Americanpolitics

Photo of NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen courtesy of Yahoo News

Twenty-five NATO allies promised to send an additional 7,000 more troops to Afghanistan as America has pledged 30,000 more troops and while this total does not meet the 40,000 McChrystal requested, S.O.S. Hillary Clinton has said she was pleased with the “significant contributions” from NATO allies.

When I listen to the politicians discuss the Afghan war and the play on words they use such as “withdrawal,” “occupation,” “residual forces,” “transition,” “no long term occupation” and how confusing their mission is based on these contradictory phrases, I have to wonder about the audiences they are addressing and how the contradicting words play in the minds of the various audiences.

I find it difficult to wade through the words to get to what is real. First it was a “withdrawal” of troops starting in 2011 but now it is called a “transition,” which will be based on an evaluation to determine if the withdrawal is feasible. Conversely, there will remain a “residual force” in Afghanistan long after the battle troops leave even though we have no plans for long term “occupation” of these foreign lands. This is just a mild interpretation of the double talk of politicians that I have been listening to over the past few days.

Courage to fight a war is something I will never understand. I guess if I became angry enough, I would stand and fight, as in domestic violence, but then that is a direct threat to me personally. However, to read the words of a West Point Cadet who listened to the President’s speech last week and to attempt to put myself in his shoes was something my imagination could not do because the only blind faith I have is the blind faith in Jesus Christ.

Cadet Eric Bernau put it simply, “I came here to West Point for four years because I have one singular goal of serving this country while we’re at war. If you’re involved in sports you don’t want to spend all your time practicing and then never play in the game. It’s the same thing for us. I always expected to go to war. I want to go. I’m honored to go.”

“I’m honored to go” – these words are deep. While I can understand the words, it felt more like “looking for action” rather than action being forced on you. Domestic violence is something that is forced on you personally, like street crimes, where as war is a choice and I guess like many others, as long as the violence is not touching me personally, I have no desire to fight and if I can walk away from it I will because my belief is that violence does not solve problems but instead it either creates more violence or creates other means of brutality.

Truth is when I read Cadet Bernau’s words, my heart swelled with pride for the courage and dedication he expressed. The article goes on to say that he was the first in his family to join the military, leaving behind a worried mother with roots as a religious pacifist and a miffed group of friends who later bragged about their light schedules at the University of Wisconsin.

Bernau, on the other hand, was captivated by the purposefulness of the Army; he asked to be assigned to infantry because he hoped to be counted on when it mattered most. While I am deeply affected by the words Cadet Bernau spoke, affected by his dedication, strength and courage, my heart is heavy with the choice he has made to offer his life in exchange for a peace that I have doubts of ever being achieved.

Because I have doubts, does this mean that peace can not be achieved – no it doesn’t and so I say to Cadet Bernau and all the other brave troops who are serving and have served that I sincerely regret that peace can not be achieved in other ways, I regret that lives have to be lost, I regret the changes, in you, that will take place as a result of your mission.

I regret that you will become part of a violence that is so intense that even if you are not physically touched you will be forever mentally and emotionally touched by what you will see in this war zone and I thank you for being who you are as I pray for your safe return.

Bernau was not the only Cadet who voiced his resolve, anxious anticipation even, to go off to war and as I read the comments of others I somehow felt lacking in courage, faith and even character in comparison to these kids who are willing and ready to offer their services to a cause much greater than daily living. I felt such admiration for them as I understood the sacrifice and marveled at their nobility and their selflessness.

More importantly, I suggest that the time of sacrifice, after all these years mankind has been on earth, should be over, that we, as thinking, feeling, people should have learned by now how to get along without war – but it is what it is and the lessons have not been learned and so the madness continues as kids like Bernau stand strong and eager to do what they feel is right while those who commit to war make the decisions that allow for the sacrifices made by youngsters like Bernau.

And that’s the way I see it!!!!

Footsteps on the Ice: The Antarctic Diaries of Stuart D. Paine, Second Byrd Expedition

Photo courtesy of MSNBC

The long awaited justification for the continuation of the war in Afghanistan is scheduled to be unveiled today by President Obama himself. Why he feels justification is in order, I’m not sure since regardless of any justification, he has made his decision and troops will be sent, lives will be lost, money will be spent and the war rages on.

