other and "just get along" when we took out Saddam Hussein? How could they all be so naive? I find it stunning that virtually everyone on this team was lulled into that belief or was intimidated into silence at the expense of the lives of so many of their fellow Americans. The actions taken (and not taken) by the current administration during the past four years has been shameful at best and treasonous at worst.
The Democrats have gained enough political victories in the recent election to be able to exert pressure on the Bush Administration to PAY ATTENTION and to face the FACTS of this self-imposed debacle. The Democrats MUST also be fully prepared to accept the RESPONSIBILITY of the "power" they have regained. This is NOT a time to sink into an endless series of hearings and investigations to point out what has gone wrong and who did it. We the people already know those answers! It's time to step up and be the leaders that you say you are and validate the results of our recent elections. American citizens are demanding positive and successful action and our troops DESERVE it!
Our troops are bravely "following orders" and would continue to do so indefinitely because that is their job. It is the responsibility of the civilian authority of the United States Government to figure this out and get our troops out of the shooting gallery they are in now. If our mission is to battle the "terrorists" now in Iraq or Afghanistan then give the military the orders to actually win and not just engage in a look and wait policy. The struggle between the various religious factions throughout Iraq (or Afghanistan) will NEVER be solved by US military actions and more importantly, that's not our business. The American people and the new Democratic leadership must continually separate those two issues because that is a major element toward bringing our involvement to an end. We keep hearing that we will leave as soon as the Iraqi government is able to provide effective security for Iraq. If the combined resources of the American, British and other nation's military might has shown no real sign (in close to four years) of stopping and controlling the daily violence, we must ask the obvious question. How will it be possible for Iraqi police or the Iraqi military ever be able to "protect" themselves and all the citizens of Iraq, especially when the individuals being recruited into the Iraqi forces are themselves partisan members of the sects they are supposed to control. Militias and "death squads" are more prevalent on the streets of Iraq than are the Iraqi officials. Unless there is a fundamental change in the mindset of the Iraqi people and their new government and a willingness to co-exist in their own country, it doesn't matter what "we" do or how many troops we have there or how long we stay. The ONLY thing that does continue to matter is that EVERY DAY more Americans (and Iraqi or Afghan civilians) are being killed or wounded and THAT MUST STOP!
It's Time to Think Again!
Monday, November 13, 2006
Wednesday, November 01, 2006
The MOST IMPORTANT NUMBERS
It's November 1st, 2006 and in 6 days the United States will conduct the mid-term elections to determine which major political party will have the majority in Congress for at least the next two years. The candidates, the media (especially the media) and all the political pundits on T.V. and the Internet are consumed with the numbers to "suggest" to us by citing endless poll results who will "win" their election.
NONE OF THOSE NUMBERS REALLY MATTER!!!
Let me say that again;
NONE OF THOSE NUMBERS REALLY MATTER!!!
The numbers that SHOULD matter to ALL of these candidates and media and more importantly each and every American Citizen are;
2817 and 21419
The number 2817 is the number of American military personnel that have been killed in the 1323 days since WE began our "war" in Iraq.
The number 21419 is the number of American military personnel that have been "wounded" in the 1323 days since WE began our "war" in Iraq.
While the politicians here in the U.S. beat each other up with their "war" of words and accusations and character assassination and try to "buy" our votes with empty promises to maintain or gain a seat of power in Congress more than 2 Americans are dying EVERY day and more than 16 Americans are being wounded EVERY day.
Back on August 16th I made a posting to this site called "When are WE Going to Get Mad" (which I suggest readers go back to and read again). At that time the number of American military personnel who had been killed stood at 2602 and the number of wounded stood at 19,511. In the 77 days since then 215 MORE Americans have perished and an additional 1908 have been wounded. As bad as that is an even worse shame is that in those 77 days the situation in the war zone of Iraq has gotten worse and even more dangerous for our troops exposed to the killing zone each and every day. In these 77 days the leadership of the United States continues to do nothing substantial to bring this madness to an end. The Republicans (for the most part) continue to blindly follow a confused policy "just because" and the Democrats run around complaining about the policy and direction of the "war" without any of them offering a specific and workable plan to change the course of this "war".
The REAL problem is that the current administration rumbled into Iraq without a specific and effective plan on what to do after the much touted "shock and awe" blitz undertaken to drive the regime of Saddam Hussein from power and then remained "confused" as the sectarian violence and insurgent disruption grew to today's levels. Funding has been basically rubber stamped for the past five years with almost no oversight or accountablility and the out-sourcing of many functions of "reconstruction" and supplying our military has resulted in staggering amounts of corruption from both the contractors and within the newly formed Iraqi government.
So, here we are at November 1st, 2006 and all the reasons that got us to where we are today really don't matter now. The ONLY things that do matter are coming up with a PLAN that will stop the two important numbers (deaths and wounded) from continuing to grow. The Republicans insist that America must not "cut and run" because it would embolden the "terrorists" and bring them to America to attack us here. I would submit that to the extent the "terrorists" are causing the problem in Iraq (and by the way Afghanistan), the "terrorists" are ALREADY emboldened due to the fact that the combined resources of the United States military and the British military have been unable to put them down during the past 1323 days (and longer when Afghanistan's timetable is considered). I would submit that the world at large (and especially potential enemies) has seen that the veil of invincibility previously projected by the United States has been pulled back and exposed as not real.
I would submit that a fundamental ingredient to our "winning" must be the "perception" of our willingness to bring overwhelming force to bear to achieve victory. The people we are fighting can and will continue to commit thousands and even millions of deaths to their own people as they drain our resources (people, money and our will). I would suggest at this point that we begin a deliberate and systematic relocation of all the "innocent" Iraqi civilians from the towns, villages and cities in Iraq in preparation for a massive assault on anyone left in those areas that wishes to continue fighting. The cost of this action would be enormous and many Iraqi citizens would have at least a temporary resentment but in the end this "plan" just might bring an end to the both carnage being brought to bear on the Iraqi people AND more importantly (to me) our American military personnel. It is always quite possible that just the mention of a plan like this and the sight of preparations being put into action might get the attention of the "insurgents" and those Iraqis that are just as bad or worse than the outside "terrorists" to understand that WE are now very serious about ending this situation by whatever means necessary even if it means completely destroying vast areas of the country.
If the United States and Great Britain are NOT willing to take the extreme measures mentioned in the paragraph above then ALL parties must entertain the most logical and least costly (in terms of the loss of life) option which is to divide Iraq in three basically autonomous territories made up of the Kurdish north (which has really already taken place), the Shia south and southeast (again the provincial capital Basra already commands respect) and the western and central Sunni territory. These three divisions should be monitored by a central "government" which would have authority over oil revenue distribution (especially as it relates to the Sunnis because their terrority would not be located in oil rich areas) and other interests that pertain to the whole of Iraq. This sectarian separation will end up happening anyway but the goal should be to do it officially and try to avoid the tens of thousands of future deaths which will absolutely happen if the present folly is continued. The heavily populated area in and around Baghdad where sunnis and shias and some kurds all reside will present a fundamental test. The people there must make the decision to either co-exist or relocate to their ethnic and religious territory.
