Meet the New Boss - Same as the Old Boss
By Jason Sigger Monday Nov 09, 2009 1:00pm
What is it about Democratic hawks that makes them so indistinguishable from Republican hawks? From the AP:
Undersecretary of Defense Michele Flournoy said a strategy decision on new deployments involving the U.S. and other troop-contributing nations would be made within the next few weeks, according to an official transcript released Saturday.
Flournoy, the Pentagon's policy chief, led a U.S. delegation that briefed NATO ambassadors Thursday on the Obama administration's review of the Afghan war. Officials released a transcript of her remarks from that meeting.
"No one is talking about leaving Afghanistan, or even standing pat. We are increasing our commitment and we're talking about how best to do that with both civilian and military resources," Flournoy was quoted as telling NATO ambassadors.
Tell me, Ms. Flournoy, how many thousands of troops NATO is going to be providing, given their limited participation to date and their nations' people also coming out more and more against further involvement in Afghanistan? How many more years, how many more deaths, how many more billions will it take before Afghanistan is "secure"? Honestly, someone needs to clue in Ms. Flournoy about the failed wisdom of following in the footsteps of the "stupidest guy on the face of the planet."
I have never understood the grasping need of Dem politicians to be viewed as being as tough as - and often, as foolish - Repub politicians when it comes to issues of national security. Afghanistan is not vital to American security interests - going after al Qaeda is, and they're in Pakistan. We need a strategy of containment rather than one of nation-building - we can't afford the current strategy, and it's overdue for a change.
Login or Register to post comments.
It's about how many to send.
Same old same old.
it is a natural progression. as the GOP becomes more fringe you will see more and more centrist and corporatist Dems.
I imagine eventually the Dem party will be split between two distinct factions -- and the Rethugs will be fossils
... is the one found in my pockets.
Afghanistan is not vital to American security interests - going after al Qaeda is, and they're in Pakistan.
And when is someone going to call out DICK Cheney on that little fact?
They cannot not do what they're doing- It is who they are.
The enormous dimensions of finance capital concentrated in a few hands and creating an extraordinarily dense and widespread network of relationships and connections which subordinates not only the small and medium, but also the very small capitalists and small masters, on the one hand, and the increasingly intense struggle waged against other national state groups of financiers for the division of the world and domination over other countries, on the other hand, cause the propertied classes to go over entirely to the side of imperialism. “General” enthusiasm over the prospects of imperialism, furious defence of it and painting it in the brightest colours—such are the signs of the times. Imperialist ideology also penetrates the working class. No Chinese Wall separates it from the other classes. The leaders of the present-day, so-called, “Social-Democratic” Party of Germany are justly called “social-imperialists”, that is, socialists in words and imperialists in deeds; but as early as 1902, Hobson noted the existence in Britain of “Fabian imperialists” who belonged to the opportunist Fabian Society.
--Lenin
http://marxists.org/archive/lenin/works/1916/...
Let's spend the next upteen years and what is left of our treasury going after Al Qaeda.
They were in Afganistan. Now they're in Pakistan. Then they'll be in Uzbekistan. Then they'll find some other 'Stan. Then they'll link up with North Korea. Then they'll link up with Iran. Then they'll head to Canada. Then it's on to Mexico. Then to Texas for a barbecue in Crawford.
Not a Million troops will work
Daniel Ellsberg is a former US military analyst employed by the RAND Corporation who precipitated a national political controversy in 1971 when he released the Pentagon Papers, a top-secret Pentagon study of US government decision-making about the Vietnam War, to The New York Times and other newspapers.
http://therealnews.com/t/index.php?option=com...
PNAC goal : Unlimited War
This is where shit hits the fan because have THE stated goals of why we are Afghanistan really been about getting Al Qaeda? The military industrial complex has long salivated getting into Afghanistan before the 9/11 attacks took place.
As long as American industry remains addicted to oil and other nonrenewable resources for energy, Afghanistan is unfortunately vital to American security interests. Most wars are either directly or indirectly created for the power to control energy resources around the world. The United States military complex was even threatening the Taliban to allow them to build a pipeline through Afghanistan that would link to India. (Remember Enron? There is a link.) The Taliban was close to agreeing but said that the Afghani people should also benefit from the pipeline. Those in power don't like to share so you can imagine their response to that. It was all a matter of time before bombs fell on Afghanistan whether there was a 9/11 or some other event to provide the catalyst for it.
THIS is the time to reflect and ask why the events have played out the way they have. Ask who are the key players and what do each have to gain or lose. Take at least an hour to consider these and know that the military industrial complex and its supporters are STILL lying to you.
I have never considered Dougles Feith stupid; evil, insincere, dishonest, disingenuous, conniving, back-stabbing liar, yes, but stupid, not so much.
Then you need to read his book. It's not the way he talks about his career, it's that he openly admits to being the "brains" behind the most controversial decisions in the war. Just amazing. Maybe he's not stupid as in education, but he is absolutely without common sense and with his own immoral point of view.
Willful ignorance.
Yet he is smart enough to 'confess' his role, in writing no less, and still not be in jail.
Well, it's one, two, three,
What are fighting for?
Don't ask me, I don't give a damn,
Next stop's Afghanistan...
Obama is a CFR true believer; there is not a single person he has appointed who is not a CFR'r, a trilateralist and/or a Bildeberger. Of course he is escalating the war...that's what these people are all about.
I wonder who will be the last American who dies in this pointless exercise.
If there is any one single lesson Vietnam should have taught, it's that you can't graft back bone: if a people does not want freedom (as we so arrogantly define it), or lacks the will to be "free", or rejects our western way of life, or whatever blessings of Amerikan civilization we are so graciously trying to export, nothing we do is going to transplant that desire into them. They are a medievil tribal society, locked in a culture they are content to live in. It would take 3-4 generations of absolute totalitarian control over every aspect of their lives and culture to change them against their will. That's not going to happen, and in any event, we have no right to be making such presumptions.
