Feingold: Why Surge Where Al Qaeda Isn’t?

Russ Feingold was on ABC’s This Week this morning and asked he question we all want to know.

clipped from www.huffingtonpost.com Sen. Russ Feingold (D-Wisc.) demanded that one question be answered when considering the implementation of the president’s surge policy: Why send troops where al Qaeda isn’t? “Pakistan, in the border region near Afghanistan, is perhaps the epicenter [of global terrorism], although al Qaida is operating all over the world, in Yemen, in Somalia, in northern Africa, affiliates in Southeast Asia. Why would we build up 100,000 or more troops in parts of Afghanistan included that are not even near the border? You know, this buildup is in Helmand Province. That’s not next door to Waziristan. So I’m wondering, what exactly is this strategy, given the fact that we have seen that there is a minimal presence of Al Qaida in Afghanistan, but a significant presence in Pakistan? It just defies common sense that a huge boots on the ground presence in a place where these people are not is the right strategy. It doesn’t make any sense to me.”

A Sunday Morning in Zappadan:

Stop off at Fried Green Al Qaidas which is the official Zappadan site this year…

Something to wake up to. Planet of the Baritone Women:

For those who are celebrating Zappadan 2009:

The eighteen day period runs from December 4th, the date of Frank Zappa’s death, until December 21st, the date of his birth, and is a celebration of the man’s music, aesthetic, and attitude. This is the FOURTH YEAR that Zappadan has been celebrated and, in honor of the season, here’s one of my favorites: “Let’s Make The Water Turn Black”(1968):

…and another verion of the same piece by AlienFaceBill Rubin with a Zappa tribute video:

So now we’ve had a little bit of vocal teen-age heaven right here on Earth. Happy Zappadan.

I Return from the Polls…

…after casting my Jefferson County vote in the “table gaming” question. I don’t think the folks at Charles Town Races and Slots (CTR&S) are going to be very happy with me.

The reason, of course, is that I voted NO in this special referendum for the citizens of Jefferson County, WV. The reasons?

1. As I recall from the gambling casinos in Connecticut (the difference being that they are “Indian Gaming” – but people are affected in the same way), the prevalence of table games at Casinos does NOT create GOOD jobs, rather brings in more lower end jobs from out of state, for localities…

2. Does cause an increase in crime…

3. Is a huge traffic hassle which costs a fortune to maintain on the roads…

4. All the pro-gambling promotion (I’ve been getting 3 or 4 of the SAME BROCHURE in the mail every day for the last week… plus people from OUTSIDE our county coming around door to door… plus signs all over the place) leading me to the conclusion: if they have to do this much to promote it, something is wrong.

5. Doesn’t set the American Entrepreneur example for our kids (how many of you want your kids to grow up and be Maverick?)…

6. A purely personal reason… when I was looking for a job in the last 15 months of unemployed status, CTR&S wouldn’t even give me an interview. If I can’t get a job there, then the “adding jobs” rationalization is meaningless to me.

If you disagree with me and are a regustered voter in Jefferson County, you have until 7:30 tonite to offset my vote.

How Rupert Murdoch Manages the World…

You should read this article at Media Matters. Here’s a clip… but you must continue on to get the whole impact:

clipped from mediamatters.org Media Matters: On Afghanistan, Fox News decides, then reports President Obama never had a chance … It didn’t matter what decision he came to regarding troop levels in Afghanistan, or what he said about the ongoing conflict there, because Fox News and the rest of the conservative media had already reached two conclusions. First, he took too long. Second, he was wrong. Since the Bush administration stuck him with the untended-to mess in Afghanistan, Obama had to make a choice — more troops, fewer troops, withdrawal. When Obama signaled that he actually wanted to consider his options before making a decision, the Fox News followed the lead of Dick Cheney — one of the primary authors of the Afghanistan debacle — in accusing the president of “dithering” and “inaction.” Glenn Beck, never one to be subtle or reasonable, accused the president of “letting our troops literally bleed and die” and said Obama would “pay for it” in the hereafter.

Article continues at Media Matters.

The South seems to be full of Undereducated, Born-Again Politicians…

Alex Koppelman did a remarkable article in Salon titled “Muslim Obama hates ‘Charlie Brown’?” that first made me laugh my head off… then, when I put it on again, increased the growing anger which the Conservative, nut-covered, jelly roll of the Right continues to promote in my mind.

