Staying the Course

Obama faces a critical decision in regards to Afghanistan and American foreign policy. We invaded Afghanistan in 2002 in response to the terrorist attacks by AL-Qaeda on September 11th. Since then the people of Afghanistan have suffered terribly. Their already poor country was shattered by political infighting and civil war as the new government headed by Karzai attempted to stave off threats from the deposed Taliban. Since the war began, thousands of innocent civilians have died in Nato bombing raids, Taliban reprisals, terrorists attacks, and the like. Sadly enough, this suffering civilian population is all too familiar with being in such a precarious situation.

Historically speaking, none of this is new. When the Soviets invaded Afghanistan towards the end of the Cold War, America ran covert operations to supply weapons and supplies to the mujahadeen fighters who were conveniently killing our enemies for us. Using the maxim that the enemy of our enemy is our friend, we supplied weapons to Osama Bin Laden and his supporters who were successful in driving out the Soviet invaders. Much like the deceit and deviousness that America is so good at, the covert weapons that we supplied allowed them to win the war. However the problem doesn't come from the weapons supplies. The problem is that as soon as the war was over, we went home. We gave no money to rebuild homes and schools that had been destroyed in the fighting. Hospitals and other peices of infrastucture that are necessary to run a modern country were left devastated by the Soviet occupation. We sent a clear message to the Afghan citizens; that they were nothing more than pawns in a global game chess being played out by the two superpowers. However this game didn't involve wooden or marble peices, but the flesh and blood of human beings who paid the ultimate price while unwittingly fighting the enemies of America for us.
The right thing to do in any sich case would be to give aid when it was necessary, no matter what war or parties caused the devastation. However because our direct and secret involvement escalated the conflict and multiplied the devastation, it became a moral imperative for America to help Afgahnistan rebuild. Instead we ignored the problem and did nothing.

The power vacuum left by the Soviets and Americans was filled by the only locals with guns the Taliban.Ironically, we are the ones that supplied them with the weapons that they would later use against us in the name of Allah. Put simply, had we not been cowards in the 1980's and ran home to ignore the problem, we wouldnt be fighting a war in Afghanistan today. Don't believe me? Run a quick counterfactual scenario. Suppose America ahd been responsible in 1980 and worked to fix a problem we helped create. Had America funded schools, hospitals and other necessary projects to acheieve an acceptable standard of living, then the people would be eternally grateful. All of the hate filled rhetoric of the Taliban about how the west is evil and immoral would have never taken hold because they would owe us for rebuilding their newly liberated country. It is quite conceivable that a pro-America democracy could have been established as early as the breakup of the Soviet Union in 1989. The last 20 years then would have been filled with peace and prosperity for Afghanistan, instead of suffering under the oppressive Taliban who kill all who oppose them, civilian or otherwise. What kind of people kill thier own just to stay in power?

Unfortunately America didn't do the right thing twenty years ago. What's worse is that there is now political pressure from the left for Obama to not escalate the war in Afghanistan. They keep calling for the troops to come home. They argue that the real war is no longer in Afghanistan but is in Pakistan, where the majority of the terrorists have fled. Obama's generals are arguing for more troops. They know the fight can be won if we perserver. The generals are not caught up in all the politics and appeasement that corrupt Washington and make America do the things we know to be wrong. Politically speaking, the right call is for Obama to cut our losses in Afghanistan and get out of dodge. Public support for the war has dropped dramactically as casualties increase and timetable drags on with no clear end in sight. The analysts are correct in saying that Pakistan, with it's internal discord, current civil war with Al-Quaeda, and unsecured nuclear material is the real threat to American security. I think that these problems should be addressed as well. However the moral decision is to stay the course and to help secure Afghanistan for its people. Otherwise chaos will reign and the status quo of fear and death every moment will continue.

Can you imagine living like that? It is easy for Americans to ignore the plight of others because we have it so good here. What if your car was blown up by terrorists while you were on the way to Macy's for that Saturday morning sale? What if your child picked up a landmine and never came home from playing outside? What if your wife or girlfriend was attacked by misogynist nut jobs who use an extremist interpretation of religion to declare that their place is at home, covered from head to toe and basically the slave of all their male relatives? How would we respond to such atrocities? How does one live in such a place.

More than likely your response is the same as mine, a blank stare. Because we as Americans simply can'te relate to this kind of suffering. We have no reference to or experience with sucha level of violence and loss. However the Afghani people do. This has been their existence for as long as the war has been going on. And we sit here and complain about the cost of gas and rising unemployment and bicker about healthcare while everyday Afghans leave their house wondering if they will ever see their loved ones again. America has a chance to do something about all of this. Our generals believe that we can win this war once and for all. We must increase troop levels in Afghanistan, not for our security, but for the security of the Afghani people.

