Saturday Rant

I am so tired of Dick Cheney and his daughter spouting off about how if we only had more troops, we could win in Afghanistan. I have heard him say the same thing about Vietnam. What would we win? A country that is half-a-world away that is run by war lords when you are out of the capital city? How well did Vietnam work out for us after we committed American military might to that effort? Same situation, same result. Remember Britain trying to do that to the American colonies an ocean away. It falls apart eventually. Colonialism and long military supply lines do not work out to well when dealing with national pride.

Let's lay out some facts.

We had Osama (remember him, he organized the World Trade Center attack) in Afghanistan trapped and Cheney and Bush did not pull the trigger. They let him escape. Why? so they could have an enemy to mobilize American emotionalism against. Then direct that emotionalism towards Iraq. Attack there and follow the old plan 9PNAC plans) and try to divide up the oil. In fact this week, some conservatives were complaining that other countries were getting Iraq oil after America's efforts. The plan was to get the oil and have corporations profit from it. America did not matter. Or in some minds it was thought America would get all the oil and use that to pay for the war. That canard was used to justify keeping the war off of the books for years.

Why do people even listen to this bullshit anymore? That approach did not work in Vietnam. It will not work in Afghanistan!!!!! The end of the movie Charlie Wilson's War had him asking for paltry money to rebuild Afghanistan after we helped arm the insurgents against Russia and was shut down. Money for war is understandable. Defendible! Money for efforts that may win hearts and minds, not so much.

With that, I will leave with a song.



rojo