Over the weekend I saw a poll, as well as casual interviews of Pakistani people stating that 59% felt as though it was as a result of Americans that they were experiencing a surge in violence in their land, that innocent people were being killed.

In Afghanistan, the Taliban have already said how they feel about American occupation in their land, they don’t appreciate it and they will continue to fight. Meanwhile, some Afghan people believe that with a surge of U.S. troops, life for them becomes more dangerous.

Obama, on the other hand feels that Afghan security forces need more training to be able to stabilize the violence there. He feels that by making tougher demands on the governments of both Pakistan and Afghanistan, peace can be achieved, the negativity of the Taliban/al-Qaeda can be diminished and a new world order can be achieved – I say please spare me the pipedream mentality.

These beliefs are held even as, statistically speaking, this has been the deadliest year for American and NATO troops since the onset of the war eight years ago as the death toll began to rise in earnest, after Obama decided to deploy an additional 20 thousand plus U.S. troops, earlier this year as part of his refocus on the Afghan war.

While in Iran, diplomacy, sanctions, threats made by the U.S. government in an attempt to prevent Iran from creating nuclear material has the government there boasting they will build an additional ten nuclear power “enrichment” plants in defiance of what America wants.

Although some in the international community feel Iran’s declaration to build the number of plants they have announced is impossible to achieve, keep in mind that while the world thought they had only one plant, recent discoveries have indicated that they indeed have more than one plant in process currently.

Even if this Iranian threat to build more nuclear enrichment plants is more about a distraction than a reality, it indicates to me that Iran has no respect for the sanctions or the words of the United States government and they plan to continue, business as usual, regardless of what the U.S. says and being geographically so close to Afghanistan, Pakistan and the negative forces in these lands, possibility becomes more probability.

Still, on another level, while the United States would have you believe their involvement in Iraq was of noble reasoning, the freedom of Iraqi people, the true bottom line was revenge and oil.

Photo courtesy of MSNBC

The revenge was a George Bush thing against Saddam Hussein, while the reasons of oil can be analyzed in reading the article I read this morning which outlines oil companies who are looking to future profits, now that they have a foothold in Iraq due to Americans’ invasion of Iraq.

All of this leads me back to Obama’s verbal justifications for waging war in a country where the prime suspect of the 9/11 catastrophe may be long gone, where the government is so corrupt that in all the previous years, the Taliban and al-Qaeda have been embraced, where the people are sitting on the fence waiting to see who has the most power before they truly commit to helping themselves.

With the Republican Party strongly behind a troop surge, which makes me suspicious right away, and none of the rationale being spoken of being logical, in my mind, I have to wonder what the real reason is, behind the loss of life of American and NATO troops, in Afghanistan/Pakistan. I have to wonder why Obama has decided to send more troops to a land that demonstrates such strong feelings about U.S. occupation in their land.

More importantly, I have to wonder what justification Obama will relay to the American people regarding this war. How can politicians justify the amount of money to be spent on this new surge in troops when they bicker continuously on the amount of money the health care/insurance reform legislation will cost the American people over time? I have to wonder will truth be part of this justification for war.

And that’s the way I see it!!!!

Sensual bath, Sensual Kit - Basket of love

Photo courtesy of Yahoo News

While America never gives Obama the praise or support he is due on any level, he has no problem being consistently viewed in the positive by other countries. Washington’s ambassador to Beijing cited the fact that true to form, the news media in America, when discussing Obama’s trip to China, failed to take into account important progress on many issues.

Instead they criticized his visit as “not productive” and “failing to gain concessions on key issues such as Iran’s nuclear program, climate change and weak on human rights.” This according to a Yahoo News article I read yesterday morning.

On the other hand, in China, Obama’s trip was the top news story. According to surveys in China which suggests the views in China are primarily positive as it relates to successful communications and opinions of the American president. Citing the fact that “the visit yielded important progress on cooperation in areas such as clean energy, military-to-military exchanges and stopping the spread of nuclear weapons.”

