As the big red word above this article states, this is my opinion.
Five years ago, I was one of the proud Americans who bought and proudly plastered “Stars and Stripes” bumper stickers on my car windows, windshield and bumper.
Five years ago, I was one of the Americans swollen with pride who gave a “thumbs up” to every redneck pick-up truck that had a U.S. flag graphic in its back window.
Five years ago I bought a large “casket flag” from the local VFW and flew it from my penthouse’s balcony.
Five years ago, I was one of the bigheaded Americans who cheered President Bush at the announcement that we were invading Afghanistan in order to route the Taliban and to capture and punish Osama Bin Laden. I loved that “Mission Accomplished” banner on the aircraft carrier and bought it hook line and sinker.
Five years later I feel like a fool, as do many other proud Americans, because the man who financed, authorized and gladly took credit for the destruction of thousands of lives in what’s known as 9/11 is still nowhere to be found—though he gleefully taunts us constantly from his hiding place(s).
While President Bush uselessly distracted our attention and finite military resources to Iraq, the Taliban Militia regrouped, refinanced and rearmed in Pakistan. The “Students of Islamic Knowledge” have recently roared back across the Afghan border into power and are reported to hold influence over two thirds of Afghanistan again. The Taliban’s militia has become so cocky, that they openly display their numbers and weapons on U.S. evening news broadcasts.
Nearly Five years later, the Afghan people have good reason to turn away from the U.S. and re-embrace the Taliban; after all, what have we really accomplished in the region?
Five years after 9/11 and many of President Bush’s grand promises, 53 percent of Afghans live on less than the equivalent of a dollar a day. Despite squandering $12 Billion in foreign aid so far, Afghan jobs are nearly impossible to find and there’s no discernable rise in their standard of living. The Afghan economy is still the sixth poorest in the world. Seventy-five percent of the Afghan people have unsafe drinking water.
Afghanistan’s Helmand province still produces a third of the world's heroin, despite the administration’s flaccid “war on drugs.” Poppy fields that could’ve been destroyed with only a few incendiary bombs while we were/are there and had/have the chance, are still producing addictive misery for the American People… why?
Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - Jet in Columbus
Thanks Dave, despite my eye trouble, this is one that I couldn't keep in any longer. It may teke me a little longer to fulfil my standing policy of responding to every comment here, because they are all important to me, but I promise I'll try my best.
Carus deus, quis have ego commissio?
Jet
2 - Maurice
Jet
are you running as an independent?
I will get off my complacent ass and vote for you!
3 - Jet in Columbus
No Maurice, I'm not... But thanks for the compliment. Jet
4 - Jet in Columbus
It is to laugh... could you see me as a political candidate?
5 - Nancy
Actually, yes and no: I could see you trying, but I think you're too honest and you'd get eaten alive by the rest of the congressmaggots. In any event, I'm glad to see someone has the balls to point out (again and again) that King Dubya has no clothes.
6 - Deano
"Bush Is Playing Afghanistan Like A Bad Chess Game... And Losing"
The only part of this post I would even remotely argue against is the title - it implies that Bush is actually actively bothering to play the chess game....the reality is that he left them room, got a sandwich, watched a football game, wandered downstairs to poke his head in, took a shower, went to bed and is fast asleep, the game utterly forgotten.
Afghanistan has been the criminally forgotten child of the Bush administration yet arguably if you are trying to reduce the potential for the next 9/11, Afghanistan is the text-book example of where you need to be. if it settles back into a failed state, unpoliced and unregulated the next crop of terrorists will be well sown.
7 - Jet in Columbus
That a picture I didn't want stuck in my head Nancy...
8 - Jet in Columbus
Thanks Deano... What I'm most concerned about is his not seeing that Pakistan NEEDS the Taliban to be in power if they should decide to go to war with India over Kashmir.
Pakistan would have no greater ally than bin Laden and the Taliban, but that seems to have genuinely escaped Bush...
The Bush administration seems to have no clue as to just how fragile, or two-faced Pakistan is.
9 - Georgio
Excellent article Jet ..everything you said is true..I think the only thing you might have left out is Bush was going to rebuild Afghanistan as a model for all Arab countries..I guess the POPPY fields got in his way
10 - Jet in Columbus
Thanks Georgio, He can't grasp that you can't just change one country in the region without the others going balistic. just look at the middleeast after Israel was reestablished.
Bush can't figure out (or doesn't care) that it's all or nothing. Afghanistan can't be changed unless all its neighbors are too.
People scoff at my Vietnam reference, but it's none the less true. Look at modern-day Vietnam right now and tell me how we changed it with all the lives we sacrificed... we didn't.
Why, because we didn't change Cambodia etc.
If we had let North Vietnam invade and conquer South Vietnam back in the 60s without sacrificing a single american life, it's look exactly the same as it does today.
I predict the same thing for Iraq.
In fact, I'll go one further and say Bush may actually hope he loses Congress so he'll have someone to point at and blame for his failure in the region.
Bush knows the most honored presidents were war-time presidents... too bad he had to make up one to suit his purposes...
