Afghanistan’s public health emergency
By Steve Hynd Monday Dec 29, 2008 4:00pmWinning hearts and minds with a good attitude - NOT! A soldier complains about begging Afghan kids and tells one "your country sucks ass."
From the Gulf Times, a little-noticed aspect of the Bush administration's epic fail in Afghanistan. While the Western media is preoccupied with war - violent deaths, the resurgent Taliban and plans for a military Surge - the other Horsemen are even busier.
MORE than 1.6mn children under the age of five and thousands of women could die in 2009 as a result of the lack of food and medical care, particularly in terms of proper services for women and children, according to the Afghan Ministry of Health.
These are troubling statistics not only because of the human suffering involved, but because they indicate that millions of dollars poured into the country have not been able to reach the most vulnerable communities in the country.
Food shortages and inclement weather could leave 8mn Afghans -30% of the population - on the brink of starvation, according to several aid agencies. This is happening despite the World Food Programme (WFP)’s warning last January for a sharp increase in food assistance to the country. Lack of food is an actual threat not just in the remote regions of this country but also in Afghanistan’s urban areas.
Recent price increases in basic foods, particularly wheat, have adversely affected millions of Afghans, particularly in rural areas where domestic production cannot satisfy people’s needs. While in 2005 an average household was spending 56% of their income on food, that figure now rose to 85%, according to Susannah Nicol, a spokeswoman for the WFP.
...Children are particularly vulnerable. They are not only affected by lack of food. Diarrhea, acute respiratory infections and vaccine-preventable diseases are important threats to children’s health. Diarrhea and acute respiratory infections account for about 41% of all child deaths in this desperately poor nation of 26mn people, while vaccine-preventable diseases –such as measles, polio and diphtheria- account for another 21%, according to Unicef. The tragedy is that 80 to 85 % of these diseases can be avoided by preventive measures and appropriate and timely health care.
Afghanistan rates low in practically all health indicators. As a result, it has one of the world’s highest infant and maternal mortality rates. Hospitals in most of the country are in deplorable conditions, and lack enough trained doctors or medical equipment for even the most basic surgeries. Life expectancy is 42 years, according to figures from the World Health Organisation (WHO).
Do you think watching their babies die of famine and pestilence will help endear Afghans to the prospect of another 20-30,000 well-fed American soldiers in their country? Do you really think spending billions on those troops can possibly keep the lid on, given the statistics above? I know where I think the bulk of any surging should be going on.
Crossposted from Newshoggers
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health of the poor and children of this country. Why would we care about it in a country we are trying to blow into the stone age? (/snark off.)
We're good at killing kids.
Ask those who OKed sanctions against Iraq in the 90s how many kids died because of NO medical attention. Not mention the war itself.
The Israelis are good at killing kids too.
Liberal Globalist Mainstream Conventional Wisdom Democrats don't mind killing kids, but Progressives HATE it.
Second linky stinky...
[Me fixy-Sitemonitor]
Now that Israel will wipe out the Palestine people maybe Afghans will be next since their so weak. Bush has given Israel enough weapons to use to invade Syria, Iraq and Egypt why not Afghanistan too. As the United Nations is helples to protecting illegal invasion now that Bush has set the new policy for others to follow. When Israel has enough control of the Middle East there's alway takeing control of the United States. Yes that would be easy as the cells are already in place and have been for many years. Israel can keep selling the memory of the Holocaust and God's name as they quickly take over the World. Russia better get ready for Israel attack as now no country is safe. Iran and North Koreas better start developing those Nukes as Israel already has Nukes to use at anytime. While the World looked at the suffering and felt bad for poor Israel who Hitler was so Evil, no one knew the real Israel's plan to take over and use the United States to do it. Now Israel will wipe the Palestine people of the face of the earth and move on to do the same to others. Even Speaker Pelosi resently said the US will back Israel even if they are murders and illegal invaders. The Bush Policy is now Law around the World and not even Obama/Biden can stop it.
you are a fookin nutjob. you forgot to mention numerology, astrology and the illuminati.
You might want to check out the Yellow pages for a listing under "mental health clinic". I hope you've got health insurance to cover this. Whatever your coverage I suspect it's not going to be enough.
This video is just not fair. This guy could be killed any second and what do you want him to say? He's under stress you and I could not comprehend. He's a kid playing a mans game. Show the politicians making idiots of themselves that's fine. Army's don't start wars, politicians do.
Army personnel do go insane. BUT, this guy is not. He's just an a-hole.
How do you know? Do you know him personally? Have you walked a mile in his shoes? Attack me if you want but I've been here for quite some time and this will be the first time I've said anything like this but the posting of this video is really disappointing. It makes it seem like the problem in this country is the soldier and not the policy. What do you want from him?