America will find that we reap what we sow. If we leave Afghanistan to its fate again untold numbers of innocents will die when the Taliban return to power. Any who collaborated with America in forming their current government will die. All of the local leaders who have denounced the Taliban will die. Any and all who have spoken out and stood up for their rights as indivduals and as a fledgling nation will be silenced. And their blood will be on our hands. America has a wonderful opportunity here. If self serving interests and ideology are all that would motivate America to stay then consider this. Staying in Afghanistan would send the message to our enemies and allies alike that we are willing to fight for the right thing. All of the propoganda of peole like Osama Bin Laden who say that America isn't interested in fighting for Muslims would be void. We are fighting to protect Afghans from the handful of crazies that wish to impose the harshest from of Shariah or Islamic law upon their country. Such stringent punishments are a perversion of the religion of islam. That is why so many people have come out in opposition to this oppression.

We now stand at a crossroads, once a decison is made there can be no turning back.
Will America stand for morality and freedom, or will we go as home as cowards with our tail between our legs like in the 1980's? Only time will tell. I pray that Obama makes the right decision.

The Party of No

I hate it when I am right about things going badly in America. It honestly gives me no satisfaction whatsoever. I would much rather be wrong and swallow my pride and look like an idiot while watching our country progress in a positive direction than sit back with the smug satisfaction of knowing that I called it all along. Just two days ago I posted an article about the lack of bipartanship in this country. More specifically I wrote in disgust about politicians and pundits on both sides who use political gamesmanship and mudslinging to divide this country to further their own selfish interests. Less than 24 hours after that post Republicans embarrassed themselves during a presidential address of congress concerning healthcare as I and the rest of the nation watched it live. At least I can say I told you so...

Wednesday night, President Obama was addressing a joint session of Congress on the issue of healthcare. He was addressing several myths that I have highlighted on the blog for weeks now such as the rumor about "death panels". Obama had just stated that the healthcare bill would not entitle illegal immigrants to healthcare coverage, which it wouldn't, when Republican Rep. Joe Wilson screamed "lie, You lie!" from his seat. To put this in perspective, this was not just a simple outburst that needed to be reprimanded. NO president in the history of this country has ever been shouted down by an opponent at a joint session of congress. It simply has never happened in the 300 some years that this country has been in existence. What's worse is that this was not the only incident of the night. Republicans laughed when Obama said their were still minor details to be worked out before the bill was passed. Another man, a congressman mind you, carried a homemade sign around his neck that read "what bill". At other points in his speech, Obama was booed by Republicans, like when he was refuting their hateful and incredibly stupid false myths about the health care bill. Republicans were mostly silent during Obama's rousing calls for bipartisan support. Even when the president conceded that he was wiling to compromise on certain issued they didn't budge an inch. But it was quiter than OSU fans during the Florida game when Obama rightfully blasted Palin, a supposedly responsible politician, for spreading lies like the death panel rumor in a conscious and politically motivated attempt to kill reform at all costs. Now you tell me which party the big insurance companies have in their pocket!
Here is the news story here:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/cq/politics3199018;_ylt=AnMTJYT.b43gWYhzbrybHIms0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTJ0dWxyM2Y0BGFzc2V0A2NxLzIwMDkwOTEwL3BvbGl0aWNzMzE5OTAxOARjcG9zAzIEcG9zAzgEcHQDaG9tZV9jb2tlBHNlYwN5bl90b3Bfc3RvcnkEc2xrA2xhd21ha2Vyc2Nvbg--

After Wilson's outburst, by far the worst of the night, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi shot him a look that would give ice chills. Joe Biden, the Vice President, and Michelle Obama both shook their head in disbelief. Again I don't think the gravity of this idiot's actions is getting through. No president has ever been subjected to this level of blatant disrespect before by his own people! At least it was a foreigner that threw shoes at President Bush and not a fellow American. After the speech was over Rahm Emmanuel, Obama's chief of staff, approached Republican leaders in Congress and demanded that Wilson apologized. That is the nice and censured version, I think (and hope) that Rahm wasnt so nice during the whole exchange.