Tantum meus sententia
Jet
11 - Ruvy in Jerusalem
Jet,
Glad and pleasantly surprised to see you back. Re-read you article to yourself. Tell me how you feel - not the pride of authorship, but the feeling that you have been had, cheated, screwed over and lied to.
Every time I see a picture of one of the monkeys that pretends to be a person attmepting to run this country, that is exactly how I feel. And now millions more of us feel exactly the same.
You know exactly what it feels like to be an Israeli.
May your eyes heal soon and may you only enjoy a full recovery.
12 - Clavos
Look at modern-day Vietnam right now and tell me how we changed it with all the lives we sacrificed... we didn't.
Well, of course not, Jet. We LOST the war.
Losers don't get to change anything.
Welcome back!
13 - Jet in Columbus
Thanks Ruvy, my friend. Be safe
14 - Jet in Columbus
clavos...The point is 20 years from now Iraq, like Vietnam will be just like it would've been if we hadn't invaded. Unless we plan to conquer Syria, Lebanon, Iran, Egypt and Saudi Arabia it's a foregone conclusion.
Muslims believe that they will only ascend into heaven when the whole world is Moslim in a spectacular holy war in which Christians and Jews have been killed so that their souls can take the place of their own in Hell.
Until we find a solution to that fact, Islam will regard any christian or jewish occupation of a country in the region as sacrilege and go berserk.
Thanks Clavos, it's good to be back, though i'm not fully recovered. In fact I'm late for an open eye appointment right now.
alas
Jet
15 - Deano
"Muslims believe that they will only ascend into heaven when the whole world is Moslim in a spectacular holy war in which Christians and Jews have been killed so that their souls can take the place of their own in Hell."
Jet, I'd like to know exactly where you get this? Can you cite some source? Everything I know of Islam does not equate to your above statement, either theologically or historically...
16 - Peter J
Jet,
Hope you're feeling better.
This morning when I turned on the tv for a weather report and local news, The channel which I was watching (Sci Fi) last night had sold some air space to one of those Praise the Lord channels. The 50 yr old guy with dye black hair, Older lady with way too much make up and hair that looked like a bomb had gone off under her scalp, sellin,, NO, giving away little packets of Holy Mystery Water to any one who wanted one.
There were many in the audience who took one and drank it , proceeded to go up, up to the preacher man who put his miraculous hands on their heads and he cured them, knocking them to the floor, right there in front of my eyes, of lung cancer, ear aches and much, much more. Say 'Hallelujah'!
Then people were brought up for testimonials about getting these packets of water, amd completely following the directions and receiving large sums of money, some as much as $6,000. More and more I listened, I was amazed at these people but couldn't figure out what was in it for the "Church".
Then, I got the rub! Free water, drink it, and 'be sure to 'follow the instructions to the letter'.
I could see it now, 'Drink the water, spin around on one leg for exactly one minute, then send us $100., Your needs will be answered! I could so imagine Bush up there, fervently praying and healing, imagining to be the Saviour.
I thought, "Who the fuck would buy this kind of shit?" and it hit me. People who are still blindly following Bush into only G-D knows what. Religious zealouts, Far Right wing Extremists.
Some very scary people, who, if they gain and maintain power for even a short amount of time will launch us into a 21st century version of the Crusades. Remember, these people really believe with all of their hearts that the End Days are upon us. Looking at the natural disasters such as earthquakes, tidal waves, fires burning, middle east wars, the shit hits the fan, litterally lends credence to their argument.
After all of the empty promises, side show acts, the bumbling, aw-shucks, harmless Gomer Pyle persona, who's going to lead us into a Religious war where G-D will prevail? Why 'W' of course! (G-D told him so one night while he was talking to Ron Reagan)God told him that he will lead the true Christians into a Rapture that will make the European Crusades look like a street corner brawl.
Right wing Extremists are very scary 'folks'.
I am truly sorry for some of the Republicans who are either already in office or will be running in mid-terms as I, and I'm sure many other persons like myself who will normally vote across party lines, voting for the person, not the party
(I'm talking about true, caring politicians who do their jobs diligently and professionally) who will probably be voted out as Bush has become so despised for the lying, manipulative man he is.
Democrats will be voting diligently to oust all Republicans to be sure that they will be in position to impeach Bush and his cronies. They, Rumsfeld, Cheney, Rice, have all been complicit from the beginning of his first term.
These elections will be much more than your average mid-term elections, they will be a direct statement to the Status Quo who Bush has been serving rather than the good people who were swindeled and deceived for his power grab. His agenda from day one was war and nothing would sway him. He used every lie, every deception, every person who gave up life, from 9-11 to the Iraq war to sink us so deep in the mire that only he could save the day. In psychiatric hospitals they have names for his ailments.
17 - Devang
Well, what u have said is known to american people (Atleast who are conscious about it..) and may be people around the world as well.
Afghanistan has been war ravaged country since last 20 years and Pakistan is not sparing even Afghanistan. Root of the problem is Pakistan and not the Afghanistan.
If pakistan catches the Bin Laden, Game is over. They will never do it otherwise how would they get billion of dollers from American public. Most terrorist attack has links to Pakistan and still Bush can see the fact... ???