"Hi mom, having a great time getting shot at looking at body parts littered across the country. I got some really cool T-shirts for you and dad when I get home."
Gump inquires "What do you want from him"? What I want, as a Vietnam veteran, is for that poor excuse of a human being to have empathy for the Afghans whom he holds in such contempt. Gump also believes that "it makes it seem like the problem in this country is the soldier and not the policy." That sentence is simply symptomatic of how so many Americans seem to be bereft of the word empathy in their vocabulary. If they did, then just perhaps they might imagine how it would feel if there were foreign troops occupying this country and bombing innocent civilians. If someone like Gump could actually capture that feeling, then he might just be able to realize why the Vietnamese [and now the Iraqis and the Afghans] loathe and fear and hate the Americans so much.
As to his his question "What do you want from him", I would like that unfeeling automaton soldier to see the powerful DVD documentary Sir! No Sir! which chronicled the GI movement during the Vietnam conflict that took place at or near military bases both at home and abroad in order to understand why the GIs back then had the courage and intelligence to do what he has not done and that is to say NO to the illegal and barbaric occupation of Afghanistan and Iraq. Both Gump and that soldier in that video could also rent the Oscar-winning 1974 documentary Hearts and Minds in order to gain an insight into how the Vietnamese were treated by the less than benevolent United States military.
In an attempt to break through Gump's naivete, let me try and assure him that the soldiers are indeed part of the problem as are the politicians. As former Green Beret Donald Duncan wisely noted in Sir! No Sir!:
"The problem I had was realizing that what I was doing was not good. I was doing it right but I wasn't doing right."
The fervent hope is that the majority of soldiers in Afghanistan and Iraq will finally come to the same conclusion as that of Donald Duncan, who, unlike the majority of American soldiers in the Middle East, is one of the true heroes this country has ever known.
I work outside two bases. One SeaBee and one AFB. All of my family.. ALL have served America in war time and peace time. It does piss me off that this kid is what the left will harp on. Seeing kids, and I do mean kids, fresh out of boot camp and the first time away from home willing to vounteer to die for the US makes me proud to be an American.
Gump is probably just tired. Who knows how many times he's had to go.. Who knows why he joined. I see these guys come back and they all cant stand it. Maybe 5% are proud of whats going on. The rest want benefits and a paycheck.
Prime example? During the election I would ask 'After you graduated, you swore an oath to protect and defend the Constitution from enemies both foreign and domestic correct? In the Bill of Rights, what is your first Amendment right?'
I swear on everything holy, of the roughly 10% that could answer correctly, every kid that knew his rights was voting for McCain. I see these kids every single day of my life. Ive made awesome friends that are now all over the earth. Korea, Italy, Iraq, Afghanistan and all over the US.
I feel bad for them. Their government signed them up under lies, takes the rights they swear to defend and places future generations with financial obligation that will be a miracle to be paid. Top that off with expanding governments obese ass and paying Social Security with I.O.U.'s
Its sad.
Erroll is quite an arrogant and condescending person. I can be just like Erroll and write in a condescending way such as Erroll. And isn't funny when these military topics come up everyone like Erroll is exmilitary.
It's fun acting like Erroll. Makes you feel smart and powerful. From one liberal to another if you want to discuss it, fine let's discuss it. You wanna be a prick that's fine to but it makes you look phony.
...and realize this is a video where you can hear the other guys laughing in the background. It's a joke and as in most humor there is an element of truth. Getting foreigners to recite dirty words for a break from the horrors all around them - definitely the end of the world as we know it. His acting ability is not up to Ben Stiller's or Robert Downey Jr's...
In Vietnam when the kids swarmed begging, I guess you fed and paid every one and never felt that their parents should be held responsible at all for your being there. You know, I am sick to death of YOUR altruism at others expense. If I don't want to be altrusitic, too bad. Guess you have been constantly flying back and forth to Iraq and Afganistan distributing food and money and now Viagra! Just what we need, more of these beggars...
Assholes like this guy help start the follow-on war. If you think these kids won't grow up to hate Americans (because of the general trend of his actions, and our coutry's actions as well), you'd be dead wrong.
Kids killing, kids dying, starving, begging... FUCK THA GR'UPS.
Sorta' like what happened with Katrina? And all that money lost in Iraq?
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That guy's a jerk, no matter what his situation is. Bless those children. Their lives may depend on whether someone gives them a dollar. But the military shouldn't be in the business of "helping" those in a country they're illegally occupying. Where are the social service organizations to bring food and medical help to that war-torn country?
