Code Pink, through Gayle Brandeiss, sent out an alert that is truly alarming: "Last weekend, twelve members of one Afghan family--including six children--were killed during NATO's Afghanistan offensive in Marjah." Code Pink, Gayle Brandeiss, from letter 2/19/2010
How much more of warfare can Afghanistan tolerate without completely falling apart. I know that the families of the recently deceased due to NATO bombing are fragmented totally grief and probably despair. I certainly don't want this being done in my name, when police investigation is the best way to handle terrorist threats. Certainly, not through wanton destruction, which probably creates more terrorists than it ever kills. I highly recommend Khaled Hosseini's novel, A Thousand Splendid Suns, to understand the disintegration of Afghan society due to relentless warfare. Whoever the adversaries have been over decades now, the result has been utter destruction and death.
Americans must ask, "Why is our government doing reckless killing in Afghanistan in our name, when other approaches are both more moral and smarter - fairer to US Citizens (because we need those resources, being spent) and fairer to the Afghan people?". We must ask the necessary questions, as Obama did in Chicago when Bush launched his invasion of Iraq. (Notice that well in to the Obama Administration that we are still not out of Iraq!)
So which Americans are asking the hard questions, and when, if ever, will the media wake up again to is being done in our name.
Well, some Americans are asking the hard questions, and, in the forefront, is Code Pink. Today, I received a letter from the writer, Gayle Brandeis,who is responsible for writing Code Pink Alerts, and this time she gets attention with a little of her own personal, poignant, narrative in the letter.
Our military families are going through some hard times and Christmas makes it even more difficult. Remember them and do whatever you can to make the season better for them. (More photos below.)
The worst argument for escalation and continued war in Afghanistan is that it's smart politically, and that should be a major factor in the decision making process going forward.
Thomas Ricks thinks that even using the phrase "exit strategy" would likely doom President Obama's chances of re - election.
It is no secret to many of us that this country has needed a Progressive direction to correct many of the problems it faces for some time now. I was born in 1970 and have seen exactly three Democratic Presidents in my life. The damage done by Conservative Presidents has been disasterous, and the Democrats elected have seemed to only keep us running around in circles while no real change is imminent to repair the damage.
Like a growling blind dog that thinks he has a rat cornered, the Right Wing's former VP poked his head out of his undisclosed cave bunker again yesterday to make animal-like sounds about his favorite subject. Yes, you guessed it! WAR! It seems that former VP Deputy Dog has a problem with the way President Obama is handling Dick's forgotten war in Afghanistan. You see, once Dirty Dick Cheney turned his howitzer sights on oil rich Iraq, Afghanistan and our soldiers there were forgotten like a old lover once a new and more exciting lover came along to tweak his blood-and-oil-lust libido.
How Guantanamo's prisoners were sold The president of Pakistan's [Pervez Musharraf] attempts to publicise his memoirs throw light on the flawed and dishonest processes that the US uses in bringing "terrorists" to justice
by Clive Stafford Smith - NewStatesman - 09 October 2006
The payments help us see why so many innocent prisoners ended up in Guantanamo Bay. Musharraf writes that "millions" were paid for 369 prisoners - the minimum rate was apparently $5,000, enough to tempt a poor Pakistani to shop an unwanted Arab to the Americans, gift-wrapped with a story that he was up to no good in Afghanistan.
(we can all be citizen lobbyists!... - promoted by poligirl)
There are only a few times when a grassroots effort to influence a Congressional vote have a real chance. These times are fewer and farther apart than most of us want to accept -- certainly than I want to accept. This fact is frustrating and often discourages people from making the calls or writing the letters that let their Congresscritter know what is on their mind.
I am a strong advocate of what I like to call citizen lobbying -- and what is at the heart of a representative democracy. You have read my exhortations in the past -- calls to action -- where I pled with you to call/write/email/fax even if the chance your action would have slim chance of making a difference. You have read my argument that if we only talk to our friends, within Congress or without, we have little chance of changing minds. And too many members of Congress get away with bad votes relying on their constituents to either not pay attention or not care.
Today, though, you have a real chance to make a significant difference.
Today is a moment in history when you CAN make a difference.
Politics is, by many accounts, a game, one of wheeling and dealing, of shifting alliances and jockeying for position. Which may explain more about the sorry state of our national governance than politicians, pundits and assorted in-the-knows care to admit.
In a press conference today, Defense Secretary Gates announced the replacement of America's top general in Afghanistan. The commander of U.S. troops in Afghanistan, General McKiernan, is being replaced by Lt. Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal. McChrystal, former Commander of the Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC), is seen by Secretary Gates as having a more suitable background to the complexities of the war in Afghanistan.
