In today’s New York Times we read an article entitled Blackwater Guards Tied to Secret Raids by the C.I.A. in which we learn that former Blackwater agency personnel have come forward with their stories of illegal snatch and grab jobs while acting as members of C.I.A. teams. It begins to show the problem of using "contractors" to do spook and soldier things. In the days gone by when we were more honest we called these people mercenaries. We call them contractors now. This is euphemism at its best.
Is this how the world’s leading democracy is supposed to behave?
In a related story, 5 U.S. Men Arrested in Pakistan Said to Plan Jihad , we learn that the five Muslim American men from my area in Northern Virginia were on their way to the heart of Taliban territory to plan and participate in jihad against the USA. Charming.
In a story concerning the President recieivng the Nobel Peace Prize entitled Accepting Peace Prize, Obama Offers ‘Hard Truth’ we learn that war is peace. So interesting and so much b.s.
In the Quotation of the Day section of the Times we read an excerpt from the President’s speech.
"We must begin by acknowledging the hard truth: We will not eradicate violent conflicts in our lifetimes. There will be times when nations — acting individually or in concert — will find the use of force not only necessary but morally justified."
I never found our use of force in either Iraq or Afghanistan to be morally justified either in the beginning of the wars or now. We had no moral right to invade either country. The evidence is clear now. But it does not seem to matter to those that make the decisions in this country.
Obama is a great and gifted speaker but his words do not change the fact that these wars are phony wars fought for American dominance in a part of the world in which we had no real influence prior to our invasions. I am sorry. I don’t see this any other way. We had no military reason to invade and we have no moral right or military need to continue the destruction and loss of life no matter how eloquent Obama may be.
When the casualties start pouring in, I promise not to say "I told you so!"
In a related story entitled In Iran, Protests Gaining a Radical Tinge we read that the increasing radicalization of Iranian protestors is splitting the protest movement and making it more dangerous for all of us around the world. This is literally a bomb waiting to explode.
In a surprising editorial the New York Times defends Obama’s speech in President Obama in Oslo and claims that the war in Afghanistan is necessary. No it is not.
I would certainly like to hear the reasons why the New York Times editorial staff took this position.
In a Op Ed piece with three contributors and three separate articles entitled A Deadline We Can Believe In? we read of three different views of the Afghanistan conflict.
It looks like stopping this war in Afghanistan is not going to happen. At some point, when all is said and done, the American people will once again find out that they have been used so that Big Money interests can gain the upper hand at the cost of the lives of their kids and grand children who have been driven into the armed forces by a weak economy.
At that point, we will have unrest like we have not seen in this country since the Civil War.
And I am sorry for that.
Get informed and stay informed. It is your civic duty.
CWO3 Tom Barnes, USCG (Ret.)
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