Yes We Can – Can We?

YES WE CAN – CAN WE?

Was CHANGE Just Another Political Gimmick or Slogan?

By Major Bobby Hanafin, U.S. Air Force-Retired

First up front, I reluctantly, and I highlight reluctantly voted for the Obama/Biden CHANGE and even bought into YES WE CAN. However, the more I read and hear about the Obama/Biden transition team plans and who’s who, the more I come to feel that I wasted my vote.

If the only thing Veterans and especially Military Families are in for is MORE OF THE SAME in Iraq, Afghanistan, and possibly Pakistan and beyond, Senator John McCain would have made a better choice IF I were even slightly right of center or closed minded about who does the fighting and dying. I hope that in the long run I’m wrong.

What seriously has our military family disappointed is about as non-partisan as one can get, because we did not think in terms of Democrat or Republican when we voted but who was the least evil of the two and the slogan CHANGE did have a half decent attraction to it, IF career politicians were seriously for CHANGE.

     Frankly, we feel that we’ve been had. What the Obama/Biden campaign really meant by CHANGE was CHANGE of the status quo from Republican Career Politicians to Democrat Career Politiicans. Tell you what, by this time next year let’s see if the media takes a poll on what the Democrats really meant by CHANGE. Was it CHANGING for the better that benefits all Americans or did they really mean change in partisan politics as usual? That my fellow Americans is no CHANGE in the Status Quo.

Maybe it is our fault that we misunderstood what Obama-Biden really meant by CHANGE. In fact, quite possibly most voters also misunderstood. Looking at personalities from the Carter, Clinton white house, and IOUs being repaid to campaign contributors or alliances – Remember that old Burger King commercial (I think it was the King) Where’s the BEEF? Where’s the CHANGE?

Nothing highlights stagnation and reinforcement of the status quo than offering Hillary Clinton the Secretary of State position like that is really change. (Even if it were only media rumors). Heck, I’d accept someone controversial and who appears bipartisan by actions not rhetoric, like Collin Powell back again at state just for having the nerve to support Obama.

What is the Obama-Biden team going to give Joe Liebermann, the Defense Department or Ambassador to Israel? God does have a sense of humor so make it makes more sense to give Joe the Ambassador to Palestine.

I’m afraid WE THE PEOPLE is in for MORE OF THE SAME with a different brand name, and that’s about the only CHANGE we are going to see. Watch as more and more career politicians (a throwback to the ancient Roman Senate filled with the nobility as the Legions filled with peasants, a Senate with only aristocratic interest at heart until Julius Caesar came along to end that hypocritical experiment in Republic based on the Greek model of democracy).

Hillary aside, what really matters to our military family is MORE OF THE SAME BUT WORSE in FOREIGN POLICY, lack of TRUST in Obama’s plan for Iraq which he is already under pressure to renege on and shows it by even thinking about a Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) for Iraq and an undefined residual force BTW without permanent basing – RIGHT!

SOFA agreements usually are only warranted when there are plans to maintain permanent military bases in any nation. According to the Obama-Biden plan, they are seeking SOFA with Iraq, and watch Afghanistan will be next as we begin building (snicker) temporary bases there.

“Obama and Biden believe it is vital that a Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) be reached so our troops have the legal protections and immunities they need. Any SOFA should be subject to Congressional review to ensure it has bipartisan support here at home,” that is what the Obama-Biden transition team says, but conveniently leaves out which new nations it plans on establishing SOFA with nor how SOFA relates to either temporary or permanent military bases in the Middle East or South West Asia? Frankly, I’m all for SOFA agreements, because as a career military man protected by them while assigned overseas to allied permanent bases, I know what SOFAs are, and they are not for lounging on.

Then of course there’s their Iraq to Afghanistan Plan. The Obama-Biden Plan calls for “responsibly ending the war in Iraq so that we can renew our military strength, dedicate more resources to the fight against the Taliban and al Qaeda in Afghanistan, and invest in our economy at home. The Obama-Biden plan will help us succeed in Iraq by transitioning to Iraqi control of their country. Where is the CHANGE from the Bush administration’s failed policies? Take each point one at a time:

1. Renew our military strength and BTW without national commitment nor need for THE DRAFT. What’s wrong with this picture? It relies on CHANGE in government from Republican career politicans most not Veterans to Democrat Career Politicians most not Veterans but Young Democrats or Young Republican college students exempt from any Draft per se. This formula will not of course get more Young Democrats and Young Republicans to the military recruiting office. How many want to bet on the success of this assumption? Take your bets.

Wrong – the same youngsters downtrodden by an piss poor U.S. economy wasted on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan will be heading to the recruiting office that are now or seeking citizenship by gambling their lives away. In fact, this morning on NBC News our Ohio National Guard made it no secret that enlistments are UP in Ohio – THANK GOD FOR THE DEVASTATED ECONOMY, well, the $50,000 buck bonus can also be mighty attractive to some 18 or 19 years old (and their parents) when employment prospects or OTHER THINGS TO DO WITH THEIR LIVES like become Career Politicians appear BLEAK!

2. Under the Obama-Biden plan, a residual force (number to be decided – HUM?) will remain in Iraq and in the region to conduct targeted counter-terrorism missions against al Qaeda in Iraq and protect American diplomatic and civilian personnel. They will not build permanent bases in Iraq, but will continue efforts to train and support the Iraqi security forces as long as Iraqi leaders move toward political reconciliation and away from sectarianism. (No permanent bases in Iraq, well what is their definition of permanent vs. temporary AND why do temporary U.S. presence require a Status of Forces Agreement with any nation that we do not have a Security Treaty with that does not include permanent basing rights? Come on now Judgment We Can Trust?)

