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Kucinich: Afghans Want to be Saved from Us, Not by Us
WASHINGTON - December 2 - Following a speech on the Floor of the House of Representative, Congressman Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) today made the following statement:
“Why are we still in Afghanistan? Al-Qaeda has been routed. Our occupation fuels a Taliban insurgency. The more troops we send, the more resistance we meet. If we want to be truly secure, we need to redefine national security to include financial security. Yet America has record debt, skyrocketing unemployment, huge trade deficits, record business failures and foreclosures.
“The people of Afghanistan don’t want to be saved by us. They want to be saved from us. Our presence and our Predator drones kill countless innocents, creating more US enemies and destabilizing Pakistan. The US-created Karzai government is hopelessly corrupt and despised by the Afghan people. Our solution: Provide him with a high-level US minder which will make him even less legitimate. Another strategy: Buy or rent "friends" among would-be insurgents and give them guns and cash. But when the money runs out they shoot at U.S. soldiers. We've played all sides in Afghanistan and all the sides want us out. They do not want our presence, our control, our troops, our drones, our way of life. We are fighting the wrong war, in the wrong place at the wrong time. What part of "get out" do we not understand?
Makes total sense to me!
Makes total sense to me!
29 comments:
I love congressman krucinich. I follow everything he does... and he is the only politician I actually contribute money to when his newsletter arrives. I even get his yearly xmas card. AND Yes, I have a personally signed kucinich yard sign and several political buttons. He actually came to SLC. The rally was at the airport, and there were less than 100 of us die-hards who showed up... (way back when he was running for the democrat presidential nomination... of course Kerry won and that's history).
"We are fighting the wrong war, in the wrong place at the wrong time.
I would add "and from the wrong reasons".
It's just been the last 2 years I have been following what Kucinich says and stands for, I admire him and like what he says very much.
I put a video up from DN of a short interview. As I said there I have never seen him more on point. He should be our man.
Frodo strongly recommends "Caravans" by James Michener (paperback in a used book store, or your library). The story is subordinate to the environment and the people. They are xenophobes, and their tribal ways have existed for millennia.
Can you remember when you didn't know the difference between the Sunni and the Kurds? This is a fun read that is background for anyone who really cares about where these 30,000 kids are going.
I've always respected Kucinich and have agreed with him about 99 9/10 percent of the time, which is more than most politicians. This is an impressive speech and certainly it gives me pause - and puts me in more of a dilemma. I go to bed at night saying yes and wake up saying no. Usually quick to make a decision, I feel more like a wet noodle these days.
I think the people who are serving overseas should have a say in whether the war should go on or not. Not Congress. Not U.S. citizens who see and hear what the media choose to portray. My brother was there. He gave his life for the freedoms of others, and he saw firsthand the differences that were being made. He believed in what he was doing. He saw the good that came from it. I find it offensive when people complain about the war, but don't really know the big picture. And none of us do.
Lisamay: I am profoundly sorry about the loss of your brother. I'm sure it's been very painful for you and your family.
"I think the people who are serving overseas should have a say in whether the war should go on or not."
Well, right or wrong, it's the nature of the beast that when you sign up for the military, you don't have a lot of say in the decisions. Supposedly, that's what the generals, defense department hot-shots and even the president are for. Unless they are total nit-wits, or are mercenary, or completely dishonest, they have facts and information at their fingertips that are not available to the general public. Because of this they are supposed to make enlightened decisions. Obviously this isn't always the case but it's all we have. We have a choice of accepting or dissenting - either should be okay in a democracy.
war is big business lisamay, dontcha know?? Congress has to say whether we can afford to murder innocents and have our own innocents murdered too. Oh sure, there are the bad guys we have to murder, its all part of the game men play...
We became a nation as a result of war with troops led by the man who would become our first president.
Under the presidency of Abraham Lincoln, this nation was divided by war.
Franklin Delano Roosevelt, who would die during his fourth term as president, took our nation into WWII – only after Pearl Harbor.
The first American soldier, a lieutenant colonel mistaken for a Frenchman, was killed in Vietnam in 1945. In 1959, when Dwight D. Eisenhower was president, two soldiers became the first Americans to die in the Vietnam War. (Eisenhower warned our nation about “the military-industrial complex.”)
John Fitzgerald Kennedy escalated U.S. troop involvement in Vietnam.
Barack Obama made a decision about a war in progress when he took office.
How long will the policies of George W. Bush and Dick Cheney tear this nation apart?
BJ
B.J. Military-Industrial Complex.
This is a piece I posted about Smedley Butler, a highly decorated Marine anti-intervenionist. I don't think he ever used the actual term, military-industrial complex, but he certainly wrote and spoke out about it.
http://parsleyspics.blogspot.com/2009/12/war-is-racket.html
I wouldn't put this up here but Sue has already visited it.
Unfortunately for America and the planet on a whole Kucinich will always be a voice in the forest. He has no chance of ever becoming president. He is one of the few truthsayers left in the halls of our Govt.
Lisamay, Frodo welcomes your brother to the Fellowship of the Ring. J.R.R. Tolkien wrote the following, and Frodo hopes that it helps to ease your loss:
"All that is gold does not glitter,
Not all those who wander are lost;
The old that is strong does not wither,
Deep roots are not reached by the frost.
From the ashes a fire shall be woken,
A light from the shadows shall spring;
Renewed shall be blade that was broken:
The crownless again shall be king."
Until then, sleep well, safely rest.
RZ, I'm afraid the country might be moving towards a peaceful candidate who speaks about ending wars and concentrating on our crumbling nation. I wonder if that candidate might be Kucinich?
Frodo, what have you done, your name is blue and clicks take me to your blog?? Thats different isn't it?
I think your words to lisamay are kind and thoughtful. (I hate to say it but I was thinking lisamay is our lisa in disguise) If I'm wrong lisamay please come back and defend yourself.
I really doubt that a peace(ful) candidate could win. The drums of war beat very loudly and carry a big checkbook.
I don't know Jerry, the country is growing weary, and we're friggin on the brink of being BROKE, so how can we keep funding wars without borders?
The mothers milk of politics= = =money. and as i always say----they select so we may elect---
I don't think Lisamay is a Lisa reincarnated. Lisa never could write or spell that good.
where will the money come from in this "new age"? We can fund wars but we can't give our people health insurance because we "can't afford it". We are a corrupt nation. Why do we have to say "America is the greatest country in the whole wide world" when we ignore our poor, our sick, our unemployed, our homeless, our veterans, etc. etc. etc.....and at the same time allow for billions for wars. Do I sound unpatriotic?
LOL, Leslie I thought that too!
Lisamay is not me but as always Leslie thanks for the shout out.
To your point Sue the only healthcare we are going to need is a prescription for Lithium by the time these dufasses get done with our economy.
Our current mission to "fight terrorism" sounds suspiciously like our previous and equally ill-defined mission to "hold the line against communism."
http://theterroristsadvocate.blogspot.com
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VP2p91dvm6M&feature=player_embedded#
Enjoy!
Well, shucky durn.
I guess we all have out Waterlood. ; )
Writing too fast: out instead of our and Waterlood instead of Waterloo? Spellcheck is there for a reason, right? ; )
It is a fact that old dogs can learn new tricks. Frodo moves cautiously into the 21st century, surprising himself every time he takes advantage of something everybody else already knew (except Lisa).
Frodo you'd better move cautiously.
That's more than I can say for the administration.
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