If the Democrats gain "political control" of the Congress next week or gain the White House in 2008 or both they MUST come with a real plan to turn this mess around. If they don't the American people will be even more upset than they are now under the failed Republican leadership. The message to the Democrats is; "Be careful what you wish for because you just might get it". It in this case may be one of the worst nightmares they could imagine.
As we begin this month of November, 2006 please keep the numbers 2817 and 21419 in your minds as THE MOST IMPORTANT numbers. I can almost assure you that the 605,900 Americans that represent the immediate family and friends of our dead and wounded certainly believe these numbers are much more important than any political poll numbers being shown on their T.V. sets.
Just to take a moment to acknowledge the sacrifice of others, there have been 237 deaths in Iraq of members of the "coalition of the willing" nations. In case you're interested, aside from Great Britain (120) and Italy (33) the other 84 deaths were citizens of the military forces of Ukraine, Poland, Bulgaria, Spain, Denmark, El Salvador, Slovakia, Estonia, the Netherlands, Thailand, Australia, Hungary, Kazakstan, Latvia and Romania. Absent from the list of our grand coalition are Russia, France, Germany, Japan, Indonesia, Canada, Mexico and all of South America. Oh, I almost forgot. The involvement in our effort to stem the tide of world terrorism by the nations surrounding Iraq (meaning Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Syria, Iran, Turkey) is ZERO. There is also no involvement by our allies in this "war on terror", meaning Pakistan or India or any other mid east or asian country. Remember that "we the people" are being told that we are under a global threat and our military personnel are being killed everyday to protect all those nations that have chosen not to become involved.
It's TIME TO THINK AGAIN!
It's November 1st, 2006 and in 6 days the United States will conduct the mid-term elections to determine which major political party will have the majority in Congress for at least the next two years. The candidates, the media (especially the media) and all the political pundits on T.V. and the Internet are consumed with the numbers to "suggest" to us by citing endless poll results who will "win" their election.
NONE OF THOSE NUMBERS REALLY MATTER!!!
Let me say that again;
NONE OF THOSE NUMBERS REALLY MATTER!!!
The numbers that SHOULD matter to ALL of these candidates and media and more importantly each and every American Citizen are;
2817 and 21419
The number 2817 is the number of American military personnel that have been killed in the 1323 days since WE began our "war" in Iraq.
The number 21419 is the number of American military personnel that have been "wounded" in the 1323 days since WE began our "war" in Iraq.
While the politicians here in the U.S. beat each other up with their "war" of words and accusations and character assassination and try to "buy" our votes with empty promises to maintain or gain a seat of power in Congress more than 2 Americans are dying EVERY day and more than 16 Americans are being wounded EVERY day.
Back on August 16th I made a posting to this site called "When are WE Going to Get Mad" (which I suggest readers go back to and read again). At that time the number of American military personnel who had been killed stood at 2602 and the number of wounded stood at 19,511. In the 77 days since then 215 MORE Americans have perished and an additional 1908 have been wounded. As bad as that is an even worse shame is that in those 77 days the situation in the war zone of Iraq has gotten worse and even more dangerous for our troops exposed to the killing zone each and every day. In these 77 days the leadership of the United States continues to do nothing substantial to bring this madness to an end. The Republicans (for the most part) continue to blindly follow a confused policy "just because" and the Democrats run around complaining about the policy and direction of the "war" without any of them offering a specific and workable plan to change the course of this "war".
The REAL problem is that the current administration rumbled into Iraq without a specific and effective plan on what to do after the much touted "shock and awe" blitz undertaken to drive the regime of Saddam Hussein from power and then remained "confused" as the sectarian violence and insurgent disruption grew to today's levels. Funding has been basically rubber stamped for the past five years with almost no oversight or accountablility and the out-sourcing of many functions of "reconstruction" and supplying our military has resulted in staggering amounts of corruption from both the contractors and within the newly formed Iraqi government.
So, here we are at November 1st, 2006 and all the reasons that got us to where we are today really don't matter now. The ONLY things that do matter are coming up with a PLAN that will stop the two important numbers (deaths and wounded) from continuing to grow. The Republicans insist that America must not "cut and run" because it would embolden the "terrorists" and bring them to America to attack us here. I would submit that to the extent the "terrorists" are causing the problem in Iraq (and by the way Afghanistan), the "terrorists" are ALREADY emboldened due to the fact that the combined resources of the United States military and the British military have been unable to put them down during the past 1323 days (and longer when Afghanistan's timetable is considered). I would submit that the world at large (and especially potential enemies) has seen that the veil of invincibility previously projected by the United States has been pulled back and exposed as not real.
I would submit that a fundamental ingredient to our "winning" must be the "perception" of our willingness to bring overwhelming force to bear to achieve victory. The people we are fighting can and will continue to commit thousands and even millions of deaths to their own people as they drain our resources (people, money and our will). I would suggest at this point that we begin a deliberate and systematic relocation of all the "innocent" Iraqi civilians from the towns, villages and cities in Iraq in preparation for a massive assault on anyone left in those areas that wishes to continue fighting. The cost of this action would be enormous and many Iraqi citizens would have at least a temporary resentment but in the end this "plan" just might bring an end to the both carnage being brought to bear on the Iraqi people AND more importantly (to me) our American military personnel. It is always quite possible that just the mention of a plan like this and the sight of preparations being put into action might get the attention of the "insurgents" and those Iraqis that are just as bad or worse than the outside "terrorists" to understand that WE are now very serious about ending this situation by whatever means necessary even if it means completely destroying vast areas of the country.
If the United States and Great Britain are NOT willing to take the extreme measures mentioned in the paragraph above then ALL parties must entertain the most logical and least costly (in terms of the loss of life) option which is to divide Iraq in three basically autonomous territories made up of the Kurdish north (which has really already taken place), the Shia south and southeast (again the provincial capital Basra already commands respect) and the western and central Sunni territory. These three divisions should be monitored by a central "government" which would have authority over oil revenue distribution (especially as it relates to the Sunnis because their terrority would not be located in oil rich areas) and other interests that pertain to the whole of Iraq. This sectarian separation will end up happening anyway but the goal should be to do it officially and try to avoid the tens of thousands of future deaths which will absolutely happen if the present folly is continued. The heavily populated area in and around Baghdad where sunnis and shias and some kurds all reside will present a fundamental test. The people there must make the decision to either co-exist or relocate to their ethnic and religious territory.