While American’s criticized the “bow” Obama took, with Cheney even going so far as to say that American’s should not be bowing to any nation, China was viewing the President in a light of respect. Even though “good will” was earned by Obama’s visit through the eyes of China, those in America did what they do best when it comes to Obama and that is criticized, in an attempt to ostracize which goes to show how petty the American public is becoming in light of the election of the first black president.

And as if the criticism is not enough, Republicans are still playing their petty game as it relates to the health care/insurance reform debate. Saturday night I watched as the question as to whether the health care/insurance reform debate should continue on the floor of the Senate was voted on. To my knowledge, not one Republican voted to have this debate continued. It is not like the vote was to pass the bill the vote only determined whether the conversation would continue.

To add to the divisions the Republicans are striving for, the Catholic Church, through the voice of Bishop Thomas Tobin, is again attempting to show that they are the deciding voice of “who is worthy” in this life, in their attempt to take on the persona of God by passing judgments, by refusing Holy Communion to Patrick Kennedy for his support of abortion rights because of his “yes” vote on the health care/insurance reform legislation.

Photo courtesy of Yahoo News

From my reading of the Bible, there was a situation where Jesus was questioned about his breaking bread in the home of someone who was not a believer. Jesus’ answer, in essence, involved the truth that he was not here solely for those who believed but for those who did not believe.

If Jesus saw the potential in others, what makes this Catholic Bishop so intolerant of others - this does not seem “the Christian way” as far as my understanding of the Bible. What makes Bishop Tobin so righteous that he can pass judgment on another man? Who gives Tobin the right to judge another man’s soul? Furthermore, abortion, to my recollection, is not even mentioned in the Bible.

The more I listen to the lame excuses put forth by the Republican Party regarding this bill, the more I lose the little respect I had for them as a viable party to the government of the United States of America. The more they open their mouth, the more I see how unreasonable, irrational and petty they are.

The more they protest this bill with inaccuracies (that have been detected by others), lies, figures they pull out of the air for the purpose of distraction and deceiving, the more I am incline to believe this bill is just what the American public needs – this opinion based not on actually reading the bill just based entirely on the irrational actions of the Republican Party.

What is it the Republicans hope to accomplish with the division they are attempting to create? Who do Republicans impress by the criticism and lies, the refusal to work in a productive manner, as a unified team with Democrats, when it comes to health care/insurance reform? What is their real goal?

Whatever the goal is, it is obvious it does not have the best interest of the people at heart and the more they play these childish games, the more I question their sanity, their rationality, their service to “we the people.”

And that’s the way I see it!!!

Photo courtesy of MSNBC (In Memory Of those lost at Ft. Hood)

In retrospect, disturbing information has been cited as known issues regarding Nidal Malik Hasan, issues that have been obvious for months. At least six months ago, Hasan was in the lime light of law enforcement for his comparisons of suicide bombings with a soldier giving his life for others by throwing himself on a grenade. His internet postings lead law enforcement agents to scrutinize him however, in the end, it was determined that his article was within the boundaries his job.

He earned his rank of Major nineteen months ago in April of 2008 and received a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry in 1997. He was a devout Muslim and anyway you look at it, reality is that American’s have been and are killing Muslims. The truth is that as far back as his college days Hasan had issues with Americans interference with Muslim nations and as interference grew to occupation, Hasan’s inner conflicts grew as well.

As earlier as his college days Hasan showed signs that he was not mentally equipped to be in the military giving a classroom presentation at one point which justified suicide bombings. In his position as psychiatrist, hearing the inner most conflicts of those who had fought the “enemy” and survived, I’m sure he heard tales that disturbed him deeply, based on who he was and his beliefs as a Muslim.

Yet he climbed the ranks in the military and was about to be shipped off to fight against those he held dear to his heart. Clearly, not only was there a conflict raging inside of him but there is conflicting beliefs within the faith of practicing Muslims. Some say that violence is not part of the religion while others vehemently believe that violence is at the core of their beliefs – violence against non-believers.

While family members are saying that Nidal Hasan was a peaceful, loving and compassionate person who never committed an act of violence and was in fact incapable of this attack that he orchestrated with ease. Others have stated that over the past few months he had become so conflicted that on some levels he spoke at times incoherently.

