Iran

[piercehawkeye45]

Originally Posted by yesman065

What Phil said. "a people should not fear their government - a government should fear the people."

I'm pretty sure the American government doesn't fear it's people. Doesn't that make us back-assward?

[yesman065]

Originally Posted by piercehawkeye45

I'm pretty sure the American government doesn't fear it's people. Doesn't that make us back-assward?

I think they fear us plenty. Why else would they be saying all they do to appease us. If at some point they didn't, they certainly do now. They need us to remain employed, to have the power we entrust them with.

[xoxoxoBruce]

Originally Posted by yesman065

I think they fear us plenty. Why else would they be saying all they do to appease us. If at some point they didn't, they certainly do now. They need us to remain employed, to have the power we entrust them with.

Are you talking about 500 or so elected people that are so entrenched in the political scum, you'd play hell trying to dispose of them? Or by government do you mean the millions that occupy those desks, or benchs, or trucks, or tanks, and you can't do a damn thing about?

[yesman065]

Originally Posted by xoxoxoBruce

Are you talking about 500 or so elected people that are so entrenched in the political scum, you'd play hell trying to dispose of them? Or by government do you mean the millions that occupy those desks, or benchs, or trucks, or tanks, and you can't do a damn thing about?

I was referring to the elected officials

[glatt]

Since we're talking about Iraq in a thread about Iran, I thought I'd throw in this recent encouraging news about Afghanistan. Apparently Bush is beginning to realize that if you look like you are losing a war in a country, you better fix it before it's too late. He's focusing new attention on Afghanistan, which hasn't been doing very well lately.

I though I'd post it because it's rare for Bush do do something that makes sense.

From the Washington Post.

Bush Plans New Focus On Afghan Recovery
Extra $7 Billion Would Go to Security, Roads

By Michael Abramowitz
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, January 25, 2007; A01

After the bloodiest year in Afghanistan since the U.S. invasion, the Bush administration is preparing a series of new military, economic and political initiatives aimed partly at preempting an expected offensive this spring by Taliban insurgents, according to senior U.S. officials.

Even as it trumpeted a change of course in Iraq this month, the White House has completed a review of U.S. policy in Afghanistan. It will ask Congress for $7 billion to $8 billion in new funds for security, reconstruction and other projects in Afghanistan as part of the upcoming budget package, officials said.

That would represent a sizable increase in the U.S. commitment to the strife-torn country; since the 2001 U.S.-led invasion that toppled the Taliban, the United States has provided a little more than $14 billion in assistance for Afghanistan, the State Department says...

...

[Torrere]

Wow! That's pretty cool.

[xoxoxoBruce]

I hope it's not too late. The poppy crop has been harvested and sold, the Taliban(and their ilk) have collected their money and are arming to the teeth.
Do you think they will be dissuaded by new infrastructure? That's the first thing they'll blow up.

Funds for security? What's the plan, bribe the Taliban? Money doesn't make the place more secure, soldiers do. Whether it be military or Blackwater, there has to be boots on the ground to provide security and I haven't heard of the UN peacekeepers being reinforced.

What we should have been doing right along, is providing a way for the locals to make a living with something besides poppies. That would have prevented the Taliban from extorting the profits from the poppy crop to buy arms.

If you want to know the truth about Afghanistan, read a short article called The Perfect Evil by Michael Yon.
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3

I know, I know, 3 parts, grumble, grumble......trust me, it's not long.

Here's another piece on Afghanistan, There be Dragons.

And the Canadians, Hiatus Corpus.

Or this pdf War: Canadian Style from the Toronto Star.

And The Long Road Ahead.