What boat load of fools.
The War Machine is eating the country out of house and home. You want to know why the economy is in the dumper...
It only costs a trillion or so every year to run the war machine ..
How could that possibly affect the rest of the economy?
Seems no one worry's about the trillions spent on a war "to keep us safe", but boy a trillion to keep us healthy hurts the economy and our "freedom". What bullshit!
I was told that it was healthcare.
Dumb me.
Because Europe depends on Russia for their oil and natural gas.
And the ONLY REAL REASON for the US Occupation of Afghanistan is to secure the pipeline to bring natural gas from Central Asia to a seaport on the Arabian Sea.
This pipeline competes with Russia.
Thus the European nations are "over a barrel" - the US and "NATO" want them to help "win" in Afghanistan, but their own self-interest says not to anger the Russian Bear - especially with winter coming.
As long as you're going to sound the trumpets for "going after Al Qaeda", we're not going to get anywhere. You want to send troops to Pakistan? Even more troops and more drones killing the innocent.
Yeah. That'll make us real safe.
Doesn't it occur to anyone that it is our aggressive, nasty and self-serving foreign policy that is making enemies for us? You could vaporize every member of Al Qaeda and some new group would take its' place.
We have to change the way we relate to people.
We have to give up the "greatest country in the world" mantra.
And we have to stop electing half-wits like Bush and Obama.
We are all expendable to the cause and the KBR's and Xe's suck US dry for the cause.
We are in the midst of another 'gilded age' with Jefferson's nightmare of citizens becoming mercenaries our neo-reality.
Sea and the apparently fabulously rich deposits of energy and other resources in the region around it. Look at the MAP. Iraq and Afghanistan were and are about as close as we could get to the affected region without putting forces in Russia's backyard.
And we have to have forces in situ--have to be able "to extend our influence in the region," as the generals say, if we are going to have any say in who develops, exloits, and profits from that trove of riches...
Maybe you providing the map will get through to some people. A picture is said to be worth a thousand words. I wish it would be lives not words.
Caspian will be the sight for conflicts that will probably not end in my lifetime. "To share" is not a concept any of the world governments have any concept of. Many like to claim the United State is a superpower. Pure bullshit but the Unites States foreign policy certainly leads by example. "Give it to us or we will take it!"
But instead we seem to be getting the left over bush shuffle.
sad.
No one is talking about leaving Afghanistan, or even standing pat. We are increasing our commitment
"Yaaaay...we get to blow more shit up!" - The Pentagon
"Yaaaay...we get more money to build stuff to blow shit up." - Military/Industrial Complex
"We must continue our committment to the troops by increasing the military payments to our weapons manufacturers." - The Congress
"We need to support Israel by increasing aid." - Joe Lieberman
and both Unocal and Al qaeda owe UnderSec'y Flournoy a big thanks for bolstering their position.
the war of terrorism rolls on
"I have never understood the grasping need of Dem politicians to be viewed as being as tough as - and often, as foolish - Repub politicians when it comes to issues of national security."
Well, people (Dems) without integrity, ethics or awareness (and I voted for allot of them--no choice given that Rethugs are hopeless) will do the craven, political (stoopid) thing.
It was the Dems that escalated Viet Nam. Gotta keep those "defense" contractors happy.
Obama is using the Nixonian method.
Run on getting us out of an unpopular war . . . twice.
Of course Nixon promised to get us out of Vietnam . . . twice. Obama has Iraq for the first and Afghanistan for the second.
The only question is will it work?
It is a so called progressive think tank that Undersecretary of Defense Michele Flournoy founded, but the name alone freaks me out. Probably because it make me think of the neocon Project for New Amercian Century(PNAC). Think tanks have done more harm than good. Oh they think alright. They think of all the ways to do the wrong things and make them appear right to the American public.
We voted the Repugs out for Republican lite as it turned out . I want my money back . I should have known better .
Come on people, get with the program. The Dow Jones Industrial Average is not going to raise itself!
Ve must haff vore! Corporate 'Merica needs it, the political parties need it, and we don't do *anything* unless it benefits good ol' Mother Corporate 'Merica or Poppy Republicrats.
Don't make me send for Fatherland Security...
Lying liars were elected to end the endless wars.
In between no single payer and endless wars The President has no credibility with me, so just shut up as you destroy what's left,loser.
I haven't heard of his daughter's joining any ROTC programs and if Michelle starts talking about how NO ONE grieves more than her husband , I'm gonna puke!
WE have watched our Country BANKRUPTED, unless of course, you are Halli-fu#king-burton and the Iraquis and OUR Bravest are the COLLATERAL DAMAGE, OR YOU are Goldman Sachs where the COLLATERAL DAMAGE is the rest of US!
But, hey, we are a 'war economy' and it is up to US to keep the Cheney family happy!!
Restart the DRAFT with the MANDATE that POLITICIANS' families GO FIRST.
Since the 1960's.
Meet the New Boss. Same as the Old Boss.
Afghanistan is the New Vietnam. And millions are yet to die.
That's how they reduce the number of needed jobs.
How long before we reject the two parties and form a third?
How long?
It's a job for the young. I am old now. It's your fight.
Tell you one thing though. At least you have the old folk on your side this time. Better odds than we had. When we tried to form a 3rd party and change the nation, we got tons of opposition from every old codger and his wife in the nation, and they stuck a fork in it and gave us Saint Ronald of Rayguns.
Barf.
Change the system will you? I would love to see it before I die.
Login or Register to post comments.