Only a rational mind is able to discern between righteous violence (if there is such a thing) and violence that is based on the insanity of the jihad that Osama bin Laden calls for. Hasan showed signs of, as well as verbalized feelings of, persecution for simply being a devout Muslim, he was conflicted as to what he could tell his fellow Muslim servicemen in an effort to pacify any misgivings they might hold regarding fighting fellow Muslims but deep down inside, it appears he was the only one with true misgivings.

Those misgivings lead to him marching in to the very place that military personnel went to process out to Iraq/Afghanistan and attempting to killing as many of those who were preparing to leave as he could. No way is this a judgment but a statement of fact, it appears his violence was directed at those who would willing go off to war against his people.

This was an act that is being praised by some in the Muslim community as heroic. As I watched one Muslim, living in the United States, praise Osama bin Laden and relate how he holds bin Laden dear, in his heart, I had to ask myself is America missing the point.

The point being that we are, on some levels, in danger on our own soil because with open arms, we have allowed the “enemy” to infiltrate our lands. With our freedoms of speech they are allowed to spout discontent, hatred and violence against the land they have run to in order to improve their lot in life and enjoy the freedoms they do not have in their own lands.

There seems to be a wide divide and a serious confliction of principle and ideas that has lead to the United States allowing of this behavior to flourish in our lands as we send our soldiers off to war in these lands. How could this have happened here? More importantly since it is not truly known, at any given moment in time, just what is churning in someone else’s mind, how can we, as a nation, be sure that a jihad is not being planned at this very moment within the United States of America.

As Obama decides whether to send more troops off to war, I wonder if we have not bitten off more than we can chew. Are we fighting a war that we can not win? Have we trusted the influx of people who mean us harm? Do we walk away now or continue the interference in situations that are doomed to be what they are?

I wonder if we are not setting ourselves up for more violence on our own soil. I wonder how effective a jihad would be if, simultaneously, those Muslims in the United States who idolize Osama bin Laden where called upon to act – and you should be wondering the same things.

And that’s the way I see it!!!!!

PC Tools Internet Security

Some are saying the Obama Administration may be over reacting in their reactions to FOX News but on more levels than not, I kind of agree with the Obama Administration. Fox has demonstrated, to an extreme, that they are more a negative, Republican biased, opinionated and on some levels hate filled news (and I use that word lightly) media who definitely has issues with Obama.

Fox News backs lies, creates divisions, talks trash, disrespects the President of the United States of America all in the name of “free speech” and I have had issues with them as far back as the election campaign. This just goes to show how freedoms can be taken too far.

The only alternative to being caught up in useless dialogue with irrational people is to ignore their existence and hope they go away – which they never do but again let’s keep hope alive.

To some extent I have adopted the same stance when it comes to the irrational comments I have received on my blog postings. At first, I tried to enter into conversations with some of the idiotic, anger filled, irrational comments that have been made on my posts but I realized after attempting to talk rationally to these people that there was no reaching them. I realized that they were going to believe what they wanted regardless of whether it was based on truth or not.

When they could not change my mind on any given subject then they stooped to name calling, “yelling” or straight stupidity. At first I allowed them to fill me with anger but as time went on and I read more of their blogs and saw how they never truly thought things out for themselves but chose to follow the words of others I began to feel sorry for them and the anger dissipated.

However, from this experience I realized that there are those in the world who will always be irrational and nothing irritates me more that irrational people, people who do not think for themselves and who pass their distorted opinions off as undeniable truths. Quite frankly, these are the types of people that scare the hell out of me.

The sad part is that like Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck, Scotty Starnes, to name a few, I am beginning to see that more and more people are jumping on the bandwagon of insanity as was seen over the summer with the town hall meetings. These people believe anything that others say even when the lies are proved to be lies they continue on their way and twist truths, when necessary, until truth becomes a lie which conforms to what they choose to believe.

For myself, I have to keep things in the proper perspective because it is a very thin line between sanity and insanity and I am not going out on an insanity ledge. It’s hard coming back to reality when you have lived on the ledge of insanity for so long. Furthermore, I refuse to allow others to control my thoughts so I try to always look at things and analyze them for myself.

