More War Will Not Bring Peace Nor Will It Overcome "Terror" whatever that is
It’s interesting that the Americans are now talking about beefing up their forces in Afghanistan. Five years ago, of course, they pretty much abandoned that south Asian country, to pursue their dirty little war in Iraq. Now, they think Iraq has been pacified, they’ve opened the way for the oil giants to set up shop and so they want a new (albeit belated) buildup in Afghanistan.
American Presidential Candidates Are In Agreement
Backers of the increased aggression include the Democratic candidate for the U.S. presidency, Barrack Obama. Both Obama and the other candidate, John McSame want to send at least 2 more combat brigades over there…that would be about 7,000 men and women. These are people who have done multiple tours of duty in Iraq. They are hardened veterans, heavily armed but morally challenged, as are the men who want to want to send them. Their presence in Afghanistan will only make matters worse.
The American military is now in roughly the same condition as the Roman Legions of the 2nd and 3rd centuries C.E. It is increasingly reliant on mercenaries from the private sector. Like the Germanic barbarian fighters hired by the Romans, the private sector corporations of America have little interest in anything other than making money. As long as armed Americans are stationed in Iraq there will be conflict.
The same is true for Afghanistan.
Those of us who have followed the Afghan debacle both historically and in present time, find the Obama position astonishing in its naivete. He thinks the addition of a few more soldiers and helicopters will do the job. Hello? Has he read anything about the Russian experience?
Obama says he wants "more troops, more helicopters, better intelligence-gathering and more non-military assistance to accomplish the mission".
Senator Obama said he would leave a residual force of undetermined size in Iraq to "perform limited missions", such as training Iraqi forces and going after remnants of al-Qaeda…and of course protecting American and European oil companies.
I find it astonishing that after all this time an American candidate for the presidency still believes there is a viable "military mission" in Afghanistan, that will result in an end to terror. Senator Obama has mused that "Iraq is not the central front in the war on terrorism, and it never has been.". But then he admits that Afghanistan is not the central front either. It might be Pakistan.
In fact there is no central front. The fact is – terrorism breaks out wherever the western nations – led by America – set up camp.
The American obsession with fighting "terror" by deploying enormous numbers of combat troops in
places like Iraq and Afghanistan is truly mind boggling.
It’s the kind of madness that breeds more madness and in the end leads to more terror.
Peace cannot be achieved by unleashing the dogs of war.
Nothing ever changes, really, and it’s a form of madness or for lack of a better word “insanity” that an individual or country repeats the same action over and over expecting different results. I think many Americans know this is futile but I think the leaders use “terrorism” and “protecting the country” and “support the troops” even though they are raping, murdering, and killing innocents, as an excuse to plunder and control the natural resources and control of it. They “fuzz it” all within a national patriotism that is way over the top with emotionalism and spin and now it’s creeping into the “Militarism” of Canada also. I remember one night tuning into a most depressing show on T.V. called “The Osbournes” which was one of those waste of skin productions about Ozzie Osbourn and his dysfuntional family. I thought, My God, is this what society has come to like????
We really have to throw this Harper and the tight ass horse he rode in on out as I believe he will take us further and further down the road we are on.
that’s a great comment sherry. what we all have to decide now…is how we are going to do it. do you recall the name of the man i Briitish Columbia whose son was killed in Afghanistan? I believe he made the comment that “war is stupid”.
I don’t support Obama’s stand on Afghanistan. But in a war-mongering nation, a peacemaker has one hand permanently tied behind his back.
His best strategy might be to call for a genuine investigation into the goings-on in Afghanistan and if that were to show the kind of corruption, malfeasance and treac hery that invevitably lead to a tragic endgame, then he would have the evidence to stand firm on a complete military disengagement.
The more I read history the more cautious I become about dissing military intervention for the wrong reasons.
There have been times when the arrival of a strong military force has been rapturously welcomed. There are Canadian veterans alive today who have experienced such joyous welcome and relief of oppressed people.
Is it possible that the image of Canada’s presence in Afghanistan is being horribly mismanaged by Harper and self-promoting chumps like Hillier and other right-wing armchair warriors?
The only question now is the focus of my current research: what is the opinion of expatriate and refugee Afghanis in Canada, US and Europe about the NATO mission in their country?
Their voice must be first to be heard.
Don’t worry,I won’t be posting my support for Taliban and its psychos any time soon. If even 2% of what I’ve read about them is true, the sooner their misanthropic arses are kicked into history the better.
Maybe Obama is right.
As you all know, I write as a Canadian and as a Quaker. And as such I can find no justification of any kind for military or even quasi-military intervention under any circumstances, including those of WW2. I support the right of all men and women to defend themselves against attack…but I do not support the idea that anyone has the right to attack another. Even the actions sanctioned by the theory that self-defense is acceptable must be limited. If you come upon someone who has killed your son or sister or brother…it is not acceptable to kill that person in revenge. It is required – in my view- that you first forgive that person and then offer that person sanctuary.
Since you posted this I’ve been researching the support or lack of it among expatriate Afghanis on the understanding they are typically educated and middle-class, capable of creating a clear picture of Afghanistan for the benefit of outsiders.
I consider their voice crucial in the validity or effectiveness of the current NATO mission.
If our governments don’t ask these questions, we certainly should.
Firstly, it was very hard to find their numbers. Estimates for USA vary from 80,000 to 200,000. Canada’s population is between 40,000 and 80,000.
I assume Europe’s numbers are equally vague.
Secondly, I would like to thank Eric Margolis of Sunmedia who advised me today that an expatriate’s view would depend mostly on tribal affiliation.
Most Pashtuns are opposed. Most Tajiks and Uzbeks are in favour.
Finally, I established the levels of such groups. Pashtuns are 39.4%, Tajiks 33.7% and Uzbeks 8%, and have assumed this demographic travels with the expatriates.
Conclusion?
None. Those pro-NATO roughly equal those anti.
Wrap-up: having Canadian warriors in Afghanistan isn’t on par with WW2 Allies using necessary force to purge Europe of Nazis and their “Final Solution”.
We don’t actually know what we’re doing in Afganistan.
Canadian taxpayers are fattening the bank-accounts of American war-profiteers in return for no improvement of what we believe in as a country.
If this is the path Obama pursues he will be as deserving of scorn as his predecessor.
But we can’t scorn anyone these days. We are ill-informed hypocrites on the world stage.
Megalomania: the delusion that one is great or powerful; a mania or passion for great things.
Having watched Obama’s entire Berlin speech, three things struck me.
Firstly this guy will go down in history as an orator, unlike the Language-mangler-in-Chief currently using the White House facilities.
There was no evidence of notes or prompts in Obama’s powerful twenty-five minute delivery.
Secondly, notwithstanding the self-humiliation of USA in Iraq, this leadership hopeful remains besotted with messianic lust to meddle in international affairs.
At least Obama phrased his frightening Afganistan scenario very well, unlike the jowly and inarticulate belligerence of Popeye McMore-of-the-Same.
McCain will not be a problem. If Obama doesn’t blow him into the electoral rhubarb I’ll eat my hat.
Finally I’ll admit to being a complete rookie on the middle-east scene yet I can see a powerful anti-American axis being quickly formed by “we’ve got nukes” Pakistan and “we have a new best friend beginning with P” Iran following even more US bombing.
It is frightening to think the Democrats are already giving Bush all he wants to blow things up.
Just think what they’ll give Obama.
Israel in such a scenario…?
I won’t even go there.
African proverb: a chicken who hatches the eggs of a crocodile is asking for trouble.
My feeling is that we’d better starting talking very soon with a lot of different people.