Even veteran political commentators were stunned by Wilson's outburst. It is simply something that is unheard of in American history. NBC's Chuck Todd and MSNBC's Joe Scarborough were horrified at the level of disrespect shown to the president. Now to the Republicans credit, some like Senator McCain from Arizona, have called on their colleague to apologize for his actions. Wilson did later issue a statement apologizing for his lack of decorum and attributed his unacceptable behavior to an "uncontrollable rush of emotion". Nice to know that the people we elect to Congress have the composure and temprament of a three year old child. I also wonder if the man realizes that the point that he accused Obama of lying about is in fact the truth and that his right-wing buddies are feeding him nothing but lies and propaganda? It also begs the question, did this guy read the bill in the first place? Maybe if he had he wouldnt have made a fool of himself on national tv. Oh and then there are others like Republican strategist and former Bush advisor Karl Rove who thought the whole incident was hilarious. http://thinkprogress.org/2009/09/09/obama-joint-address/

So where do we stand now? I'm not making such a fuss about the actions of this moron from South Carolina for no reason. He represents a symptom of a problem, and not the problem itself. The problem is stubborness. The Republican party as a whole has decided upon the strategy of "no". It is their answer to everything that Obama does, even his very presidency itself, (birthers anyone?). Just 24 hours ago I wrote about partisanship and how it can tear a country apart. It is now happening before our very eyes. Congress is deadlocked because neither side will compromise. The general public is polarized to one side or the other and unwilling to give ground or worse, they are disillusioned with Washington in general and don't think that any of our problems are ever going to be solved. This is not the direction that America need to go in. There are currently millions of uninsured Americans in this country. As Obama said last night, we are the ONLY advanced Democratic nation in the world that has such a problem with its healthcare system. It is a moral imperative that we cover our citizens to the best of our ability as a nation without running up the deficit to untameable heights. These are Obama's words, not mine, but I fully agree with him.

24 hours ago I warned that these stupid political games would have dire consequences for our nation. 12 hours ago another Republican made a fool of himself on national tv and insulted the man I voted for to lead this supposed democracy. The people need reform. The people will have reform. 24 hours ago I stood for bipartisanship. In theory I always will because I believe that compromise and moderation often yield the best policy initiatives. But it is clear that the Republican part does not want to compromise. 24 hours ago I was against the use of the reconciliation process. Now I say this is the last call. Any that want to come to the table and offer their suggestion on both sides are welcome. But like Obama said last night, the time for games has passed. We need health care reform and we need it now, no matter how the legislation has to be passed. Just remember that if in 2010 or 2012 the Republicans try to say that the Democrats went it alone and ignored their input this is a lie. The Republicans are the negative ones. They are the party of no. And if they want to ever be elected to office again I suggest they start being useful. Otherwise they can reap the fruits of their labor and enjoy many more years of not being in power.

The Culture Wars: Bringing America Back Together

This will be my first post that is not directly tied to one news story or idea. For about a year now I have blogged about politics and society in America and what the right course of action should be, at least in my opinion. At the end of my freshman year I added political science as a second major because I wanted to be informed about how decisions are made in this country. After all, knowledge is power.
I started watching the news and reading blogs from all over the political spectrum. I give time and consideration to all views, even ones that don't align with my own. I consider myself a political moderate and hate political gamesmanship and party politics above all else. For every post I have critisizing the Republicans I have an equal amount to say about the poor choices of the Democrats.

Many forces are coming together that I fear are unseen by the vast majority of Americans. We live in a supposedly post-racial America, yet ever since the historic election of President Obama it seems like race has been the only thing on the mind's of many politicians. Race baiting on both sides is not bringing America back together, but is rather driving it apart. While name calling and mudslinging have been a part of American politics for centuries now, it seems to me that current efforts on both sides are going above and beyond what is necessary to make the point.

This isn't some high horse moral argument about the need for honesty and civility in politics even though it very well could and should be. I see no reason why grown men and women can't sit down and talk out their differences like adults instead of name calling and lying like preschool children. Rather I am concerned for the common American who turns on their computer or television or flips a page in the newspaper and blindly accepts everything that politicians and political pundits are telling them. While there are many factors like socio-econmic status, family heritage, race, age, marital status, and others that can impact a person's party identification, an important part of that identification is tied to issue voting and image. In otherwards, the information that the average American recieves goes a long way towards determining their party affiliation. More important than mere party politics, this information is shaping and reinforcing thw world views that Americans have, how they see themselves, their fellow Americans, and everyone else in the world.

Don't believe me when I say that political polarization in this country is real? Just look at news headlines for the last few months. The tea parties protesting taxatation during the 4th of July, "birthers" who question the legitimacy of the Obama presidency because they subscribe to a stupid fairy tell that he wasn't actually born in Hawaii, "deathers" like Sarah Palin who wrongfully insist that the end of life counseling in Obama's healthcare plan is actually a mass socialist plot to redistribute healthcare benefits to the young and to kill your grandparents off early, people who bring loaded assault rifles to town hall meetings where the president is supposed to be speaking, Democrats who insist that they want a bipartisan solution to healthcare and then run around talking about reconciliation or the ability of the senate to pass important legislation with less than the normal majority of votes.