I guess I was brought up to believe that “if you don’t know who you are in life, there will always be someone out there attempting to make you into what they want you to be. Another saying I was brought up on was “if you don’t stand for something, you fall for anything” still another thing my brother use to say to me when I was young was never hesitate to ask “why” – based on these concepts I guess I have a suspicious mind that spends way too much time with analysis of everything and everybody.

My analysis of Fox News is that they are not news. They have a very biased agenda that they allow to be pursued on air. They stoop to name calling, irrational behaviors, lies, propaganda and truth be told they are the type of journalist that I despise but more than despising them, I despise the people who blindly follow their form of madness.

Ignore them, their ratings fall and maybe, just maybe they will decide to do things differently but as long as they have a following they will continue their craziness just like Rush Limbaugh who in his irrational perceptions of saying the right things could not understand why he was dropped from the bidding on the Rams and instead blamed the decision on everybody else – that’s what irrational minds do.

And that’s the way I see it!!!!

The 12 Keys to Spiritual Vitality

While Americans are criticizing President Barack Obama for every breath he takes, the world has recognized who he really is. In shocked, disbelief the anchors at CNN reported President Obama being awarded the NOBEL PEACE PRIZE.

I have to admit, this morning I am gloating, I am on cloud nine, I am thankful that someone other than myself has recognized Obama’s potential as a world leader who promotes peace.

I stated in earlier posts that his words speak to my spirit, his words are words that I have wanted to hear for so long, his words, though an experiment in diplomacy, are words that could bring about a peace this world has never known.

Nine months into his presidency, he has been awarded the NOBEL PEACE PRIZE. This has made my spirit soar this morning. I am so very proud of him and his words. I am so very happy that the world sees him as I see him, the potential he has, the love in his spirit.

All I have to say to you Americans that have so much negativity towards Obama is - RECOGNIZE!!! Put the spirit of Obama and his words into your hearts it has the potential to make you a better, less critical, less judgmental person. No better yet, put the spirit of Christ into your hearts, that’s the spirit Obama has in his.

Remove the hate and replace it with HOPE. Hope for peace, love and a better future not just for your own little selfish existence but peace in the world. Erase the bully mentality and replace it with a desire for cooperation between peoples in your own country as well as in the world – grow the hell up!!!!

I have been so angry lately because of America’s response to President Obama. The news coverage does little to encourage his ideas of world peace repeating the negativity that swarms around his decisions – negativity circulated by those who want to see him fail in whatever he attempts to do.

This award, has taken the anger away for the moment and all I feel at this moment is a surge of love for the President and hope that this clears the hate out of the eyes of some of you irrational Americans who are still motivated by hate.

While I know this NOBEL PEACE PRIZE will do nothing more, here in America, than make those who hate, jealous and hate more. I want to say in sarcasm, based on words from your irrational mouths – THE MESSIAH HAS RISEN – RECOGNIZE!!! - for he has been recognized by the world for his understanding of what peace and cooperation truly means.

And that’s the way I gleefully see it!!!!

Christmas Deluxe Holiday Gift Package

Recently a poll was set up on Facebook “Should Obama be killed?” was the question. In the short time that it was posted, over 750 participants answered this question. Whether they all confirmed or denied the death of the president is anybody’s guess since once Facebook realized the poll was up, they took it down.

My point to this is to reaffirm what I have previously mentioned in other posts – that the attitudes being displayed during town hall meetings and tea parties would eventually escalate and provide the atmosphere of madness that would be conducive to murder.

I have lived through the murder of a president before. It had a profound affect on me and the way I view politics in America. Truth be told, as a result of the turbulent times I was raised in, the narrow minded views of politicians in that time, the resistance to change during that time, the hate, racism, irrational attitudes and the murder of four good men during that time I lost all interest in politics.

Now, all these years later, the climate is ripe for a repeat of the negativity that pushed four people over the edge to feel justified in taking the life of another human being. When will the madness stop, lessons be learned and the violence viewed for what it is – shear insanity.

Over the past few weeks, I have fought a losing battle to stop watching the news. I could not understand why the first thing I did when I got home from work was to turn on the news to see what had happened in the world while I was not watching. As angry as the news had begun to make me, I just could not stop watching. I realized that my obsession is based purely on expectations.