If the Democrats gain "political control" of the Congress next week or gain the White House in 2008 or both they MUST come with a real plan to turn this mess around. If they don't the American people will be even more upset than they are now under the failed Republican leadership. The message to the Democrats is; "Be careful what you wish for because you just might get it". It in this case may be one of the worst nightmares they could imagine.
As we begin this month of November, 2006 please keep the numbers 2817 and 21419 in your minds as THE MOST IMPORTANT numbers. I can almost assure you that the 605,900 Americans that represent the immediate family and friends of our dead and wounded certainly believe these numbers are much more important than any political poll numbers being shown on their T.V. sets.
Just to take a moment to acknowledge the sacrifice of others, there have been 237 deaths in Iraq of members of the "coalition of the willing" nations. In case you're interested, aside from Great Britain (120) and Italy (33) the other 84 deaths were citizens of the military forces of Ukraine, Poland, Bulgaria, Spain, Denmark, El Salvador, Slovakia, Estonia, the Netherlands, Thailand, Australia, Hungary, Kazakstan, Latvia and Romania. Absent from the list of our grand coalition are Russia, France, Germany, Japan, Indonesia, Canada, Mexico and all of South America. Oh, I almost forgot. The involvement in our effort to stem the tide of world terrorism by the nations surrounding Iraq (meaning Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Syria, Iran, Turkey) is ZERO. There is also no involvement by our allies in this "war on terror", meaning Pakistan or India or any other mid east or asian country. Remember that "we the people" are being told that we are under a global threat and our military personnel are being killed everyday to protect all those nations that have chosen not to become involved.
It's TIME TO THINK AGAIN!
Tuesday, October 31, 2006
WHEN DO WE CARE ENOUGH?
As I listened to the "pretend" outrage this evening over former candidate John Kerry's remarks which he apparently intended as criticism of President Bush and some of his minions and then turned upside down by the President and all the "talking heads" of the Republican Party (including John Mc Cain who will do anything to curry favor with the "base") I was moved to raise a few questions.
Does anyone actually believe that John Kerry (or any other politician) would stand in front of national microphones and say (with conviction and fore thought) that all of our troops serving and dying in Iraq are "stupid"? On the other hand, Senator Kerry and those who write for him are surely less than brilliant for putting out a comment like this that could and was interpreted as a dig about our troops. My advice is to stop trying the subtle jokes and just present YOUR plan to fix this mess!
Can we "trust" the current group in power when it bombards the airwaves with their babble saying that Kerry (and all Democrats through "guilt by association") doesn't support the troops in Iraq when they absolutely KNOW that isn't factual? This is once again an example of diverting the real issue (that being the disaster in Iraq and Afghanistan) by trying to stir people up over the ill advised comments of an ex-presidential candidate or anyone else that calls our current direction into question.
At what point will "we the people" start demanding that United States military personnel stop being used as "politcal pawns" in our absurd election cycles? U.S. military personnel are NOT Republicans and are NOT Democrats (or any other political party)! They ARE however, individuals that are following the orders of their superiors and being placed in harm's way and bleeding and dying every day. They don't get the opportunity to ask if their daily mission came from a Republican or a Democrat and then decide if they will care it out. I would submit that 98% of our troops want one thing more than all others. They want to get this mess finished and COME HOME to their families and the "relative safety" of the American streets! They want their country and it's leaders to CARE ENOUGH about THEM to make the decisions necessary to get them out of the killing zone VERY SOON and stop making excuses for policy failures.
I have been shaking my head for close to 5 YEARS now as I watched and listened to the President of the United States of America (who at least in theory if not in practice is supposed to be the LEADER of ALL AMERICANS) and virtually every other Republican who gets in front of a microphone assert that any person (but especially any Democrat) who states any objection to "our" War policy (or pretty much any other policy) is, by inference, "un-American" and doesn't care about "the troops". This, to me, is not only an extreme insult to at least half of the American people but equally insulting to our troops! I would submit that a substantial number of our military personnel come from families that are not in the Republican party and have had to listen to the current administration infer that THEIR family members are un-American or unpatriotic because they have questioned the policies of this government. This CAN'T be good for morale!
I have also been shaking my head at the Democrats who have run around criticizing the "war" and other policies of the current administration without offering a viable plan of their own. I heard a Democratic leader the other day say that there isn't any point in offering "their plan" when they don't have the votes to make it happen. This postion is equally wrong to that of the current administration and shows that the Democrats are just as guilty of politicizing the "war" and an indication that they too, do not care as much about our troops under fire as they do about political posturing. If there are ideas or possible plans resting in the desks of Democrat leaders and any of those ideas could save the life of even one of our troops, bring them into the light of day and show that you CARE ENOUGH to do the right thing without concern for votes or political power.
To get to the main point of this posting I ask; "When do we care enough?"
When do we care enough to stop this insanity? Everyday this month, it seemed like some kind of numbers game as all the media became obsessed by the American body count. Would the death toll be "the most since" or would the death toll reach 100 for the month? THIS IS NOT A GAME!!! We are losing REAL PEOPLE with REAL FAMILIES and it needs to STOP! But as I've written in other posts, we "love" our numbers here in America and heck, we haven't even "lost" 3,000 troops yet. Our losses in Iraq to date are "minimal" when compared to Vietnam or Korea or WWII, so what's all the concern about anyway? We need to have five or ten or fifteen times the current number of dead Americans before "we the people" will get sickened enough to care, right? We also have the option of realizing that as horrific as our other "wars" were in the past, the numbers of death or destruction should not be a source of comparison to our current situation. We also have the option to test this "pro-life" philosophy circulating through this country and CARE ENOUGH (on both sides of the political aisle) about the NEXT dead soldier to commit ALL our resources to getting our young men and women OUT of harm's way. This will NOT be accomplished by continuing to "fight" this "war" in a manner well suited to the enemy (be they "insurgents", terrorists, or sectarian rival factions). It is not shameful for the current administration to just admit this and change the tactics. It is not shameful in a "war" situation to pull back and regroup and change the plan. If George Custer hadn't been so stubborn and arrogant he wouldn't have led all his men (and himself) into a slaughter that got all the soldiers killed.
The debacle in Iraq (and oh by the way Afghanistan as well) is bleeding the United States not only of irreplaceable human lives of our troops but also of huge financial resources and the reputation and "aura" of the United States of America as a respected and dominant country on this planet. When "fighting" a war against an enemy that shows even less regard for life than we do there is no end (a lesson we should have learned in Korea and Vietnam) because any thoughts of victory by attrition are fruitless. The statements of "winning" we hear from our President and others are meaningless if their definition of "winning" means that every last person we are fighting must either "give up" or is dead before "victory" is claimed. Once that premise is accepted as FACT there might be a chance of finding a different approach to this growing crisis. There are alternatives that can be employed (some of which may be viewed as harsh) and our troops deserve better than to be slowly killed in the streets of Iraq or Afghanistan.
