Why are we spending $1 million for every soldier in Afghanistan when 99.999 percent of the people hate our guts?
We have already spent $500 billion there since 2001. America has lost 2,000 military heroes to defend a country that doesn’t want to change. And 12,000 wounded heroes have been maimed for what? Has the life of one killed or wounded American military changed anything in more than 10 years. Opium is the No. 1 cash crop. Afghan leadership is even more corrupt now.
Bring our military men and women back from Afghanistan (120,000), from Iraq (6000), from Germany (56,000), Italy and England (10,000), from South Korea (24,000), Japan (33,000) and lastly, Africa (2,000). All of these overseas American military men and women are nothing but “targets.”
If North Korea decides to have a war with South Korea, all they have to do is shoot a couple of nuclear missiles and all our military will be killed within the first 15 minutes. Same thing for Japan-based and European-based troops. If China doesn’t hit them with nuclear missiles, then Russia will.
The money saved can lower the $15 trillion debt, rebuild our nation’s crumbling infrastructure and electrical grid system and pay for the medical and psychiatric help that our wounded warriors are not receiving today. Turn America back into a fortress instead of the world’s ATM. We need to stop trying to be the world’s policeman and peacemaker because there is no more money in the kitty. Time to take care of ourselves.
Leon Ceniceros
Mesa
Accuracy posted at 6:21 pm on Thu, Mar 15, 2012.
Good letter, and stimulating thought, Leon Ceniceros, “Bring them all home” . . . from Afghanistan, from Iraq, from Germany, Italy and England, from South Korea, Japan and lastly, Africa.
Just like, in The Vent: March 11, the time to begin “bringing America's troops home from Afghanistan” . . . And growing election-year demands to bring the troops back alive.
But, in an echo of the Bush administration on continuing the unpopular war in Iraq, President Obama is sticking determinedly to not derail the war strategy in Afghanistan (national-security priority of the United States to ensure that we defeat al-Qaida), or speed up the calendar for an orderly exit from there or any other country.
Bring them all back alive.
Arizona Willie posted at 7:14 pm on Thu, Mar 15, 2012.
Well congratulations Leon --- you got one right.
We have no business policing the world trying to force everyone to do things our way.
Why are we " exporting Democracy " to countries that have no experience with or desire for Democracy?
Simply trying to force others to do as we do whether they want to or not.
Imagine China sent soldiers into the U.S. to convince us to do things their way.
What would we do?
So we can hardly blame people in these countries we invaded for shooting at us.
And we have troops stationed in many countries that are in no danger at all of being invaded.
All our troops in England, France, and Germany should be brought home unless these countries are willing to pay the full cost of the bases and maintaining them and the pay and benefits of the soldiers stationed there.
You got it right Leon --- bring them all home. Let them patrol our borders instead of Afghanistan's.
JMJ posted at 7:47 pm on Thu, Mar 15, 2012.
Wow, Leon, I actually agree with you. With the debacle of the burnt Korans, and this latest snap of one of our servicemembers, our sons and daughters are now even more hated and targeted. I hear 2014 we will leave.. I think March 2012 is a much better exit date, personally. The minute we leave Afghanistan, it will revert back to its old ways, so why wait? So one of mine can come home in 45 pieces? This has been an exercise in futility, and now the Taliban won't negotiate with us. Boo hoo. Sore losers. Bring our kids home. Now.
sockratties posted at 8:04 pm on Thu, Mar 15, 2012.
When we pull our troops out of Afghanistan we need to reserve the right (and make it very clear) that we'll do whatever we need to if they again support al Qaeda.
There are some places where we need to keep a small number of troops to protect embassies or bases that enable us to have a quick strike capability if needed near trouble spots. These should be strategic locations, not political or thinly disguised foreign aid.
There are reasons these troops were originally placed but most of them are from WWII, the Korean war, and the cold war. With few exceptions the reasons no longer exist. We do have obligations that will require decades to abrogate, such as treaties, leases and diplomatic agreements. We are not always privy to these arrangements but we should not believe Leon's suggestion, as good as it might sound, can be accomplished in one fell swoop. It is, however, an excellent long term goal.
Dale Whiting posted at 7:04 am on Fri, Mar 16, 2012.
Leon,
It's good to read you taking up one of my themes! Have you converted to rationality? But patience my boy. If we withdrew now, the President would become the "chicken who quit too soon." No, Leon, it's going to have to take us through 2014 to withdraw. If we elect Romney, Santorum or Gingrich in 2012, it could take even longer. And there's no way we could elect Ron Paul. You know "He's too radical!"
Know this! After we do withdraw, in 2014 or sooner or later on, we will be looking back on Afghanistan then as we looked back before on Vietnam. It's the same old story! "When will be ever learn?" goes the refrain to that long since forgotten song!
Dale Whiting posted at 7:53 am on Sat, Mar 17, 2012.
In conclusion may I quote a dreamer we once called a prophet, Isaiah 2:
2 And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be destablished in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it.
3 And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the flaw, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
4 And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.
Let's us pray that we learn this wisdom from Isaiah! No more wars in Iran, Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, and tell the Israelis to learn to become good neighbors. It's cheaper than war. And it's good business!
Accuracy posted at 12:43 pm on Sat, Mar 17, 2012.
Dale Whiting posted: ……… “and tell the Israelis to learn to become good neighbors.”