I expect the political climate to become worse as issues arise for the President. I expect those who are against the President to continue to circulate lies that create misunderstanding and hate. I expect the media to emphasize the madness as opposed to emphasizing the support of the President.

I expect to witness the increased hatred for the President via the news coverage and I expect to one day rush home, turn on the news and hear that an attempt has been made on the life of the President. My hope is that it is only an attempt and that the climate that is brewing does not allow for the actual death of the President.

We, as a nation, sit in constant criticism of the political make-up of other countries yet what we are displaying to other countries is an ignorant display of hostility, maliciousness, corruption, hysteria, lies, divisions, hate and stupidity.

You speak of the legitimacy of the President in Iran, Afghanistan yet according to the voices that are being heard most frequently here in America, the legitimacy of our President is in question – never mind the fact that these allegations have been proven false in the case of President Obama.

While the number of death threats continues to rise, against a legitimate President of the United States of America, Congress continues to cloud the issues of health care/insurance reform and even though word is getting out just how much money those involved in the decision making regarding health care/insurance reform, are being paid by the insurance/medical industry, the debate continues and the momentum increases to deny “government intervention” in the health care reform.

General McCrystal, in what I feel is an attempt to undermine the President, let his need for more troops “leak” out as he verbally petitions for more men in Afghanistan. This shines a negative light on the President as people like McCain endorse the concept of more men in Afghanistan, creating more division on crucial issues faced by President Obama.

Even the coverage of the story of Derrion Albert takes on a new meaning when I witness the glee I have seen at the fact that Obama went to Copenhagen to bid on the 2016 Olympics and lost that bid for Chicago to host the Olympics in 2016. There have been 36 other deaths of children in Chicago; was the timing of Derrion’s death conducive to showing the violence in Chicago as a means of undermining the Presidents bid? If so this is a sick and demented display of fake sympathy and, I for one, am appalled at even the thought of the ugliness.

Truth is as I witness the things going on in American politics I am beginning to question every action. The games are out there setting the stage for dissention and divisions, brewing anger and hate with the hope, I would say, that someone takes the President out before any change can be instituted and although many would deny this reality, the truth is in the denial of why there is such an intensity to the division, on every subject, in the first place.

Verbal denial serves no purpose because actions tell the real story and the story America is writing is filled with hate, disrespect, violence and lies – recognize!!!

And that’s the way I see it!!!

Abraham Lincoln : A New Birth Of Freedom

Eight of the bailed out banks are beginning to repay their obligations to the tune of $4 billion in profits to the U.S. government according to a report in the New York Times on Sunday.

That brings the total from $700 billion to $696 billion. Although there is still a long way to go, progress is being made even from the smaller banks, which, in addition to the $4 billion collected from the larger banks, $35 million has been collected from the smaller banks.

This is a hopeful sign that at least some of the money the government invested will eventually see its way back to the rightful owners. Will this revelation have a positive impact on the prospect of health care/insurance reform? Hardly!!

Republican Senator Michael Enzi, which echoes the sentiment of many opponents to the reform, has said that the Democratic proposal will restrict medical choices and affect the country’s finances. Like many who oppose the legislation, he is harping on the “possibility” that the bill will increase deficits and the national debt. A bi-partisan agreement will never happen with this proposed legislation.

As news of the contributions made by pharmaceutical, health care and health insurance industries to the Democratic Blue Dog Coalition to the tune of over half a million dollars, I can better understand why they have been successful in delaying the vote on health care overhaul proposals. Will this delay eventually cause the push for health care/insurance reform to buckle and fail?

Obviously, the cause of the Blue Dogs’ decision was encouraged by the donations received from the health care organizations contributions. These revelations of contributions received by the Blue Dogs is, according to a watchdog organization called the Center for Public Integrity, were more than contributions to other congressional political action committees during the same period. Thus making their effective delay a conflict of interest as far as I can see.

There is so much “self-interest” in the “debate” over health care/insurance reform that I believe the only way to pass this legislation is by an enactment by the President himself. Bi-partisanship will never happen because the desire is not there and not for the reasons given by those who oppose the legislation but because of the shear money involved that is greasing the palms of those who are in the position of passing the legislation – hypocrisy and greed at its best.

Even Canadians are beginning to scoff at the rhetoric of Americans regarding health care as the lies increase and the violence is displayed for the world to see.