"We the people" need to stand up and DEMAND that the so-called "leaders" of America stop playing politics and dividing us into "Red or Blue" or "Republicans or Democrats" and GET THE JOB DONE!!! The wounds to America and its people (many self-inflicted) are becoming so deep that very soon, even if we "win", it won't matter because we will have become a nation so filled with hate for our fellow citizens that we will have lost our sense of identity as Americans and as human beings.
It is Time To Think Again!
As I listened to the "pretend" outrage this evening over former candidate John Kerry's remarks which he apparently intended as criticism of President Bush and some of his minions and then turned upside down by the President and all the "talking heads" of the Republican Party (including John Mc Cain who will do anything to curry favor with the "base") I was moved to raise a few questions.
Does anyone actually believe that John Kerry (or any other politician) would stand in front of national microphones and say (with conviction and fore thought) that all of our troops serving and dying in Iraq are "stupid"? On the other hand, Senator Kerry and those who write for him are surely less than brilliant for putting out a comment like this that could and was interpreted as a dig about our troops. My advice is to stop trying the subtle jokes and just present YOUR plan to fix this mess!
Can we "trust" the current group in power when it bombards the airwaves with their babble saying that Kerry (and all Democrats through "guilt by association") doesn't support the troops in Iraq when they absolutely KNOW that isn't factual? This is once again an example of diverting the real issue (that being the disaster in Iraq and Afghanistan) by trying to stir people up over the ill advised comments of an ex-presidential candidate or anyone else that calls our current direction into question.
At what point will "we the people" start demanding that United States military personnel stop being used as "politcal pawns" in our absurd election cycles? U.S. military personnel are NOT Republicans and are NOT Democrats (or any other political party)! They ARE however, individuals that are following the orders of their superiors and being placed in harm's way and bleeding and dying every day. They don't get the opportunity to ask if their daily mission came from a Republican or a Democrat and then decide if they will care it out. I would submit that 98% of our troops want one thing more than all others. They want to get this mess finished and COME HOME to their families and the "relative safety" of the American streets! They want their country and it's leaders to CARE ENOUGH about THEM to make the decisions necessary to get them out of the killing zone VERY SOON and stop making excuses for policy failures.
I have been shaking my head for close to 5 YEARS now as I watched and listened to the President of the United States of America (who at least in theory if not in practice is supposed to be the LEADER of ALL AMERICANS) and virtually every other Republican who gets in front of a microphone assert that any person (but especially any Democrat) who states any objection to "our" War policy (or pretty much any other policy) is, by inference, "un-American" and doesn't care about "the troops". This, to me, is not only an extreme insult to at least half of the American people but equally insulting to our troops! I would submit that a substantial number of our military personnel come from families that are not in the Republican party and have had to listen to the current administration infer that THEIR family members are un-American or unpatriotic because they have questioned the policies of this government. This CAN'T be good for morale!
I have also been shaking my head at the Democrats who have run around criticizing the "war" and other policies of the current administration without offering a viable plan of their own. I heard a Democratic leader the other day say that there isn't any point in offering "their plan" when they don't have the votes to make it happen. This postion is equally wrong to that of the current administration and shows that the Democrats are just as guilty of politicizing the "war" and an indication that they too, do not care as much about our troops under fire as they do about political posturing. If there are ideas or possible plans resting in the desks of Democrat leaders and any of those ideas could save the life of even one of our troops, bring them into the light of day and show that you CARE ENOUGH to do the right thing without concern for votes or political power.
To get to the main point of this posting I ask; "When do we care enough?"
When do we care enough to stop this insanity? Everyday this month, it seemed like some kind of numbers game as all the media became obsessed by the American body count. Would the death toll be "the most since" or would the death toll reach 100 for the month? THIS IS NOT A GAME!!! We are losing REAL PEOPLE with REAL FAMILIES and it needs to STOP! But as I've written in other posts, we "love" our numbers here in America and heck, we haven't even "lost" 3,000 troops yet. Our losses in Iraq to date are "minimal" when compared to Vietnam or Korea or WWII, so what's all the concern about anyway? We need to have five or ten or fifteen times the current number of dead Americans before "we the people" will get sickened enough to care, right? We also have the option of realizing that as horrific as our other "wars" were in the past, the numbers of death or destruction should not be a source of comparison to our current situation. We also have the option to test this "pro-life" philosophy circulating through this country and CARE ENOUGH (on both sides of the political aisle) about the NEXT dead soldier to commit ALL our resources to getting our young men and women OUT of harm's way. This will NOT be accomplished by continuing to "fight" this "war" in a manner well suited to the enemy (be they "insurgents", terrorists, or sectarian rival factions). It is not shameful for the current administration to just admit this and change the tactics. It is not shameful in a "war" situation to pull back and regroup and change the plan. If George Custer hadn't been so stubborn and arrogant he wouldn't have led all his men (and himself) into a slaughter that got all the soldiers killed.
The debacle in Iraq (and oh by the way Afghanistan as well) is bleeding the United States not only of irreplaceable human lives of our troops but also of huge financial resources and the reputation and "aura" of the United States of America as a respected and dominant country on this planet. When "fighting" a war against an enemy that shows even less regard for life than we do there is no end (a lesson we should have learned in Korea and Vietnam) because any thoughts of victory by attrition are fruitless. The statements of "winning" we hear from our President and others are meaningless if their definition of "winning" means that every last person we are fighting must either "give up" or is dead before "victory" is claimed. Once that premise is accepted as FACT there might be a chance of finding a different approach to this growing crisis. There are alternatives that can be employed (some of which may be viewed as harsh) and our troops deserve better than to be slowly killed in the streets of Iraq or Afghanistan.
"We the people" need to stand up and DEMAND that the so-called "leaders" of America stop playing politics and dividing us into "Red or Blue" or "Republicans or Democrats" and GET THE JOB DONE!!! The wounds to America and its people (many self-inflicted) are becoming so deep that very soon, even if we "win", it won't matter because we will have become a nation so filled with hate for our fellow citizens that we will have lost our sense of identity as Americans and as human beings.
It is Time To Think Again!
Friday, October 13, 2006
U.S. CITIZENS FACE YET ANOTHER ATTACK!