Good neighbors in the Gaza Strip? The Gaza-based terrorist said, southern Israel will continue to be an undeclared warzone – with rockets and missiles fired from Gaza.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, "The dominant element driving events in Gaza is not the Palestinians but Iran, who is building the infrastructures, provides the money, and sometimes gives the orders."
Israel's decision to withdraw from northern Gaza in August 2005 opened the door for Iran. "As soon as we were out, Iran went in," Netanyahu said.
Rational Human posted at 5:19 pm on Sat, Mar 17, 2012.
At least 90% of American troops stationed abroad should be brought home. Let the world fight it's own battles. Put the troops on our border and protect it for once. Or you could use them to bring the crops in that are supposedly rotting in the fields due to the lack of highly skilled illegal alien fruit pickers. lol
That's right Mr Netanyahoo, the Arabs don't like you American born Jews and European Jews meddling in their region of the world. Gaza based freedom fighters are very annoying aren't they. Of course their pathetic rockets do very little damage until the Jews decide to teach them a lesson with their high tech weaponry. Then all h3ll breaks loose on the people in Gaza.
Dale Whiting posted at 7:45 am on Sun, Mar 18, 2012.
Accuracy,
Do you realize that implicitely you have just agreed that Israel has not learned to be a good neighbor? Good neighbors don't move in and take over the neighborhood, then complain when the old residents resent being treated like dirt!
Even kj has implicitely agreed. He once told me that Israel was justified in moving in and taking over because before they did Palestine was an "empty quarter." Israel through the IDF controls either directly or indirectly most every facet of Palestinian life. Where you a Palestinian, you'd be doing more than firing off a rocket or two. You'd have taken up arms, fought and been killed or imprisioned.
Not a single one of you has dared take up my challenge to read "Palestine, Peace not Apartheid." What's the matter? Are you affraid to have your facts challenged?
sockratties posted at 10:58 am on Sun, Mar 18, 2012.
Dale - I read Jimmy Carter's book before you even discovered it. I've read all of his books plus one by his daughter, Amy. I think he is a good man who was an ineffective president. He's tough as nails and has done much good since he left the presidency.
You know not of what you speak. I agree with Carter about the conditions in Israel controlled Palestine. It is untenable and needs to be changed, but it won't happen by you speaking telepathically to you imaginary friend in the sky or quoting scripture from Isaiah. I also don't give credence to pagan chants although I enjoy their history and purpose. The Israelis have a tiger by the tail and they don't know how to let go. It should be a U.N. problem, not a U.S. problem.
You seem to have some “pie in the sky” solution. Explain how you would be able to disengage and blend these conflicting entities, realistically. Not as how it should be, but as how it could be right now with Netanyahu as prime minister and Iran, Hezbolla and Izz ad-Din al-Qassam (Hamas) on the borders.
The bottom line is we don't belong over there since our business has been taken care of. Same as most of the other references Leon mentioned. We can go back and kick tail if we need to but we don't have to remain to do more harm.
It would also be good for many missionaries to come home, too. Although they perceive themselves to be doing good (much like you, Dale) they naively alienate local populations by planting culturally conflicting theologies. They use food, shelter and healthcare as tools, but their agenda is converting local populations. This ultimately gets people persecuted and driven from their homes. Carnage is often used as evidence that the other guys are bad guys, but it would never have happened if the meddlers had just stayed home. Africa is rampant with such examples. Providing false hope and Bibles will not save starving masses.
Accuracy posted at 6:07 pm on Sun, Mar 18, 2012.
Dale Whiting posted: “Not a single one of you has dared take up my challenge to read "Palestine, Peace not Apartheid."
One of Dale Whiting idols is former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, and his malicious collection of lies about Israel an Apartheid state in his 2006 book, “Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid.”
Apartheid is defined as inhuman acts committed for the purpose of establishing and maintaining domination by one racial group of persons over any other racial group of persons and systematically oppressing them. And that was Jimmy Carter’s segregation tactic when he claimed that Israel was an apartheid state.
sockratties posted at 6:55 pm on Sun, Mar 18, 2012.
Accuracy – Carter described the oppression of Israeli controlled land as apartheid, comparing the implementation as being the same as that of South Africa. Regardless of the reason or intent the end result is severe oppression of the Palestinian people by means of force and segregation.
Carter alludes to the West Bank where Israelis have erected barrier walls and maintain checkpoints to control movement of Arabs. They also have continued to build settlements and expand into lands that are outside of Israel. These areas are not Israeli but are occupied lands, taken by force. Carter states that the cause is land and not race. Because the victims are Arab and not Israeli it is still segregation.
If one likes or dislikes Carter is beside the point. Although there have been many who take exception to the comparison, Carter's book is well documented, has considerable data and documentation to back up his claim. It makes a valid argument that Israel has purposely placed an entire population in an untenable situation.
Rational Human posted at 9:45 am on Tue, Mar 20, 2012.
sockrat, Carter was an idiot, but he was right about Israel. It has never been about race or religion. It is all about land and control. In biblical times, all the Jews had to do was commit utter genocide on the people who's land they coveted and say God ordained it. Today they have to be a little bit careful how they go about stealing it.
sockratties posted at 1:00 pm on Tue, Mar 20, 2012.
Rat Human -- Right, and if you're going to be a bully it doesn't hurt to have your big brother (aka U. S.) standing behind you, either.
[angry]