While there are pros and cons regarding the health care system in Canada, the fact is that treatment is available for all. Although tweaking of the system could be made, there are other countries with universal health care that are more effective – American could take a page from the most successful and write its own book.

The point being that a plan needs to be decided here in America which could be tweaked at a later date but instead of considering this concept, the “debate” goes on. When will the debate end and the concept be put into motion? I say the time is now!!

And that’s the way I see it!!!!

The war in Afghanistan worries me considerably - more than the war in Iraq. Not simply because of the fieriness of the Taliban/al-Qaeda but because of the history of the United States’ involvement in the ongoing chaos that seems to be inherent in those lands in the Middle East and in particular their past involvment with Afghanistan.

A Brief History Taken From Wikipedia

From December, 1979 to February, 1989 Russia and Afghanistan engaged in a war that has been referred to as the “Soviet’s Vietnam.” The Soviet Union was in support of the People’s Democratic Party of Afghanistan and in opposition of the Islamist mujahideen resistance, however, the link between Afghanistan and Russia has a long history.

In 1885, The Panjdeh Incident, which was an encounter that occurred when Russian forces seized Afghan territory south of the Oxus River around an oasis at Panjdeh. Many Soviet Muslims in Central Asia, at one point, had tribal kinship relationships in both Iran and Afghanistan.

After the Soviet withdrawal, in 1989, Afghanistan continued to receive funding and arms from the Soviet Union until 1991 when the Soviet Union collapsed. In 1992 a leading general of the Afghan government army switched sides to join allegiances to the Mujahideen and captured the city of Kabul. The Mujahideen and the Taliban grew strong.

In the mid-1980’s, the Afghan resistance movement, assisted by the United States, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, the United Kingdom, PRC and others, contributed to Moscow’s high military costs and strained international relations. The CIA provided assistance to anti-Soviet forces through the Pakistani intelligence services, in a program called Operation Cyclone.

A similar movement occurred in other Muslim countries, bringing contingents of so-called Afghan Arabs, foreign fighters who wished to wage jihad against the atheist communists. Among them was a young Saudi named Osama bin Laden, whose Arab group eventually evolved into al-Qaeda.

Lessons Learned Or Time For Retribution

Did the collapse of the Soviet Union have anything to do with the high cost of military expenditures in Afghanistan? If so, is that the plan the Taliban/al-Qaeda is attempting to initiate against the United States as we fight two wars against the hatred of the Taliban/al-Qaeda.

Is Russia, who has never really been on friendly terms with the United States and during Bush’s 8-year rule, became even less ingratiated with the United States, supplying the Taliban/al-Qaeda with enough explosives and arms to keep Afghan/Iraqi insurgents armed and dangerous?

According to Wikipedia, at one point the United States even supported the insurgents in the amount of $600 million in aid, per year, and during 1978, the United States began training insurgents and directing propaganda broadcasts into Afghanistan from Pakistan. Six months before the Soviet Invasion, in 1979, CIA aid to the insurgents within Afghanistan was approved.

With all of this happening, finally in 1988 and as the Soviet Union was preparing to pull out of Afghanistan after ten years of fighting with no real victory, Pan Am Flight 103 was bombed, with over half of the people on this flight from the United States, in retaliation for the United States involvement in things that were happening in these Muslim/Islamic countries.

In view of the history between Russia and the United States in relationship to Afghanistan, can Russia truly be trusted. When Obama visited Russia earlier this year, one visual sticks in my mind as Obama and Putin were sitting on stage talking to the people of Russia, I looked at body language and felt Putin untrustworthy and now that I have briefly delved into the history I feel even more distrust.

Not to mention my recent conversations with a person I know from Russia in which I have received a basic understanding of the government and the way they do business against the people in Russia.

From what I have read and what I have discussed, I understand the Russian government to be corrupt, money hungry with a strong desire to control surrounding lands based on the dependency of those lands on Russia supplying them with natural resources needed to survive.

