When it comes for the exit of the American military from Aghanistan why haven't we learned from Vietnam? Afghanistan isn't America. Afghanistan isn't our country. Afghanistan belongs to the Afghan government and people.
We can't keep thinking we'll be remembered there, like naming places, like establishing programs we think they'll continue when we know they won't, or like thinking all the American soldiers who died will be remembered there.
Do you think the Vietnanese people remember where American soldiers died? All the names of the names of the place the American military named? All the programs we left?
And we expect something different in Afghanistan and from the Afghan government and people?
Why don't we learn from our mistakes?
Occupation is occupation, and the occupied forgets the occuppier when they leave. It's history, and we haven't learned to keep repeating it.
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
House Republicans
If the Republican members of the house feared the extreme right in this recent election, especially through the primary campaign, to agree with them only to find they have to move back to the center during the election campaign against their democratic opponent, there is something that can be done to increase the pressure on them.
A Republicans who have a moderate or center-right view of the political issues should run against the incumbent putting the incumbent smack in the middle between the far right and the center moderates, and make the incumbent try to dance around their views against both sides.
The Republican members (incumbents) fear the far right so much they're not paying attention to the center or moderates in their own party, which opens the door for the moderates to win primary elections because the people are tired of incumbents and because moderates support Americans for jobs, taxes, health insurance, etc., and even thinks the President, while a democrat, is a good President.
There is a great opportunity for the traditional conservative and moderate Republicans to return and win. The incumbents, if they keep going as they are now, will be very much hated for protecting the wealthy and corporations and being the block to our economic recovery.
So, please traditional Republicans, run again, and make the 2014 campaign and election worth something.
A Republicans who have a moderate or center-right view of the political issues should run against the incumbent putting the incumbent smack in the middle between the far right and the center moderates, and make the incumbent try to dance around their views against both sides.
The Republican members (incumbents) fear the far right so much they're not paying attention to the center or moderates in their own party, which opens the door for the moderates to win primary elections because the people are tired of incumbents and because moderates support Americans for jobs, taxes, health insurance, etc., and even thinks the President, while a democrat, is a good President.
There is a great opportunity for the traditional conservative and moderate Republicans to return and win. The incumbents, if they keep going as they are now, will be very much hated for protecting the wealthy and corporations and being the block to our economic recovery.
So, please traditional Republicans, run again, and make the 2014 campaign and election worth something.
Really Israel?
The Israeli government announced they achieved their goal with the recent 8 days of exchanging unguided, explosive (non-warhead) rockets from Gaza into Israel with latest US military precision guided, warhead missiles into Gaza, which was (from UK Guardian)
"Israel's political leadership claimed on Thursday that the eight-day military offensive in Gaza achieved its single goal of restoring calm to the south of the country, while acknowledging the durability of the ceasefire would be tested in the coming days and weeks.>
"We had one simple goal: to restore quiet to the border," said the deputy prime minister, Dan Meridor. "That limited goal was fully achieved." However, he added, it remained to be seen whether a lasting peace was in place."
Really? Why do I get the impression the war wasn't about the border or peace in Israel, but about killing Palenstinian when about 10 Palestinians were killed or injured for each Israeli killed or injured, including several Palestinian leaders who could only have been killed with precision guided missiles.
But in the end, this said it (from UK Guardian):
"I've really tried to understand the Israelis. I used to work on a farm inIsrael. I speak Hebrew. I watch their news. All the time they talk about fear. How they have to run to their bunkers to hide from the rockets. How their children can't sleep because of the sirens. This is not a good way for them to live," said Khoudry, who now scrapes a living growing his own produce.
We Palestinians don't talk about fear, we talk about death. Our rockets scare them; their rockets kill us. We have no bomb shelters, we have no sirens, we have nowhere we can take our children and keep them safe. They are scared. We are dying."
Somehow I get the impression the war wasn't about the border or peace in southern Israel. It was about killing Palestinians and some of their leaders. It was about overwhelming Gaza and the Palestinians with firepower to demostrate Israel's power to annihilate them if they so chose.
To date Israel has violated 65 UN resolutions about the Middle East, specifically the Palestinians and both Gaza and the West Bank. The Palestinians have not violated any UN resolution.
And yet the US and Britain veto any UN Security Council condemnation of Israel and condones Israel oppressive control of the borders with Gaza and the West Bank and the suppression of Palestinians to freely travel in or between those territories.
And the US considers the legitimately elected government of Hamas in Gaza and the group Hezbollah in the West Bank as terrorists organization and only diplomatically with Fatah, the elected government in the West Bank.
According the US government it's ok to give untold money to organizations helping Israel as the US government gives billions in economic and military aid in money, weapons, etc. to Israel, but it is illegal in the US to give money to any Palestinian organization, or the US says but often can't prove.
The US and Isreal are complicit in the plan to not just oppress Palestinians but to annihilate them where any talks of a homeland, the two state solution, isn't feasible and the oppression can continue. Neither the US or Israel want peace but continued war.