When will America learn that these political games get us nowhere? Was the hatred and angst that Glenn Beck stirred up last week during his smear campaign against green czar Van Jones worth it? Was it worth it to call Barack Obama a closet racist and lose dozens of sponsors, Beck? The sad answeer is yes. In America such divisive and repulsive behavior by supposedly responsible politicans and pundits is rewarded with results. Van Jones resigned from his post following the effective smear campaign and while Beck's advertiser list is a little thin his number of viewers and ratings are now at an all time high!

I said earlier that I follow blogs and news stories online. I do this not so much for the information itself but to see people's reaction to what is being talked about. Obviously going to a liberal site like huffingtonpost will give me right wing bashers and vice-versa. So sometimes I visit moderate news sites where the comments are anything but. For instance, check out the comments your fellow Americans left in reaction to this story about Glenn Beck, http://washingtonindependent.com/57912/glenn-becks-next-target-cass-sunstein.

If you scroll all the way down to the bottom you can find lovely little jewels of bi-partisanship and togetherness like this:

"Glenn Beck is a race-baiting, dry-drunk opportunist who will never pass up the chance to enrich himself while serving his corporate masters. He is a demagogue of the basest and most cynical stripe"

"Sweetie, America IS a sad little place. The Republicans made it that way a few years ago. I stopped watching your news a few months ago. Every person on your networks and cable seems to be a rabid republican with no sense of humour. Your country has been turned into a 'red neck' backwoods. The world has become bored with you people. You cannot even stand up for your own President. Americans are disgusting."

"IT'S AMERICA you dumb bastard......if you don't like it leave. Spell it correctly you commie piece of crap!!!! I guess turn-a-bout is fair play right. Obama had a hidden agenda and it is slowly being exposed. Bush attacks were unfounded.
Yours truly in Afghanistan"

"Don't call me a commie. I have that right only to determine what political group I belong with. I don't criticize you for being a right wing neo con christofascist. What is the minimum security clearance?"

But wait, here is my absolute favorite one of the whole bunch.

"Left wing women need to use there mouth and thoughts for sexual pleasure only, due to the fact they are a bunch of idiots when it comes to real issues, left wing whatever? that call themselves men who in fact are cowards! need to stay home and bake cookies and clean house, let the real men due your women so that they can find out what real pleasure is all about, doing it with a real man, this would keep them out of plolitics, and in the bedroom... OK so bring it on after all I just threw a banana in the monkey pit so come on lets hear it??? after all it will be nothing more then a knee jerk reaction from cowards and pleasure dolls hearing the truth! God Bless Glenn Beck! keep up the good work in exposing the rats nest!!!!! keep the left on nut drive"

So to recap, no facts, no logic, all name calling and offensive, bigoted comments from people who fancy themselves arm chair politicians. Apparently all liberals are godless wimps and socialist commie nutjobs and all republicans are racist, redneck, uneducated drooling morons who cling to guns and God. Is this what America is becoming? These people have the right to vote in this country. They have the right to publish such hateful and vile statements that serve no purpose except to inflame tensions between the two sides. I see no truth here because there are NO FACTS! Not one person brought up facts or a reasoned argument. Where is the logic? It is all emotion that is misplaced into attempts at villifying the supposed enemy. Oh and my absolute favorite, "Left wing women need to use there mouth and thoughts for sexual pleasure only, due to the fact they are a bunch of idiots when it comes to real issues." Are you kidding me?! Who died and put women's rights back two hundred years? This poster has the nerve to say something as blatantly sexist and offensive as offensive gets and then two sentences later is invoking the name of God to support his side of the debate. Hypocrisy at is absolute worst. I'm pretty sure that God wouldn't want you debasing his children like that. Oh and the last time I checked a man's political leanings have nothing at all to do with their ability or lack of ability to please a woman in bed as that same ignorant comment so asserted (also making me lament over this misguided fool's concept of real manhood but I digress).

This is where we stand America. These are the people that goble up partisan politics like there is no tomorrow. These are the people that continue to make it possible for the Glenn Beck's and Rush Limbaugh's of the world to make a living spewing their messages of hate and intolerance across the airwaves. It is one thing to reason and to defend your position with facts and numbers and statistics. It is another thing entirely to make baseless claims that fan the already rising flames of fear and intolerance in this great nation. No matter what side you support, if you see or hear mudslinging, race-baiting or any other attempt to divide our country for ones own personal or political gain then put a stop to it. The only way to confront lies is with the truth.