"This will be a great decade," said Bill Maher at midnight on New Year's Eve as we were toasting the arrival of 2010 at a friend's party. Then, with a wry grin, he added "...for China." We laughed but I was immediately reminded of a fascinating article by Michael Wines I'd just read in the New York Times. It lays out how China is spending billions of dollars in Afghanistan securing raw materials for its voracious economy while America is spending hundreds of billions in Afghanistan fighting an unnecessary war of choice... even as the fight against terrorism has moved on. So China is mining copper and coal in Afghanistan -- and earning tremendous goodwill -- and we are squandering our young, our treasure, and any goodwill we had. Meanwhile, 1,700 miles away, al-Qaeda is training terrorists in Yemen to attack America.
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Uneasy Engagement - China, Willing to Spend, Wins a Trove of ...
An accurate observation. However - a number of Issues must be understood and dealt with in order for the goals you subscribe to carry enough weight.
"I can only hope that Obama will change course when he realizes how unpopular and unproductive our military efforts are in Afghanistan."
To better understand the situation, the War on Terror should be compared to the Vietnam War (which WAS TERMINATED due to it's unpopularity), based on the following events:
1.- The high number of American Deaths (50,000);
2.- Intense Media Coverage;
3.- A significant incidence of Fragging;
4; A strong and active Mass Movement.
The media coverage cut through the Patriotic Propaganda used to funnel unsuspecting American boys into he USA's War machine, so the Realities of War were presented to the public at large without the hype.
The current degree of governmental media control won't allow that, however.
A significant number of officers were killed by their own troops (Fragging), something much less prevalent with today's enlisted military and contractors.
And Millions of War Protesters marched on Washington (something the fictitious Silent Majority never did).
Frankly, I'm not certain that today's Birther's, Tea Baggers, Rushers and Purchased Mass Media are up to the task. Phony Patriotism seems to rule for now, and Terrorists will continue to be created, not born.
America has never really won anything by force but in recent decades, time and again, it tries to sit on bayonets. The Chinese are not to blame if it hurts.
Charles Grassley is coming up for reelection in Iowa. Would you consider running for the Senate? You seem to have more sense and a better understanding of the world than either of our curent Senators. I would rather vote for nobody's fool than another agribusiness lackey. I'll bet that I am not alone.
I think this is the most intelligent and purposeful observation that has been made to date by Billy and Ariana....I just wish they took the threat to our military a little more seriously and repeat this sound bite as much as the repeat how the former administartion was stupid for entering the war-but then it may not attract as much interest from their audience...
Warm regards,
Michael Winters
How many countries do we have troops in now,, or not so secret,, Cheney/Rumsfeld Mercenary Contractors?
Umm? Iraq, Djibouti, Ethiopia, borders of Sudan, Somalia, overflow hostilities into Kenya, Tribal areas of Pakistan, Afghanistan, Qatar, Kuwait, Georgia, Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan?
And we are to believe it is NOT ABOUT THE OIL? Well golly GEE,, who does that leave? Umm? Maybeeeee Iran?
Oh,, and that “National Healthcare” thingie?
Looks more like a Finger-painting by the 5 year old children of Pharma/Insurance Lobbyists to have hung on the White House refrigerator.
“Oh yes Honey,,, It is beautiful,,, so full of pretty colors.”
And How about TEETH in the reforms on this Hoax of Healthcare Bill?
Umm? Kids,, all of the cookies are missing from the cookie jar, does anyone know anything about this?
Insurance: “Not Me”
Pharma: “Somebody Else.”
Medical Establishment: “Idonknow.”
Congress: “I was out playing with Suzie.”
Fox News: “IRAN DID IT.”
Oh Sheeeese! Right!
All the best, Knute
I forgot about the Tax Payer.
“Well,, if none of you will fess up to what happened to all the cookies, I will have to set an example so that you will learn your lesson.”
“Tax Payer (2010),,, Bend Over.”,,, Whack,,, Whack,,,, Whack.
“Now you old people,,, Bend Over”,,, Smack,,, Whack,, Whack.
All the best, Knute
Why is it that advanced societies live right next door to less advanced societies, on same continents... and so on.?
It sounds like an opener to a joke; but how do we justify ourselves knowing there are tribes in South America who have thrived ten thousand years without [whatever the heck we are so worried about having ] now?
I can't answer it ... sorry to not have the punch line.
To give respect to your question, let’s think about this.
Anthropologically???
They live within their means.
They stay in harmony with their environment.
They SHARE, status achieved by Gifts to visitors.
Conflicts are settled by “Ritual” warfare, where everybody gets drunk after, and has a big party to make up.
They respect, if not venerate, their elders as the Keepers of Knowledge.
Because of intermarriage to other tribes, their technologies for making war are distributed. (Equalized)
Their Medicine men are NOT paid 26 times what anyone else earns.
They live INSIDE their own Pharmacy, pain relief is up the nearest tree or under its bark.
And mediators work for free, for the betterment of the tribe as a whole.
All the best, Knute
My New Year's resolution for my family is to consume less. Why give our money to China for stuff we don't need?