18 - Jet in Columbus
Deano #15 Part one of your answer...
This civilization created one very important, fundamental rule about territory. Any territory that comes under Islamic rule cannot be de-Islamized. Even if at one time or another, the [non-Moslem] enemy takes over the territory that was under Islamic rule, it is considered to be perpetually Islamic. This is why whenever you hear about the Arab/Israeli conflict, you hear: territory, territory, territory. There are other aspects to the conflict, but territory is highly important.
The Christian civilization has not only been seen as a religious opponent, but as a dam stopping Islam from achieving its final goal for which it was created.
Islam was created to be the army of God, the army of Allah. Every single Moslem is a soldier in this army. Every single Moslem that dies in fighting for the spread of Islam is a shaheed (martyr) no matter how he dies, because - and this is very important -- this is an eternal word between the two civilizations. It's not a war that stops. This was is there because it was created by Allah. Islam must be the ruler. This is a war that will not end.
The Agenda of Islam
Endtime Issues No. 84
9 May 2002
Samuele Bacchiocchi, Ph. D.
Retired Professor of Theology, Andrews University
19 - Jet in Columbus
Deano in answer to your question part two...
see in bold type
The Agenda of Islam
Endtime Issues No. 84
9 May 2002
Samuele Bacchiocchi, Ph. D.
Retired Professor of Theology, Andrews University
END OF DAYS
It is highly important to understand how a civilization sees the end of days. In Christianity and in Judaism, we know exactly what is the vision of the end of days.
In Judaism, it is going to be as in Isaiah -- peace between nations, not just one nation, but between all nations. People will not have any more need for weapons and nature will be changed -- a beautiful end of days and the kingdom of God on earth.
Christianity goes as far as Revelation to see a day that Satan himself is obliterated. There are no more powers of evil. That's the vision.
I'm speaking now as a historian. I try to understand how Islam sees the end of days. In the end of days, Islam sees a world that is totally Moslem, completely Moslem under the rule of Islam. Complete and final victory. Christians will not exist, because according to many Islamic traditions, the Moslems who are in hell will have to be replaced by somebody and they'll be replaced by the Christians.
The Jews will no longer exist, because before the coming of the end of days, there is going to be a war against the Jews where all Jews should be killed. I'm quoting now from the heart of Islamic tradition, from the books that are read by every child in school. The Jews will all be killed. They'll be running away and they'll be hiding behind trees and rocks, and on that day Allah will give mouths to the rocks and trees and they will say, "Oh Moslem come here, there is a Jew behind me, kill him." Without this, the end of days cannot come. This is a fundamental of Islam.
20 - Jet in Columbus
Peter J, you're speaking of course of the wonderful Earnest Angley. I'll give you another antidote for your collection.
There used to be a preacher up in Akron named Rex Humbard who opened a church and became wildly successful. He decided to build a resturant on his property, and got caught in one of his own crusades, and the city came down on him because he'd inspired an ordinance in which no establishments were allowed to serve alcohol within a hundred yards of a church.
To get around this, he built a tower 101 yards tall on which he was going to build his resturant, but ran out of money because of the legal fight when it was established that the base of the resturant's base was still was too close to his church.
he abbondonded the project and when I left Akron in '87 the tower was still there with the crane rusting on the top of it.
The locals refer to it as "Rex's erection"
21 - Jet in Columbus
Peter J, as to your last paragraph, Bush is COUNTING on the average man who goes to church maybe once a month if that to stay at home and not offset the churchbus loads of pre-programmed republicn church ladies who will elect a net republican congress if we're complacent about this.
22 - Jon Sobel
Bush knows the most honored presidents were war-time presidents... too bad he had to make up one to suit his purposes...
Bush is going to go down as the least honored President of all time. We've had some losers before, even some fools, but to paraphrase Prince, Nothing Compares 2 W.
23 - Jet in Columbus
Devang, I can't emphisize enough that Bush has a golden opportunity to stop tons of heroin from reaching the US by destroying those huge fields of poppies.
Why won't he? because it'd wreck what little economic strength that Afghanistan has, and anger its people against us.it is the most blatantly hypocritical thing that Bush has done (or hasn't done) to date, and everyone is ignoring the fact.
I'd love to hear some right-wing fanatic argue the other side of Bush's inaction in his favor!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Like I said-as a bad chess player, he's not thinking several moves a head of the game and can't see that it's to Pakistan's long-term advantage to have the Taliban in charge of Afghanistan and not Bush and his "allies".
Jet
24 - Jet in Columbus
Watch your comments there Jon, God's watching! Bush had begun comparing himself to George Washington and Roosevelt in his latest speech today.
25 - Sanjay
The thing is that both the Democrats and Republicans support this charade of alliance and cooperation with Pakistan. Both parties still want to keep Pakistan in tow, in case the US ever needs to go on the offensive against the soft Russian underbelly just above Central Asia. So it's not just Pakistan looking for strategic depth against India, it's also the US trying to hedge itself, retaining the Pakistan card against Moscow, even if Pakistan is continuing to be quite pro-Taliban.