Things are starting to make sense now. Thoughts on Afghanistan and Other War Industries News.

Things are to starting to make sense, even to me, a guy who although he spent almost twenty five years on active duty is known to be a bit slow on the uptake sometimes.  It is all about money and access to resources regardless of how many Americans or foreigners are killed or sacrificed.  We are in western Asia because that is where the money is.  Duhhh!  Where have I been?

In this morning’s New York Times there is an article entitled Despite Slump, U.S. Role as Top Arms Supplier Grows by Tom Shanker.  The U.S. has presently cornered 2/3 of the world market on arms and weapons supplies.  What is the sense of waging a war if you cannot sell arms, right? The bullets and gun boys are literally making a killing so that they can make a killing over there in arms sales.

In the same edition of the Times there is another article by Dexter Filkins and Carlotta Gall entitled Fake Afghan Poll Sites Favored Karzai, Officials Assert.  Now it is becoming clearer.  "Our man" Karzai could not get re-elected because for whatever group of reasons he is not the Afghan populations’ man. They do not want him in office. So we need to stay there, partly to sell weapons and partly to prop up our puppet and I suppose partly to keep west Asian pipelines away from the Russians or falling completely into the hands of a growing Iraq-Iran Shia power bloc. So, we turn a blind eye to another fake election.  It is all about propping up puppets!  Think Diem.  Think Viet Nam.  It is starting to get clearer and clearer. 

And here is something that is really going to make you proud!

In today’s Washington Post it is reported that a Swedish charity operating a hospital in Afghanistan is reporting this morning that U.S. troops have invaded a hospital in Afghanistan, roughed up the staff and tied them up while searching for "terrorists".  I would say that the troopers found them and they are us.  The article is here.

There is also a little side-bar graphic in the same article that talks to a growing rift between U.S. and NATO troops in Afghanistan, specifically German troopers.  The U.S. feels that the Germans will not close with the enemy very much.  Maybe it is because they are not exactly sure just who the enemy is!

And finally in today’s Post in an article that is almost surreal, legal immigrants to Hawaii from over 30 Pacific Islands that the US used for nuclear tests after World War II are being denied health benefits because Hawaii can no longer afford them for these people.  The U.S. poisoned them with nuclear tests from 1946 to 1958 and now we will not give them the health care they need to live.  Here is the article.

"God bless America".

CWO3 Tom Barnes, USCG (Ret.)