And we, the American people, accept it. Who's really to blame? Our government or ourselves for acquiescing our government's actions?
When will the US government recognize the full right of the Palestinian people to exist in peace in their homeland and strive to ensure that goal?
And when will the US government stop supporting Israel with weapons only used to kill Palestinians and when will it condemn Isreal for violating UN resolutions?
"Israel's political leadership claimed on Thursday that the eight-day military offensive in Gaza achieved its single goal of restoring calm to the south of the country, while acknowledging the durability of the ceasefire would be tested in the coming days and weeks.>
"We had one simple goal: to restore quiet to the border," said the deputy prime minister, Dan Meridor. "That limited goal was fully achieved." However, he added, it remained to be seen whether a lasting peace was in place."
Really? Why do I get the impression the war wasn't about the border or peace in Israel, but about killing Palenstinian when about 10 Palestinians were killed or injured for each Israeli killed or injured, including several Palestinian leaders who could only have been killed with precision guided missiles.
But in the end, this said it (from UK Guardian):
"I've really tried to understand the Israelis. I used to work on a farm inIsrael. I speak Hebrew. I watch their news. All the time they talk about fear. How they have to run to their bunkers to hide from the rockets. How their children can't sleep because of the sirens. This is not a good way for them to live," said Khoudry, who now scrapes a living growing his own produce.
We Palestinians don't talk about fear, we talk about death. Our rockets scare them; their rockets kill us. We have no bomb shelters, we have no sirens, we have nowhere we can take our children and keep them safe. They are scared. We are dying."
Somehow I get the impression the war wasn't about the border or peace in southern Israel. It was about killing Palestinians and some of their leaders. It was about overwhelming Gaza and the Palestinians with firepower to demostrate Israel's power to annihilate them if they so chose.
To date Israel has violated 65 UN resolutions about the Middle East, specifically the Palestinians and both Gaza and the West Bank. The Palestinians have not violated any UN resolution.
And yet the US and Britain veto any UN Security Council condemnation of Israel and condones Israel oppressive control of the borders with Gaza and the West Bank and the suppression of Palestinians to freely travel in or between those territories.
And the US considers the legitimately elected government of Hamas in Gaza and the group Hezbollah in the West Bank as terrorists organization and only diplomatically with Fatah, the elected government in the West Bank.
According the US government it's ok to give untold money to organizations helping Israel as the US government gives billions in economic and military aid in money, weapons, etc. to Israel, but it is illegal in the US to give money to any Palestinian organization, or the US says but often can't prove.
The US and Isreal are complicit in the plan to not just oppress Palestinians but to annihilate them where any talks of a homeland, the two state solution, isn't feasible and the oppression can continue. Neither the US or Israel want peace but continued war.
And we, the American people, accept it. Who's really to blame? Our government or ourselves for acquiescing our government's actions?
When will the US government recognize the full right of the Palestinian people to exist in peace in their homeland and strive to ensure that goal?
And when will the US government stop supporting Israel with weapons only used to kill Palestinians and when will it condemn Isreal for violating UN resolutions?
Wednesday, November 21, 2012
Nothing's Changed
Apparently the Republicans and their leadership with House Speaker Boehner and Senate minority leader McConnell haven't changed after losing the election. They're using the same rhetoric they used before the elections now after the election.
What don't they understand the people want negotiation and compromise?
But let's be clear Mr. Boehner and Mr. McConnell, Social Security is off the table. The Affordable Care Act is off the table. Everything else, including the Defense Department budget is on the table. If you don't like it, then let's do what will happen.
How's that for a solution? How's that for negotiation and compromise? How's that selling your arrogance and obstinance? How's that for your Tea Party members?
What don't you understand the American people want the President and the Democrats not to get a bad deal. As they've said, "No deal is better than a bad deal.", and we'll take it to get the point across to the Republicans.
We're more than willing to let everything happen if it means increasing taxes on the wealthy. We'd also like higher taxes on corporations. We'd also like Social Security fixed with eliminating the limit on income.
We'd also like health insurance companies and healthcare costs reduced to help people with or needing health insurance. We'd like affordable health insurance. We'd like the budget balanced by making the DOD take a real cut to help reduce the deficit and debt.
And we want solutions. If you can't understand that, then maybe you will learn in 2014 when we get to decide your fate in the House and some in the Senate. That you understand, you job, you ass.
What don't they understand the people want negotiation and compromise?
But let's be clear Mr. Boehner and Mr. McConnell, Social Security is off the table. The Affordable Care Act is off the table. Everything else, including the Defense Department budget is on the table. If you don't like it, then let's do what will happen.
Let's not get a deal and go off the fiscal cliff.
How's that for a solution? How's that for negotiation and compromise? How's that selling your arrogance and obstinance? How's that for your Tea Party members?