Yahoo News, this morning posted an article entitled “Russia’s Moves Raise Doubts About Obama’s Diplomatic ‘Reset’.” This article discusses the steps Russia is taking in defiance of the agreements discussed by Putin and Obama during Obama’s recent visit and ends with the following paragraph:

“The Russian leadership thinks that despite its rhetoric the U.S. is so heavily focused elsewhere that it is not really interested in the former Soviet Union,” says Dmitry Trenin, director of the Carnegie Moscow Center, an independent think tank in Moscow. “The reset was done on the U.S. side; the Russians didn’t feel they had anything to correct.”

With those involved with evaluating the U.S. position in Afghanistan concurring that the mission is deteriorating there, are these words, coming out of Russia, sarcasm based on and referencing U.S. involvement in Afghanistan and Iraq?

Is Russia getting a private laugh on this U.S. involvement in these countries where Russia is supplying the ammunition to these countries, in an effort to distract the U.S. from Russia’s mission? It definitely gives my mind “food for thought” and quite frankly, I do not like what my mind is coming up with.

And that’s the way I see it!!!!

(Can We Climb Out Of This As Easily As We Climbed In?????)

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Even Democrats are pushing back on the topic of public options, as the confusion and lies continue regarding what is best for the American public. Democratic Senator Kent Conrad, of North Dakota has publicly stated that the public option plan may not make it through Congress. He seems to think co-ops are a better alternative but he is not the only one, most Republicans feel this is a better option.

Yesterday, Obama took the opportunity to speak to religious leaders and reporters on the subject of health care. His mission was to ask those people to “spread the word and speak the truth” about health care/insurance reform.

To have to go to such extremes to attempt to dispel the lies that have been used to manipulate the people is a sad commentary of the use of free speech in this country. An estimated 140,000 people participated in the call organized by over 30 faith-based groups.

While many in the world believe that it is a core ethical and moral obligation to provide medical coverage for all of its people and have indeed set up the availability for their people, here in America medical coverage is motivated my money which overtime has turned into greed as medical cost and coverage have risen to a level that has become out of reach for many.

To have to stoop to lies in an effort to manipulate people for the purpose of keeping things as they are speaks volumes of the moral fabric and trustworthiness of those responsible for leaking untruths into the health care/insurance reform debate.

To attempt to introduce co-ops as a viable means of cutting health care expenditures is suspicious, at this point. Minnesota, Wisconsin, Seattle Washington as well as other communities in America have been operating under co-ops for years. Some participants in the Minnesota area have been members in the co-op there for 25 years.

The co-op in Minnesota, run entirely by a board of directors, says its primary goal is to make health care affordable and a key to that is to lowering administrative costs. Another focus is on solving health care issues for its members with a long term emphasis on preventative medicine. It all sounds good as long as you are young and healthy.

However, my question becomes, if I have a pre-existing medical problem how would I be viewed by the Board of Directors upon applying? What would motivate this co-op to accept my bid for membership if the reality of my medical problems, would constitute more expenditures for them? Would a physical be a standard requirement for the purpose of accepting a bid?

On a nationwide scale, with childhood illnesses such as Autism and related dysfunction that are lifetime dysfunctions, coupled with illness such as cancer, diabetes and the likes and a board of directors that would hold the authority to deny your membership, by nature of your specific illness, how would these co-ops even come close to the challenge of covering the uninsured or being compatible with the concept of covering people with pre-existing aliments.

The idea of co-ops feels like just another distraction. A bipartisan sponsorship of a health care/insurance reform bill feels like a non existent possibility. Republicans say this is what they want but actually what their actions show is that they will not be satisfied unless things are done solely the way they want them done.

To continue this debate and allow for more lies and distraction to infiltrate the process is ludicrous and exhausting. Co-ops have less of a potential to cover those with current medical issues, they have the power to refuse more people than they would accept based on life styles, pre-existing disorders or the way medical research is going, if you have a predisposition/family history/gene of certain illnesses you could be denied access. How does this help the cause of covering the masses?

Think about these things and recognized that the idea of co-ops is not as compatible to the over all goals of the current health care/insurance reform bill. Think about these things as you listen to the lies being spread about the supposed government “takeover” of health care as the lies about rationing, death squads, and the like are put out in an effort to distract you from making the right choices and confuse you into believing that what the Republicans can offer you is a much “wiser” choice.

And that’s the way I see it!!!!

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