The "sneak attack" by the Senate in the late hours of their last session to effectively ban online poker, is yet another example of the unlimited hypocrisy our "leaders" (of both major parties) show in the quest for the MONEY. Since 48 of our 50 States currently allow some form of "legal" gambling, THIS bill certainly IS NOT about the "morality" of gambling. It is ONLY about the fact that the online poker sites are based offshore and therefore out of the financial control (i.e. taxes) of the United States. The gambling interests inside the U.S. (along with their financial support to our "leaders") have pressured your Government not to make gambling illegal but to set in motion steps that are a far bigger threat to OUR personal rights to decide for ourselves where and how to spend our money! The REAL danger here is that the U.S. Government has taken the step of ORDERING U.S. Banks, Credit card companies and money transfer firms to refuse or monitor OUR transactions on an otherwise valid credit card or bank account! Plus, this new bill even "shields" the banks and credit card firms from any legal action YOU (the customer) might attempt to take against them for assisting in this blantent infringement of our right to make our own decisions with our lives and our money. But, fear not citizens. AS SOON AS THE MONEY GETS RIGHT (meaning that the U.S. Government AND the U.S. gaming interests get "the deal" correct to gain a piece or all of the revenue, THERE WILL BE AN EXEMPTION made for online poker (just as there is now for horse racing and the lottery). In the end MONEY talks much louder than morality!
A sad aspect of this legislation (among many sad aspects) is that it had to be "added" onto our nation's new Port Security Act in order to "insure" it's passage and wasn't allowed to stand or fall on it's on merits (or lack of them).
I would ask readers to consider further what the "policing" effect could be due to the tactics used in this bill to "control" our spending habits. Why won't the U.S. Government be inclined to "order" our banks and credit card companies to stop us from paying for subscriptions or memberships to information sources that are deemed "dangerous" to our growth as "good Americans"? Why not? China already does this so it's not that big a stretch. If enough money is contributed any restriction is possible!
In the end, this legislation is more about controlling "we the people" than any concern about the morality of gambling. It is especially about the money. Our money AND the portion of it the U.S. government feels it simply MUST have is at the heart of this law as well.
YOUR freedom is under attack and you're not winning the war. It must be "Time to Think Again"!
The "sneak attack" by the Senate in the late hours of their last session to effectively ban online poker, is yet another example of the unlimited hypocrisy our "leaders" (of both major parties) show in the quest for the MONEY. Since 48 of our 50 States currently allow some form of "legal" gambling, THIS bill certainly IS NOT about the "morality" of gambling. It is ONLY about the fact that the online poker sites are based offshore and therefore out of the financial control (i.e. taxes) of the United States. The gambling interests inside the U.S. (along with their financial support to our "leaders") have pressured your Government not to make gambling illegal but to set in motion steps that are a far bigger threat to OUR personal rights to decide for ourselves where and how to spend our money! The REAL danger here is that the U.S. Government has taken the step of ORDERING U.S. Banks, Credit card companies and money transfer firms to refuse or monitor OUR transactions on an otherwise valid credit card or bank account! Plus, this new bill even "shields" the banks and credit card firms from any legal action YOU (the customer) might attempt to take against them for assisting in this blantent infringement of our right to make our own decisions with our lives and our money. But, fear not citizens. AS SOON AS THE MONEY GETS RIGHT (meaning that the U.S. Government AND the U.S. gaming interests get "the deal" correct to gain a piece or all of the revenue, THERE WILL BE AN EXEMPTION made for online poker (just as there is now for horse racing and the lottery). In the end MONEY talks much louder than morality!
A sad aspect of this legislation (among many sad aspects) is that it had to be "added" onto our nation's new Port Security Act in order to "insure" it's passage and wasn't allowed to stand or fall on it's on merits (or lack of them).
I would ask readers to consider further what the "policing" effect could be due to the tactics used in this bill to "control" our spending habits. Why won't the U.S. Government be inclined to "order" our banks and credit card companies to stop us from paying for subscriptions or memberships to information sources that are deemed "dangerous" to our growth as "good Americans"? Why not? China already does this so it's not that big a stretch. If enough money is contributed any restriction is possible!
In the end, this legislation is more about controlling "we the people" than any concern about the morality of gambling. It is especially about the money. Our money AND the portion of it the U.S. government feels it simply MUST have is at the heart of this law as well.
YOUR freedom is under attack and you're not winning the war. It must be "Time to Think Again"!
Saturday, October 07, 2006
WE DESERVE THE ANSWER!!
As the "leaders" of America parade themselves in front of "we the people" in the weeks before the mid-term elections and flood our TV's and radios with appearances and speeches in their desperate attempt to get our almighty vote, the most critical question is not even being asked.
In the days following the attacks of September 11th, 2001 and then during and since our attacks of Afghanistan and Iraq, our country's leadership has been pounding our senses with the single theme that we must "stay the course" and remain in a "state of war" UNTIL WE WIN. The "enemy" MUST be defeated.
The most critical question that is NOT being asked is; "EXACTLY what does WINNING mean?" I'm not talking about progress or the "taking" of a village or making it possible for some people to cast a ballot. The question is about the end of this "War" on terror (aka; evil). The media, the politicians, and we the people don't ask or answer that question because that would require facing a horrific reality and that might be disruptive to our daily lives.
I would propose that to actually face the question directly would force all of us to also face the reality that (as it has been throughout human history), there is NO winning in the fundamental "war" of perceived good vs. evil. That "war" has been and will be fought between all humans and all nations because "good and evil" is as ingrained into our concepts as our instinct to breathe and survive. Good and evil are nothing more than opinions and concepts and our "opinion" depends solely on our position at the time.
When our current President declared "War on Evil", he simply made the eternal battle of humanity, an official position of the United States of America. When our "enemies" declared "War on America", they simply made their "position" official. When the line was drawn in the sand the test began. Which side has the bigger guns? Which side has the better strategy? Which side is more willing to lose their soldiers? Which side is willing to do whatever it takes (literally) to win?
The ONLY question that faces the American people that really matters is this; "Are we willing and able to KILL EVERY SINGLE PERSON on the planet that wishes to harm us? Take a minute and let that question sink into your mind because everything else is secondary. All the strategy and all the "battles" and all the talk is really irrelevant. If "we" answer yes to this question, then let's get on with it and stop the policy of "killing us slowly". If "we" answer no to this question then we had better figure out how to bring this "war on evil" to an end before that option is taken out of our control.
