The Other Consideration - The Afghan People

There are three people who I listen to knowing they tell it like it is because they are in the midst of everything going on and have been since the outset. They are CNN's Michael Ware, NBC's Richard Engel and CNN's Peter Bergen.

Mr. Bergen had some interesting observations today on CNN.com .

We already know the American people have little taste for the war in Afghanistan. For that to change the President is going to have to leave the golf course and step up to the plate and make a decision on our mission there. Not only to satisfy the American people but, as is Mr. Bergan's second point, to provide the Afghanistan people a degree of security.

He points out that the last time they had any was under the oppressive rule of the Taliban. Otherwise they are subject to the whims of roaming gangs of ethnic and tribal factions engaged in their own civil wars.

The problem is, no matter who wins the run-off election, there are no Afghan forces anywhere near ready to provide that security. Thus it falls into our lap. Since al Qaeda has a friend in the Taliban, we're really fighting to hold back both factions from regaining ground in Afghanistan.

If this is the mission selected it's going to be a long, difficult slog, but at least the mission would be clear. To the American people, to the troops and to the Afghan people. If the commitment is made and the necessary troops deployed, the Afghan people may be more inclined to side with us for there will be tangible hope.

Perhaps it's time to suck it up and do what is necessary to stop the Taliban and al Qaeda aggression in it's tracks. It will be a long, difficult haul but at least an end will have been defined; a mission explained. Pussy footing around the issue has gotten us little but frustration and lack of morale. Not only from us and our troops, but the people of Afghanistan. It's time for the Americans' to be all that we can be, if the Army will permit me to use their phrase, and do it right. If it means more troops, then let's do it. What's the popular adage? Lead, follow or get out of the way. That's the American way. Or at least it used to be.

Jihad - Home Grown And Otherwise

When I'm looking for material to substantiate a post I come across many things of interest. Sometimes they don't manifest themselves into something meaningful until there is a catalyst. Last night, while killing time between programs, I came across just such.

What initially caught my attention was an article on Breitbart about Obama offering millions to a Muslim nation technology fund. It was a "What the...?" moment. The thought that occurred to me was why fund the advancement of people who hate us? Would those funds, which are supposedly going to be used to foster development of new computer technologies, media, education and clean technology among others, be better used promoting the same technologies in our own country?

The catalyst that has me wondering if we've totally lost our senses was the airing of The Third Jihad which is a chilling reminder of just what radical Islam is all about and how close they are to overcoming the western world. This particular segment tells us of how they are moving away from violent jihad to cultural jihad.

When you think about the recent arrest of Najibullah Zazi in New York, it is a reminder that jihad is at work on our own soil right under our noses. We cannot wish it away.

There was a snippet in the morning's paper and much more online regarding a female Saudi journalist who has been sentenced to 60 lashes for the crime of being a part time employee of a network that aired a story revealing the sexual confessions of a man. She wasn't even involved in the story. It makes the administration's bad mouthing of FOX News look like child's play!

One thing The Third Jihad makes perfectly clear, Muslims are Muslim first and citizens of whatever country in which they reside, second, if at all. It also makes perfectly clear the Europeans are now having to deal with the reality of the situation they, like us, once tried to wish away.

There have been enough arrests in this country and incidents abroad to make me take notice. I question the wisdom of helping Muslims achieve anything. Saudis are supposedly friends yet they still punish by lashing.

Yes, there are Muslim nations that are more secular than others. They too are targets. It's a reason why Israel is so nervous. The legal Arab (Muslim) citizens' population is rapidly approaching their own.

Is it time for our government to put less effort into placating the Islamic world? Placating they view as one more tiny victory?

It is a cultural divide that has existed for centuries. It is their mission to overtake the world, eliminate the infidels and live under Sharia law. It is diametrically opposed to Western law. It is about time we recognize the truth of the situation; that we cannot change their beliefs. We need to put the effort into protecting ours.

Thank Heaven For Bloggers!

I've been watching the Obamatization of the media with trepidation. Especially now that the administration is trying to marginalize, if not out right eliminate, FOX as a credible source for news.

You see, this is dangerous. We do not want our government controlling what comes out of Washington. It will lead to worse. It is an attempt to control what we think. We see it here in our small town paper where the news, other than the feel good stuff, is controlled by the power brokers. We, too, have blogs. They present all sides of issues with varying degrees of accuracy, but at least they exist. It's left to the reader to sort through them and decide for themselves what is and is not accurate. Those who don't are not well informed.

It has been interesting to watch MSNBC move left to the point one wants to shout "Tilt"! NBC no longer delivers the news. They either promote their own programming or do feel good pieces. How long has it been since any in depth reporting has been done on anything from other parts of the world?

I don't watch ABC nor CBS except on weekends when they have anchors I can tolerate, though the substance is no better. Most news reporting these days is a collection of sound bites. Period. Or Anderson Cooper wondering why they devote so much time to trash news. Well, why do they? Ratings!