Our military family will begin trusting politicians (and career politicians) when they are willing to commit their own families (whole sale not just a token few) to the War on Terror and more so demand commitment in bodies from WE THE PEOPLE to escalate war in Afghanistan.

3. Encouraging Political Accommodation: Barack Obama and Joe Biden believe that the U.S. must apply pressure on the Iraqi government to work toward real political accommodation. There is no military solution to Iraq’s political differences. Now is the time to press Iraq’s leaders to take responsibility for their future and to invest their oil revenues in their own reconstruction. (Is that going to be a part of the Status of Forces agreement with Iraq while the Obama team promises not to retain permanent base there?)

4 Surging Diplomacy: Barack Obama and Joe Biden will launch an aggressive diplomatic effort to reach a comprehensive compact on the stability of Iraq and the region. This effort will include all of Iraq’s neighbors — including Iran and Syria, as suggested by the bi-partisan Iraq Study Group Report. This compact will aim to secure Iraq’s borders; keep neighboring countries from meddling inside Iraq; isolate al Qaeda; support reconciliation among Iraq’s sectarian groups; and provide financial support for Iraq’s reconstruction and development.

Frankly, this is the most attractive part of the Obama-Biden game plan to our military family IF the same concept were applied to escalating war in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and beyond. The only way the Obama administration will ensure our troops get the needed rest PROMISED, and additional bodies NOT PROMISED or REALISTIC is to make any escalation in hostilities come second to diplomatic efforts and be part of a United Nations Peace Keeping Operation type engagement NOT another arrogant America Go It Alone World Power play. We are a world power on paper only – a paper Tiger.

5. Preventing Humanitarian Crisis in Iraq, we will not even go there, because we passionately feel that the Obama administration needs to focus on preventing a humanitarian crisis here at home in America. One need only look at the growing U.S. economic crisis that most voters still cannot relate to the billions wasted on Iraq AND Afghanistan. Catastrophically, the Obama administration plans TO WASTE EVEN MORE AMERICAN DOLLARS to appease Defense Industry campaign contributors, the right-wing of the Democratic Party, and never forget the Israeli Lobby!!!
Lastly, the Status-of-Forces Agreement: Obama and Biden believe it is vital that a Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) be reached so our troops have the legal protections and immunities they need. That our military family has no problem with why should we not want our troops protected from Islamic laws foreign to us? What bothers us about it is that SOFA agreements are normally applied to long term security situations like the Korean DMZ. Had Harry Truman promised most Americans in the 1950s no permanent bases in Korea who would have believed him? Any SOFA should be subject to Congressional review to ensure it has bipartisan support here at home. Those of us who question the Iraq War or any plans to escalate war in South West Asia without full commitment of the American people need to pay close attention to this aspect as it does relate to permanent military bases.

In closing, despite our vast differences on being pro-war or pro-peace, one thing we have to have in common as 21st Century Veterans and Military Families. The vast majority of American citizens and voters are not willing to do what we do. Career politicians will continue to use, abuse, and exploit us as long as they can get away with it, and as long as Volunteers are willing to accept abuse and exploitation at any price tag. If our government leaders are not willing to seek let alone demand total war commitment from the American people, we are obligated to ensure as few volunteers refuse to be USED as possible and escalate counter-military recruitment efforts, peace demonstrations, providing a support base for those troops with Courage to Resist (after they have served at least one combat tour), and at the same time retaining respect and admiration for those to choose to continue being USED. That is not an easy balancing act to maintain but it is the most non-partisan course to take.

Robert L. Hanafin, Major, U.S. Air Force-Retired,
Military Families Speak Out (MFSO)
speaking for only my military family.

Robert L. Hanafin

Readers are more than welcome to use the articles I’ve posted on Veterans Today, I’ve had to take a break from VT as Veterans Issues and Peace Activism Editor and staff writer due to personal medical reasons in our military family that take away too much time needed to properly express future stories or respond to readers in a timely manner.

My association with VT since its founding in 2004 has been a very rewarding experience for me.

Retired from both the Air Force and Civil Service. Went in the regular Army at 17 during Vietnam (1968), stayed in the Army Reserve to complete my eight year commitment in 1976. Served in Air Defense Artillery, and a Mechanized Infantry Division (4MID) at Fort Carson, Co. Used the GI Bill to go to college, worked full time at the VA, and non-scholarship Air Force 2-Year ROTC program for prior service military. Commissioned in the Air Force in 1977. Served as a Military Intelligence Officer from 1977 to 1994. Upon retirement I entered retail drugstore management training with Safeway Drugs Stores in California. Retail Sales Management was not my cup of tea, so I applied my former U.S. Civil Service status with the VA to get my foot in the door at the Justice Department, and later Department of the Navy retiring with disability from the Civil Service in 2000.

I’ve been with Veterans Today since the site originated. I’m now on the Editorial Board. I was also on the Editorial Board of Our Troops News Ladder another progressive leaning Veterans and Military Family news clearing house.

I remain married for over 45 years. I am both a Vietnam Era and Gulf War Veteran. I served on Okinawa and Fort Carson, Colorado during Vietnam and in the Office of the Air Force Inspector General at Norton AFB, CA during Desert Storm. I retired from the Air Force in 1994 having worked on the Air Staff and Defense Intelligence Agency at the Pentagon.