Most Americans have grown up with the belief that in every contest there is a winner and a loser. All of our sporting contests work that way. Our previous "wars" dating back to the Revolution, the Civil War, WWI and WWII were brutally fought with the goal of winning. In each of these conflicts there came a point when the "war" came to an end and all sides accepted the conclusion. The enemies of those wars gradually got on with the future and in most cases have built alliances with each other. How many Americans in 1942 and 1943 would have accepted the idea that Germany and Japan would become major partners in commerce and peace? I would think almost all Americans would have dismissed that idea as treasonous at best. But, rational minds prevailed. Korea and Vietnam were both misguided "wars" (although never officially declared wars) that after over a combined 100,000 American deaths and hundreds of thousands more wounded, were eventually ended in a draw situation. For over 50 years our strategy has been to "contain" Korea and trade efforts have improved with the people of Vietnam and that great evil of Communism never did spread and take over the far East as our "leaders" of that era tried to convince us it would if we didn't "save" Vietnam. The "Evil Empire" that was the Soviet Union (contrary to all thinking for over 40 years) is now an ally of the United States (at least publicly) and none of us thought that could ever happen! The point is that America (and the world) have confronted many enemies and many "perceived" threats to our existence portrayed by our leaders as the worst enemy ever and we have survived in part because "winning" didn't necessarily mean the full and complete destruction of everyone who didn't like us.
The growing frustration that many Americans (and people around the world) have with our nation's current policy and direction is that we are not getting the answer to the question; "What does winning mean?" Well, I would suggest that "we the people" not only ask the question at every opportunity but that we DEMAND the answer! If our troops are going to continue to be killed (a few every day) and American families are going to be asked to accept the immense suffering created by this "war" then I believe it is way past time for the leadership (of both political parties) step up and "lead" us to a conclusion and start by answering that primary question without "spin" or any other evasive tactic that is so common.
A few other questions might be; 1) What exactly do these "terrorist" enemies want? 2) Is there anything short of mass annilation that can bring about a cessation of hostilities? 3) Can this situation be contained by any means other than military confrontation? 4) Does the American Military Industrial Complex actually control the U.S. Government enough to prevent all efforts to slow its agenda down? 5) If there is a God, whose "God" is correct and why?
I will end this post with the hope that some of you will at least think about our situation and then face the reality and the choices we have right now. We either must commit ourselves and our country to an all out effort to kill everyone (whom we perceive as even a potential enemy) OR we must develop policies and strategies to "contain" our enemies (both perceived and real) because this "evil" we are fighting will always be among us in one form or another until we finally destroy our species completely.
It is TIME TO THINK AGAIN!
As the "leaders" of America parade themselves in front of "we the people" in the weeks before the mid-term elections and flood our TV's and radios with appearances and speeches in their desperate attempt to get our almighty vote, the most critical question is not even being asked.
In the days following the attacks of September 11th, 2001 and then during and since our attacks of Afghanistan and Iraq, our country's leadership has been pounding our senses with the single theme that we must "stay the course" and remain in a "state of war" UNTIL WE WIN. The "enemy" MUST be defeated.
The most critical question that is NOT being asked is; "EXACTLY what does WINNING mean?" I'm not talking about progress or the "taking" of a village or making it possible for some people to cast a ballot. The question is about the end of this "War" on terror (aka; evil). The media, the politicians, and we the people don't ask or answer that question because that would require facing a horrific reality and that might be disruptive to our daily lives.
I would propose that to actually face the question directly would force all of us to also face the reality that (as it has been throughout human history), there is NO winning in the fundamental "war" of perceived good vs. evil. That "war" has been and will be fought between all humans and all nations because "good and evil" is as ingrained into our concepts as our instinct to breathe and survive. Good and evil are nothing more than opinions and concepts and our "opinion" depends solely on our position at the time.
When our current President declared "War on Evil", he simply made the eternal battle of humanity, an official position of the United States of America. When our "enemies" declared "War on America", they simply made their "position" official. When the line was drawn in the sand the test began. Which side has the bigger guns? Which side has the better strategy? Which side is more willing to lose their soldiers? Which side is willing to do whatever it takes (literally) to win?
The ONLY question that faces the American people that really matters is this; "Are we willing and able to KILL EVERY SINGLE PERSON on the planet that wishes to harm us? Take a minute and let that question sink into your mind because everything else is secondary. All the strategy and all the "battles" and all the talk is really irrelevant. If "we" answer yes to this question, then let's get on with it and stop the policy of "killing us slowly". If "we" answer no to this question then we had better figure out how to bring this "war on evil" to an end before that option is taken out of our control.
Most Americans have grown up with the belief that in every contest there is a winner and a loser. All of our sporting contests work that way. Our previous "wars" dating back to the Revolution, the Civil War, WWI and WWII were brutally fought with the goal of winning. In each of these conflicts there came a point when the "war" came to an end and all sides accepted the conclusion. The enemies of those wars gradually got on with the future and in most cases have built alliances with each other. How many Americans in 1942 and 1943 would have accepted the idea that Germany and Japan would become major partners in commerce and peace? I would think almost all Americans would have dismissed that idea as treasonous at best. But, rational minds prevailed. Korea and Vietnam were both misguided "wars" (although never officially declared wars) that after over a combined 100,000 American deaths and hundreds of thousands more wounded, were eventually ended in a draw situation. For over 50 years our strategy has been to "contain" Korea and trade efforts have improved with the people of Vietnam and that great evil of Communism never did spread and take over the far East as our "leaders" of that era tried to convince us it would if we didn't "save" Vietnam. The "Evil Empire" that was the Soviet Union (contrary to all thinking for over 40 years) is now an ally of the United States (at least publicly) and none of us thought that could ever happen! The point is that America (and the world) have confronted many enemies and many "perceived" threats to our existence portrayed by our leaders as the worst enemy ever and we have survived in part because "winning" didn't necessarily mean the full and complete destruction of everyone who didn't like us.
The growing frustration that many Americans (and people around the world) have with our nation's current policy and direction is that we are not getting the answer to the question; "What does winning mean?" Well, I would suggest that "we the people" not only ask the question at every opportunity but that we DEMAND the answer! If our troops are going to continue to be killed (a few every day) and American families are going to be asked to accept the immense suffering created by this "war" then I believe it is way past time for the leadership (of both political parties) step up and "lead" us to a conclusion and start by answering that primary question without "spin" or any other evasive tactic that is so common.
A few other questions might be; 1) What exactly do these "terrorist" enemies want? 2) Is there anything short of mass annilation that can bring about a cessation of hostilities? 3) Can this situation be contained by any means other than military confrontation? 4) Does the American Military Industrial Complex actually control the U.S. Government enough to prevent all efforts to slow its agenda down? 5) If there is a God, whose "God" is correct and why?
I will end this post with the hope that some of you will at least think about our situation and then face the reality and the choices we have right now. We either must commit ourselves and our country to an all out effort to kill everyone (whom we perceive as even a potential enemy) OR we must develop policies and strategies to "contain" our enemies (both perceived and real) because this "evil" we are fighting will always be among us in one form or another until we finally destroy our species completely.
It is TIME TO THINK AGAIN!
Tuesday, September 26, 2006
A few weeks ago I made a posting concerning the "perceived" intent of our "Founding Fathers" versus their "actual" intent as they created the basis for our Government and its relationship to religion.