Making matters worse is the diminishing newspaper industry. Reporters no longer dig deep for truths. The papers can't afford to pay them for the time it would require. With shrinking staff, they do well to cover what they do. Then there is the number of papers that are just no longer publishing. Advertising revenue which keeps them afloat is down because it's not affordable. Add to that the number of businesses that are closing their doors because they can't advertise! Do you see a direction here? Like a downward spiral?

So here we are. 60,000,000,000 bloggers around the world hammering away at their keyboards citing opinion on everything from gardening to climate control. If you can't find something that interests you, you don't use a computer!

When it comes to news, though, you have to work to find both sides of issues. That's okay. It improves both reading and comprehension skills! There are blogs covering every aspect of the political spectrum from far left, which we're dealing with now, to the far right which is waiting in the wings. Fortunately, there are enough centrists asking questions of both sides to actually give you something to think about.

It's mostly bloggers. In a way it's frightening that it has come to this. I, however, will take a positive view. Rather than dwelling on how news coverage has devolved, I'll look at how blogging is evolving.

It's almost to the point we have an obligation to our fellow citizens to sort through all that is happening. The "official" media isn't doing such a good job any more and the government isn't doing it at all!

Halloween As A Liberal Holiday

It's raining. It's Friday. The nuts are on the highways. And the radio.

Hub and I were running errands. Conservative talk show host, Sean Hannity was on the radio. He was railing on about how Halloween is a Liberal holiday because it teaches kids to go door to door begging for something for nothing. Wow. Now I realize it takes a lot to fill the hours allotted to talk radio hosts day in and day out, but how absurd does one have to get?

Maybe that's the way it's looked at today. It sure was different when I was a kid. Having grown up Catholic, November first was All Saints Day and we always had to drag our selves out of bed, shrug off our candy high, and hustle off to Mass because it was a Holy Day of Obligation. In other words you had to go.

The night before was Halloween. It really began as a Celtic tradition. You know how those Irish love to party! So, the night before All Hallows was Hallow's Eve; Hallowe'en. The night when the dead wandered, evil dead. People put out food and drink to mollify the creatures before evil befell them.

The tradition continued and morphed into what we as kids knew. Before vandalism and poisoned treats ruined it, kids would spend the night, or maybe even a few nights, before soaping windows, ringing doorbells and running, or rat-a-tatting windows with a homemade notched spool spun with string. Off into the dark we would run giggling at our daring.

Halloween night we'd dress in our homemade costumes and go door to door looking for treats to avoid a repeat performance. It worked, you know, we always got treats.

It's a sad day when all that's left of a tradition for kids is a misconception of what it was about not to mention the politicizing of it.

When happenings like this were more than my Mom could grasp she always slipped into the mantra of how the time she had left on this earth was short and that she had been fortunate enough to have lived in the good old days.

I understand. I really understand. It makes one wonder what kinds of memories kids today will have when they look back at their good old days. I hope it's more than Halloween being a Liberal holiday!

I Have To Agree With Cheney!

I watched Obama sign into law a sweeping reform of our veterans' health care programs. I applaud that along with all the work that went in to making it possible.

On the flip side, if we'd stop wars we could get control of the need and therefore the cost. Oh well, it was a thought. It doesn't seem to be in the human gene pool. Humans solve their differences with war. Period.

So. If we're going to wage war, let's commit the troops necessary to win it. That means developing a strategy and sticking with it. One can make adjustments within a strategy I should think.

That's why I agree with former Vice President Cheney's rather terse admonition of the President. We have troops in Afghanistan waiting for help and clarification of their mission. Reports of injuries and casualties come out on a daily basis. Adding to the costs for the Veterans Administration! The war isn't put on hold just because Washington isn't sure which direction to go. It would be nice. Okay, everyone go home for the Holidays while we decide what to do and we'll send the appropriate number back.

The excuse that we don't know how the new election will play out doesn't seem to me to be a valid excuse. Karzai is likely to win and we already know what we're dealing with, with him. He's corrupt up to the tip of his Karakul hat! Re-election will only validate it in his mind. Should Abdullah Abdullah pull an upset we may find a more accommodating leader, but the war will continue.

Is our mission not different than theirs? We want to secure Afghanistan from again becoming the training headquarters for al Qaeda. That means picking them off as they try to exit Pakistan. One way or another. It really has nothing to do with who runs Afghanistan because they have nothing to give to our fight.

Then there is the problem if al Qaeda decides to stay put in Pakistan. What then? The Pakistan army is busy fighting the Taliban. Oops. Time for a new strategy. Put the war on hold while we decide what to do. Don't worry about those left holding the fort who still get picked off on a daily basis. We'll figure it out in time.

It is said "War is Hell". How true. And you know who makes it so? The leaders who wage it. Not the men and women asked to fight it. There seems to be something terribly wrong with this picture.