What don't you understand the American people want the President and the Democrats not to get a bad deal. As they've said, "No deal is better than a bad deal.", and we'll take it to get the point across to the Republicans.
We're more than willing to let everything happen if it means increasing taxes on the wealthy. We'd also like higher taxes on corporations. We'd also like Social Security fixed with eliminating the limit on income.
We'd also like health insurance companies and healthcare costs reduced to help people with or needing health insurance. We'd like affordable health insurance. We'd like the budget balanced by making the DOD take a real cut to help reduce the deficit and debt.
And we want solutions. If you can't understand that, then maybe you will learn in 2014 when we get to decide your fate in the House and some in the Senate. That you understand, you job, you ass.
Monday, November 19, 2012
To Israel's Army
To the Army commanders and political leaders of Israel,
Your anger against the people of Gaza is with the 20,000 or so Hamas extremists, not the 1.7 million Palestinians who live in the Gaza terrority, so focus your forces on them. Innocent civilians are not your enemy, not the opposition fight force, and not the ones responsible for the rocket attacks on Israel.
Your anger and actions against innocent civilians is not war, it's criminal. I won't argue Hamas rockets have killed innocent Israelis and other people. I won't argue they are owed revenge for the acts against them.
But I will argue attacking innoncent Palestinians isn't the answer when you're killed and injuriing them as a ratio of 10 Palestinians to 1 Israeli. That's not war, that's a slaughter. That's not war, that's criminal as in war crimes against innoncent people.
If you want war, go fight the 20,000 or so Hamas extremists. But really do you have to do that? Why not peace? Why not an economically independent Gaza and Palestinians instead of the oppression you inflict on Gaza and Palestinians.
If you lived as they did, what would you do? Wouldn't you fight? Wouldn't you become an extremist? So what and why don't you understand? Israel has one of the best and most powerful military in the world. You don't need to pummel an enemy into the oblivion.
You need to use it to negotiate peace for the Israel and the Palestinian people. There will always be fighting in the Middle East, Israel is home to three religions, all of which have extremists thinking everyone else is the enemy.
But you, Israel can stand above it in the name of peace. If you tried. If you tried as hard as you fought, as hard as you want to defend Israel and Israelis, and as hard as the world knows you can, if you tried. So why don't you?
If you don't, then we know your fate is doomed to war, war with the Palestinians over lands and independence, war with your neighboring Muslim countries, and war with Iran. Is that what you want? Because if you do, then that's your fate.
But then also, while many in the US, especially our government and military, will support you because you have a rich and powerful lobby here, but the American people won't support you. You will be seen and known as the enemy of peace, the enemy of an oppressed Palestinian people, and the enemy of freedom.
That's what we stand for, independence and freedom. Not what you stand for, if you want war. Your future is in your hands, stand with the world or stand alone. Someday our government and military will have to walk away from you if you continue, if you want war.
Your anger against the people of Gaza is with the 20,000 or so Hamas extremists, not the 1.7 million Palestinians who live in the Gaza terrority, so focus your forces on them. Innocent civilians are not your enemy, not the opposition fight force, and not the ones responsible for the rocket attacks on Israel.
Your anger and actions against innocent civilians is not war, it's criminal. I won't argue Hamas rockets have killed innocent Israelis and other people. I won't argue they are owed revenge for the acts against them.
But I will argue attacking innoncent Palestinians isn't the answer when you're killed and injuriing them as a ratio of 10 Palestinians to 1 Israeli. That's not war, that's a slaughter. That's not war, that's criminal as in war crimes against innoncent people.
If you want war, go fight the 20,000 or so Hamas extremists. But really do you have to do that? Why not peace? Why not an economically independent Gaza and Palestinians instead of the oppression you inflict on Gaza and Palestinians.
If you lived as they did, what would you do? Wouldn't you fight? Wouldn't you become an extremist? So what and why don't you understand? Israel has one of the best and most powerful military in the world. You don't need to pummel an enemy into the oblivion.
You need to use it to negotiate peace for the Israel and the Palestinian people. There will always be fighting in the Middle East, Israel is home to three religions, all of which have extremists thinking everyone else is the enemy.
But you, Israel can stand above it in the name of peace. If you tried. If you tried as hard as you fought, as hard as you want to defend Israel and Israelis, and as hard as the world knows you can, if you tried. So why don't you?
If you don't, then we know your fate is doomed to war, war with the Palestinians over lands and independence, war with your neighboring Muslim countries, and war with Iran. Is that what you want? Because if you do, then that's your fate.
But then also, while many in the US, especially our government and military, will support you because you have a rich and powerful lobby here, but the American people won't support you. You will be seen and known as the enemy of peace, the enemy of an oppressed Palestinian people, and the enemy of freedom.
That's what we stand for, independence and freedom. Not what you stand for, if you want war. Your future is in your hands, stand with the world or stand alone. Someday our government and military will have to walk away from you if you continue, if you want war.
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