In order to provide fairness to this subject I would now refer readers to the following link ; http://www.ingodwetrustmovie.com/ , which is a beautiful piece indeed that also displays some statements attributed to a few of our Founders that, if accurate, appear to contradict some of their own historical quotations from my August 30th posting.
The piece is well worth watching in any case.
In order to provide fairness to this subject I would now refer readers to the following link ; http://www.ingodwetrustmovie.com/ , which is a beautiful piece indeed that also displays some statements attributed to a few of our Founders that, if accurate, appear to contradict some of their own historical quotations from my August 30th posting.
The piece is well worth watching in any case.
Friday, September 15, 2006
WE MUST BE CRAZY!!!
I am writing this post with my mind spinning wildly. We must be getting close to the bottom of the rabbit hole. I would like to believe that there are other people out there that are still able to connect some of the dots.
Let's list some basic thoughts and then play the connection game.
The United States has been "engaged" in a "War on Drugs" for over 30 years (officially).
The United States is also involved in a "War on Terrorism".
It is an accepted fact that a major source of funding for terrorist movements around the world is from the proceeds of the drug trade.
After America was attacked on September 11th, 2001, our Government determined that Afghanistan was a most likely source and location of those who caused so much death and destruction.
Afghanistan is also the source of 90% of the opium for the entire planet.
A major tactic announced by the current administration (and prior ones) in fighting our "war" against terrorism has been to follow the money and cut off sources of terrorist funding whenever and wherever possible.
In late 2001 and into 2002, the United States took military action in Afghanistan, toppled (?) the infamous Taliban, arranged a new government, "saved" millions of Afghan citizens from the brutality they had endured, and forced the Al Queda group into the mountains and across the border to their "safety zone" in Pakistan (without killing or capturing or preventing the escape of those DIRECTLY responsible for the attack on America), and oh by the way, put ourselves in a PERFECT position do win a major battle in our supposed "war" on drugs by being at the very heart of the world's opium supply source.
Billions and billions of taxpayer dollars have been spent going around in circles during our "war" on drugs.
The recent major upswing in the activities of the rejuvenated Taliban forces in Afghanistan and the bumper crop of opium this year (which is the major source of funds for that group) are absolutely connected.
In the 1990's in America, there were between 10,000 and 19,000 deaths EACH YEAR attributed to heroin and those numbers have only grown during the past five years.
As of July, 2005, the population of Afghanistan was 29,928,987.
The per capita income of the citizens of Afghanistan right now is $293 PER YEAR!.
The United States has spent billions of taxpayer dollars in the "fight" in Afghanistan and now has over 20,000 military personnel (plus over 20,000 NATO forces) at risk in that country each and every day with no end in sight.
In 2004, it is estimated that 1.2% of the population of the United States reported heroin use at least once in their lives. That represents over 3 MILLION people whose lives (and their families lives) have been diminished, destroyed, or ended altogether.
The "cost" to America and its citizens directly caused by heroin must be in the billions each year and really no dollar amount can be placed on the social destruction being caused.
Money from the worldwide sale of opium being grown in Afghanistan at this very moment is funding not only the Taliban movement but Al Queda both in Afghanistan AND Iraq and elsewhere around the world and ALL our military personnel in Iraq and Afghanistan continue to be in harms way EVERY day partly because of our refusal or inability to cut off the flow of opium in Afghanistan when it is right in front of our face!
At this point I must ask you; "What's wrong with this picture?"
Is the United States actually committed to attaining victory in the long and costly "War on Drugs" or not?
Is the United States actually committed to winning the ongoing and costly "War on Terror" or not?
Is the United States actually committed to the health and welfare of its citizens whose lives are being destroyed EVERY DAY because of the availability of heroin and other addictive drugs or not?
I ask again; "Are we crazy?"
Here's an idea. Remember I mentioned that the population of Afghanistan a year ago was just under 30 million people and that the average annual income for each and every person in that country is just under $300? The math shows that this represents $9,000,000 (or about six weeks of costs we are now spending in Iraq and Afghanistan fighting our great war(s). Burn ALL the poppy fields and simply pay each and every person in Afghanistan their $300 each year and the impact on the ability of the terrorist movements and the benefits to the American people and the world would be immediate and decisive!
Our President and our Congressional leaders should be ashamed and be held accountable for continuing our acceptance and "tacit" approval for the free flow of opium from Afghanistan to all parts of the world. There is NO political "spin" that can explain these actions. Any argument about how "devastating" the elimination of the opium production would be for Afghanistan is absurd, especially when compared to the millions of people being destroyed or dying from this scourge that is heroin and the lives of our troops being destroyed in part from the money raised through the opium drug trade or the immense cost to all Americans due to the health and legal costs involved. This "appeasement" in Afghanistan is just part of a pattern and can be compared in many ways to our inaction in the equally important situation of border security. The "free" flow of drugs from our southern border and other points of entry and our failure to stop it in over 30 years is just not acceptable any longer.
As you listen to our President or other "leaders" stand in front of you at political events or on your TV's and tell you how committed they are to winning these wars and providing YOU with a secure and safe America, it is VERY IMPORTANT to remember the details of this post and then decide if you really believe "we" are actually trying to WIN these two connected wars. When the President tells you of the danger and the imminent threats and that the Administration is "committed" to doing "whatever is necessary" to win, please THINK! Ask the questions and DEMAND the truth!
Our "new" allies are; 1) Afghanistan the supplier of 90% of the world's opium supply. 2) Iraq, where we are mired in a winless strategy of internal warfare and whose leader is now aligning himself with the leadership of Iran (our next war) and 3) Pakistan whose leadership cannot or will not eliminate the terrorist haven that exists within their borders and won't allow us to attempt it and gives "tacit" approval to the Taliban movement. With "friends" like these who needs enemies?
Two GREAT wars. Can we actually win them? I would suggest yes, but certainly NOT with our current strategies. We MUST eliminate the production of opium in Afghanistan no matter what the people or government of that country says. We MUST demand that Pakistan allow us to clean up the terrorist presence there if they are unwilling or unable to do so and if they don't they MUST be considered our enemy rather than our friend! We MUST take steps to eliminate the "insurgent" presence in Iraq by first separating the "innocent citizens" from the "bad guys" and then if necessary, leveling each and every area where they are hiding. We must take steps to secure the borders of Iraq from Syria and Iran which might require thousands and thousands more troops. We MUST demand a change in the daily lifestyle of all citizens in Iraq with respect to travel (especially cars and trucks) for whatever time period necessary to stop all the car and truck bombings. The citizens and Government of Iraq MUST be willing to make sacrifices and stand up for THEIR country NOW. If the United States of America actually wants to WIN and survive then it's time to stop all the useless talk and spin and GET THE JOB DONE! If we do not, then our only course of action is to leave the area, build up our defenses here at home and wait. The main thing is that the gameplan needs to be changed because our actions (or inactions) are only showing our many enemies that we either cannot defeat them or are unwilling to do so. In that part of the world, "perception" means a lot!
