Guardsman Would Rather Face Taliban Than U.S. Economy

DELARAM, Afghanistan -- Around the barren military base, which sits at the crossroads of the Taliban's poppy trade route, news arrives slowly. A single issue of the U.S. military's newspaper arrives by airlift about every two weeks. While on patrol in remote villages, Afghans sometime shout at the Marines in Russian to go away, unaware that the troops are promoting democracy. Most Marines here said that they didn't know about President-elect Barack Obama's Cabinet picks, including his decision to keep Robert Gates as their secretary of defense.

However, the domestic economic meltdown has reached even here. The National Guardsmen who serve with the Marines of the 3rd Battalion, 8th Marine Corps Regiment, based here, say they fear that their jobs won't be there when they return.

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Comments

[yasmeen]

the villagers mistaken the american troops for russian ones; the previous invaders. maybe because democracy shouldn't be forced down people's throats. let's see: white skin, check. christian, check. carries weapon and shoots at us, check. ...yup, russians.

[cayuse]

I am constantly overwhelmed by he intelligence of the common folk. Especially when those in charge are so stupid.

Reminds me what GRANDAD use to say, "You can lead a horse to water, but you cannot make him drink". To bad the CIA, Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, Wineberger, et al could never get it. Cents was lost though by them coming and staying in power.

[outnow]

The banking cabal is waging class warfare against those who are in the bottom half of the income pyramid - the same people who are fighting the wars to spread democracy. Who has their backs in America? The answer is nobody. John Kerry was correct when he said that young people should stay in school so they don't end up in the military. He lost any chance of being nominated for the 2008 election because he merely stated the truth. In the 60's staying in school created a draft deferment; today, it creates a chance of finding a job. For the others, the only job available is in the military.

I don't believe that that the real front in the war against terror is Afghanistan but in our own economy. "Terror" is a diversion for fighting for a pipeline route. 30,000 troops are hard to supply in that remote region. The costs are enormous given our failing banking system and empty manufacturing base.

[eremite]

You're always more afraid of the devil you don't know than the one you do. In Afghanistan, they probably think our country is totally destroyed. obama has been shamelessly preaching doom and gloom to push through his wealth redistribution plan and marxist agenda. It could be a self fullfilling prophesy.

[JessWonderin]

Could it be due to the armed Forces Radio broadcasting RUSH Limpbough on a DAILY basis???

[hortonhearsawho2]

So, your the Village Idiot...is that it.