Jim Hightower: Why Are We "Surging" into Afghanistan?

[laststeamtrain]

Why Are We "Surging" into Afghanistan?
By Jim Hightower, Creators Syndicate
Posted on February 27, 2009, Printed on March 2, 2009
http://www.alternet.org/story/128957/

Excuse me for being impolitic, but why the -- is America "surging" so unquestioningly into Afghanistan?

Not for nothing is that country called "the burial ground of empires," "a guerilla's paradise" and "the theme park of problems." Yet, President Obama insists that America must act now to "stabilize" Afghanistan and its dizzyingly disparate, ethnically fractious, heavily armed tribal factions.

Actually, our military has already been trying to do this for more than seven years. Despite having 36,000 U.S. troops on the ground and spending $2 billion a month, the current situation there is described by our intelligence agencies as in a "downward spiral."

Instead of a whole new approach, however, the president's advisors are giving him the only answer ever offered by the war machine: more. They intend to double the number of soldiers in what now will become Obama's war. Why? As one advice-giver put it: What we need are more troops in Afghanistan because we need security, and eventually we will get a strategy."

Eventually??? That pretty well defines "bassackwards," doesn't it?

<snip>

Just because Obama's team is drumming up a war doesn't mean we should go along. For more information and action suggestions, contact Win Without War, a broad coalition of grassroots groups opposing escalation in Afghanistan: www.standupcongress.org

<more>

http://www.alternet.org/waroniraq/128957/why_are_we_%26quot%3Bsurging%26quot%3B_into_afghanistan/

[Solly Mack]

1. K&R

[zbdent]

2. wait ... if Nixon sent in more soldiers to Vietnam ...

then why do the ReRushicans constantly blame Kennedy and Johnson?

[Soylent Brice]

11. "reRushicans". bloody brilliant.

[zbdent]

12. wasn't my original ... but I've been using it since I heard someone say it

after Rush did his "I hope he fails!" statement ...

Usually, I used Republiconvicts ...

[booksenkatz]

3. Happy to boot this to the Greatest. NT

[izquierdista]

4. Have some saffron, Jim

Read the other thread on here about how saffron is more profitable for Afghan farmers than opium poppies. Walking away is just not an option, not with people who take revenge as seriously as the Afghans. To avoid getting shot in the back, face them and make amends while backing away slowly, maybe leave behind some goodwill gifts while you are backing up. And while you are backing up, make sure that you have double the number of soldiers to cover your butt.

[flyarm]

5. watch out Mr Hightower..one does not question the O man here at du!!

the people that "MAN" the board will come after you!!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=5159769&mesg_id=5161629

[bvar22]

9. self-marginalized by blind zeal....

.... armed only with cut & paste from the official campaign website.

[Algorem]

6. We have to.It's part of the white man's burden.Oh.Wait.Maybe we

can let that nonsense slide now.Tell the military industrialists where to stick it.

[Captain Hilts]

15. It's Prez Obama's decision and his alone. nt

[balantz]

17. I thought it was supposed to be our decision. The President is supposed to work for us

as well as Congress and the Supreme Court.

[Spurt]

7. k&r

[bvar22]

8. K&R

No Military Objective + No Exit Strategy = Quagmire


Some people make $BILLIONS$ off of Quagmires.

[tomp]

10. i have always maintained that we entered afghanistan prematurely.

we should have investigated 9/11 to its roots first. we have yet to do that.

the u.s. gov't/m-ic is the world's biggest terrorist organization.

[Captain Hilts]

16. Sorry. We found all kinds of stuff. Going in quickly was very smart. nt

[readmoreoften]

18. What kind of "stuff" did we find? My soldier buddies who served there say there is nothing there

and there is no purpose being there and never was. Except for the one who guarded the pipeline that "doesn't exist" for three weeks. We're backing kidnapping, rape-crazy, heroin-producing warlords who will fight for the highest bidder to fight off religious zealots who hate us. It's a dumb and pointless war.

[bertman]

21. Captain Hilts, what "stuff" did we find besides Osama's training camps and caves?

I'm really curious to know because I initially supported our invasion of Afghanistan because it was the haven of Al Qaeda, blah blah blah blah.

But now that I have watched this quagmire get muckier and muckier, and now that other information about the actual events of, and leading up to, 9-11 has been revealed, I am really hoping that our President will get us out of there as quickly as possible.

So, if you can give me some good reasons to believe we did/are doing the right thing (for anyone other than oil interests) please do so.

Thanks.

[tomp]

22. it doesn't matter what they found there.

afghanistan may very well have been al qaeda headquarters. however, there are still dozens, if not hundreds, of crucial unanswered questions about how the 9/11 attacks occurred. when they can be answered and the answers don't point to other sources of funding, organizational assistance, complicity, manipulation, or outright control, then,maybe, i'll think again about invading afghanistan.

[bertman]

25. Thank you, Captain Hilts. No wait, Captain tomp.

But I'm glad you got that off your chest.

[tomp]

31. ? nt

[tomp]

23. wow, you convinced me...

...NOT.

[latebloomer]

13. I don't buy any of the "official" reasons for this

and I'm sorry and sad, though not surprised, to see that Obama has capitulated to the powers that be.

Thanks for posting this. I love Jim Hightower!

K&R

[vinylsolution]

14. President Obama needs to....

... find a Place for Jim Hightower in his cabinet.

All that experience in public office and common sense, too...

Plus, Republican heads would explode if Obama appointed a real Texas Progressive to the team!

[readmoreoften]

19. Apparently Obama's head would explode if he appointed a real Progressive to the team.

[vinylsolution]

20. I thought Hilda Solis....

... was a real Progressive?

[readmoreoften]

28. A token. With all those DLCers and conservatives, her achievements will be curtailed.

One progressive. One.

[Optical.Catalyst]

30. Robert Gates has stated he will not serve to the end of President Obama's term

More Progressives will be added to the team. The military is a big ship, it takes some time to turn it around.

[balantz]

24. Until the truth of 9/11 is revealed by the Obama administration, nothing we do there is valid.

And if the truth is revealed by the Obama administration (the entire TRUTH) then most certainly being in Afghanistan won't be a valid thing.

[FlyingSquirrel]

27. You don't really want Obama to blow the poor guy's cover do you?

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x5170723#5170996

He's just a peace-loving guy at heart

[balantz]

29. Blow the cover Mr. Obama. I want the lid blown sky high! As we all should. nt

[FlyingSquirrel]

26. POPPIES, my pretties! A nice field of poppies! Lie down now and go to sleep!!

muahahahaha