It is TIME TO THINK AGAIN!
I am writing this post with my mind spinning wildly. We must be getting close to the bottom of the rabbit hole. I would like to believe that there are other people out there that are still able to connect some of the dots.
Let's list some basic thoughts and then play the connection game.
The United States has been "engaged" in a "War on Drugs" for over 30 years (officially).
The United States is also involved in a "War on Terrorism".
It is an accepted fact that a major source of funding for terrorist movements around the world is from the proceeds of the drug trade.
After America was attacked on September 11th, 2001, our Government determined that Afghanistan was a most likely source and location of those who caused so much death and destruction.
Afghanistan is also the source of 90% of the opium for the entire planet.
A major tactic announced by the current administration (and prior ones) in fighting our "war" against terrorism has been to follow the money and cut off sources of terrorist funding whenever and wherever possible.
In late 2001 and into 2002, the United States took military action in Afghanistan, toppled (?) the infamous Taliban, arranged a new government, "saved" millions of Afghan citizens from the brutality they had endured, and forced the Al Queda group into the mountains and across the border to their "safety zone" in Pakistan (without killing or capturing or preventing the escape of those DIRECTLY responsible for the attack on America), and oh by the way, put ourselves in a PERFECT position do win a major battle in our supposed "war" on drugs by being at the very heart of the world's opium supply source.
Billions and billions of taxpayer dollars have been spent going around in circles during our "war" on drugs.
The recent major upswing in the activities of the rejuvenated Taliban forces in Afghanistan and the bumper crop of opium this year (which is the major source of funds for that group) are absolutely connected.
In the 1990's in America, there were between 10,000 and 19,000 deaths EACH YEAR attributed to heroin and those numbers have only grown during the past five years.
As of July, 2005, the population of Afghanistan was 29,928,987.
The per capita income of the citizens of Afghanistan right now is $293 PER YEAR!.
The United States has spent billions of taxpayer dollars in the "fight" in Afghanistan and now has over 20,000 military personnel (plus over 20,000 NATO forces) at risk in that country each and every day with no end in sight.
In 2004, it is estimated that 1.2% of the population of the United States reported heroin use at least once in their lives. That represents over 3 MILLION people whose lives (and their families lives) have been diminished, destroyed, or ended altogether.
The "cost" to America and its citizens directly caused by heroin must be in the billions each year and really no dollar amount can be placed on the social destruction being caused.
Money from the worldwide sale of opium being grown in Afghanistan at this very moment is funding not only the Taliban movement but Al Queda both in Afghanistan AND Iraq and elsewhere around the world and ALL our military personnel in Iraq and Afghanistan continue to be in harms way EVERY day partly because of our refusal or inability to cut off the flow of opium in Afghanistan when it is right in front of our face!
At this point I must ask you; "What's wrong with this picture?"
Is the United States actually committed to attaining victory in the long and costly "War on Drugs" or not?
Is the United States actually committed to winning the ongoing and costly "War on Terror" or not?
Is the United States actually committed to the health and welfare of its citizens whose lives are being destroyed EVERY DAY because of the availability of heroin and other addictive drugs or not?
I ask again; "Are we crazy?"
Here's an idea. Remember I mentioned that the population of Afghanistan a year ago was just under 30 million people and that the average annual income for each and every person in that country is just under $300? The math shows that this represents $9,000,000 (or about six weeks of costs we are now spending in Iraq and Afghanistan fighting our great war(s). Burn ALL the poppy fields and simply pay each and every person in Afghanistan their $300 each year and the impact on the ability of the terrorist movements and the benefits to the American people and the world would be immediate and decisive!
Our President and our Congressional leaders should be ashamed and be held accountable for continuing our acceptance and "tacit" approval for the free flow of opium from Afghanistan to all parts of the world. There is NO political "spin" that can explain these actions. Any argument about how "devastating" the elimination of the opium production would be for Afghanistan is absurd, especially when compared to the millions of people being destroyed or dying from this scourge that is heroin and the lives of our troops being destroyed in part from the money raised through the opium drug trade or the immense cost to all Americans due to the health and legal costs involved. This "appeasement" in Afghanistan is just part of a pattern and can be compared in many ways to our inaction in the equally important situation of border security. The "free" flow of drugs from our southern border and other points of entry and our failure to stop it in over 30 years is just not acceptable any longer.
As you listen to our President or other "leaders" stand in front of you at political events or on your TV's and tell you how committed they are to winning these wars and providing YOU with a secure and safe America, it is VERY IMPORTANT to remember the details of this post and then decide if you really believe "we" are actually trying to WIN these two connected wars. When the President tells you of the danger and the imminent threats and that the Administration is "committed" to doing "whatever is necessary" to win, please THINK! Ask the questions and DEMAND the truth!
Our "new" allies are; 1) Afghanistan the supplier of 90% of the world's opium supply. 2) Iraq, where we are mired in a winless strategy of internal warfare and whose leader is now aligning himself with the leadership of Iran (our next war) and 3) Pakistan whose leadership cannot or will not eliminate the terrorist haven that exists within their borders and won't allow us to attempt it and gives "tacit" approval to the Taliban movement. With "friends" like these who needs enemies?
Two GREAT wars. Can we actually win them? I would suggest yes, but certainly NOT with our current strategies. We MUST eliminate the production of opium in Afghanistan no matter what the people or government of that country says. We MUST demand that Pakistan allow us to clean up the terrorist presence there if they are unwilling or unable to do so and if they don't they MUST be considered our enemy rather than our friend! We MUST take steps to eliminate the "insurgent" presence in Iraq by first separating the "innocent citizens" from the "bad guys" and then if necessary, leveling each and every area where they are hiding. We must take steps to secure the borders of Iraq from Syria and Iran which might require thousands and thousands more troops. We MUST demand a change in the daily lifestyle of all citizens in Iraq with respect to travel (especially cars and trucks) for whatever time period necessary to stop all the car and truck bombings. The citizens and Government of Iraq MUST be willing to make sacrifices and stand up for THEIR country NOW. If the United States of America actually wants to WIN and survive then it's time to stop all the useless talk and spin and GET THE JOB DONE! If we do not, then our only course of action is to leave the area, build up our defenses here at home and wait. The main thing is that the gameplan needs to be changed because our actions (or inactions) are only showing our many enemies that we either cannot defeat them or are unwilling to do so. In that part of the world, "perception" means a lot!
It is TIME TO THINK AGAIN!
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