Lead poisoning?
doesn't do humanitarian assistance. They are designed to kill. So, no matter what any government official might yap about, the bottom line is, the more troops there, the more people killed.
presents a real opportunity to win over a significant portion of the population. There's never been much in the way of social services in Afghanistan. If little blue Viagara pills can get results imagine what a large scale relief package would do. And I have to think it would be much cheaper than military operations.
I was a grunt in Vietnam, and NEVER did I treat the natives like that. This is disgusting. The sort of thing dimwits do for entertainment ....like the video of the scum bags throwing a puppy 50 feet. Disgraceful.
I know the troops are represented by this ass hole and his nest of low lifes, but if I were anywhere around idiots like that when I was in the military, we'd take the jerks out and teach them a few manners.
I hope he grows up and looks back at that video so he can realize what a complete douche bag he was
It really does. Obama aint bringing shit home. NOTHING is going to stop the war machine until we are financially drained and there is a crisis.
I fear for my child and her future. No rights. Endless war. Debt. Immigration. Health care. Education. Whats going to happen when the poo finally smacks the fan? Mass arrests, guns being taken, corruption, food and energy shortages. It will all be blamed on Liberty and Free Markets.
Meanwhile, Americans will still continue to have never ending faith that government is a good thing. In all actuality government takes rights, money and sells us to banks.
We are so f*cked. Its only a matter of time that it catches up to us.
WAR DESTROYS EVERYTHING BEAUTIFUL.
The Ugly American is alive and well and just as viraly indecent as ever, as portrayed in that young asshole.
This young guy will also hate the homeless, the unemployed, those on food stamps or any government program, and will support ... farm subsidies, business giveaways of any kind, bridges to nowhere, and anything that benefits the rich. He will attend church and be certain the Lord supports his view and he and his are right and forgiven, while condemning and judging anyone less fortunate than himself. He will vote with the southern block of right wing lunatics, hate gays, people of color, and immigrants. He will be anti-union, anti-abortion, and most likely push his wife around like a true southern gentleman!
Just looking into my crystal ball is all!
Unfortunately, this soldier's behavior reflects the no-win situation in general in Afghanistan. Morale is obviously low. If soldiers are taking out some of their frustrations on impoverished, illiterate kids, who are such an easy target, you know the general climate is dismal.
Any westerner in a third world country, even a progressive one, is going to be hassled by kids who have less than nothing to lose by begging. (Hell, it happens in western locations as well!) Even a lowly western tourist knows that the only possible strategy is to ignore the kids, no matter how pesky they are. Proper training of soldiers, who are out on their own, certainly covers this. This is where low morale comes in. "What the hell are we doing here?" is probably the refrain.
If you ask me, the higher command has failed in not only morale, but in discipline. "Cut the crap with the kids" should be an order that soldiers respect. I respect soldiers for their courage, stoicism and duty. When they cave in to frustration and hopelessness, you know the situation is dire. Of course, futility rules when the overarching policy is flawed and doomed to failure. Afghanistan is not winnable in the conventional sense. It never has been. Those who set policy are in denial of history, and therefore they are to blame for any conduct unbecoming a soldier. It's all part of the collateral damage that war-makers enable.
Yes, this soldier has an excuse, flimsy though it is, for his uncivilized behavior, and his commanding officer should get off his butt and put an end to it. A conquering force always has an excuse to demonstrate barbarism, and the American/NATO forces are no exception. And when a policy goes south and failure stares soldiers in their faces, things degrade from there.
To sum up: this soldier's attitude is inexcusable in itself, but it is explained by the failure in Afghanistan.
And that's without any mention of the long term effects of depleted uranium, both on the Afghans and on US soldiers.
http://mindprod.com/politics/iraqdubabiespix....
He voices nothing but distain and contempt for the people he is allegedly helping..
No wonder the US soldiers can shoot civilains without remorse, since they dehumanize them...
I'm going to second the other post and state that I'm disappointed that you posted this attached to the commentary that you did. First off, this kid looks like he's a junior Marine assigned to a Marine Expeditionary Unit, not an Army soldier. Secondly, this footage looks as though it is at least a few years old.
I believe the strongest statement he makes is where he says he started out with all the heart in the world to help the Afghani people. The question we should be asking is, what happened? If he has lost sight of the mission that is the fault of LEADERSHIP, not the average Marine.
Other posters need to understand that in the Marine Corps they fill you full of piss and ooh-rah, honor-courage-commitment, et cetera. But this guy is exhibiting all of the characteristics of someone who is broken, on a pointless mission, without hope. He doesn't know why he is there and he can't reconcile the conflicts he's presented with. It all comes down to leadership.
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