I’ll give you a clip here… but go in and read it all. Then do what I did. Go to the Arlington, TN, web site at http://tn-arlington.civicplus.com and take a look at this small town and its government. If you live in a small town like I do, it is remarkably familiar. And it makes you wonder why folks vote for dingbats like Wiseman.

clipped from www.salon.com People try to make some very, very silly things into issues in politics. Like the timing of President Obama’s speech about Afghanistan on Tuesday night, which happened to coincide with — and thus preempt — showings of “A Charlie Brown Christmas Special.” The Memphis Commercial Appeal reports that Russell Wiseman, the mayor of Arlington, Tenn., took to his Facebook page to weigh in, and to give his theory for why Obama timed the speech as he did. From Wiseman’s post: Ok, so, this is total crap, we sit the kids down to watch “The Charlie Brown Christmas Special” and our muslim president is there, what a load…..try to convince me that wasn’t done on purpose. Ask the man if he believes that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and he will give you a 10 minute disertation about it….w…hen the answer should simply be “yes” Wiseman went on to add such gems as, “you obama people need to move to a muslim country…oh wait, that’s America….pitiful.”

By the way… it is clear how Mayor Wiseman develops his awareness of the world. In his profile on the Mayor’s page on the Arlington website we find:

Born and raised in Arlington, Mayor Wiseman enjoys having all of his and Adina’s immediate family living in Arlington.

I guess that explains everything. I’m going back to watch Sam Brownback and Tom Coburn rail against the Health Care bill on C-Span with a renewed understanding of Southern Conservatives.

Bernie asks: “Where Was The Fed?”

That’s the subjec of this week’s Bernie Sanders Unfiltered. Watch and enjoy:

Cartoon(s) of the Week… we’ve got 2 original thinkers here.

John Sherffius, Boulder Daily Camera:

Progress and History… Republicans always carry it too far…

- and -

Walt Handelsman in Newsday:

Because fast food has made us great!

Aetna Forcing 600,000-Plus To Lose Coverage In Effort To Raise Profits

Here’s a bit of disturbing news out of my old home state as I watch Senator Dodd debating for the Democrats. One of the big insurers shows how they are ready to put profits ahead of people:

clipped from www.huffingtonpost.com Health insurance giant Aetna is planning to force up to 650,000 clients to drop their coverage next year as it seeks to raise additional revenue to meet profit expectations. In a third-quarter earnings conference call in late October, officials at Aetna announced that in an effort to improve on a less-than-anticipated profit margin in 2009, they would be raising prices on their consumers in 2010. The insurance giant predicted that the company would subsequently lose between 300,000 and 350,000 members next year from its national account as well as another 300,000 from smaller group accounts. “The pricing we put in place for 2009 turned out to not really be what we needed to achieve the results and margins that we had historically been delivering,” said chairman and CEO Ron Williams. “We view 2010 as a repositioning year, a year that does not fully reflect the earnings potential of our business. Aetna actually made a profit in 2009 but not at levels that it anticipated.

Watching the Senate Debate Health Care

It’s fascinating to watch two groups of thinking individuals switching back and forth at half hour intervals debating the Health Care Bill. When I did debate in prep school, the structure was somewhat different. Oh, we switched back and forth to argue our points, but we had to LISTEN to the other side so that the commenting that went back and forth was accurate and meaningful… we tried to convince the other side of our points based on tackling the items that they raised in the argument.

Debate in the Senate is a much different matter. Neither side listens to the other. What they do is make their statements, then wait while the other side makes their statements, then repeat the procedure over and over. I have no way of knowing if they have heard each other.

One exception is Sheldon Whitehouse, the Democratic Senator from RI who is trying to get an amendment in place which is, oddly enough, structured like a previous bill’s amendment by Republican (NH) Senator Judd Gregg. The fact that the two sides don’t come together on this… primarily because the Republican strategy, which was outlined two days ago by the same Senator Judd, is to disagree with EVERYTHING the Democrats bring up as a stalling measure.

Whitehouse is now on commenting directly on what is happening and I’m cheering him on from my living room.

It’s Puppy Mill Action Week…

We are in the Humane Society’s third annual Puppy Mill Action Week and here in West Virginia, where there are no Puppy Mill Regulation Laws (nor are there any in our neighbors, Virginia and Maryland… although our other neighbor, Pennsylvania, does regulate dog raising), I’m starting to get the word out.

Take a look at this:

The Humane Society estimates that there are approximately 10,000 puppy mills currently operating around the country. Many sell directly to the public, especially through the internet, disguised as small farm breeders.

One thing YOU can do is to encourage your local pet shop to join the Puppy Friendly Pet Store Initiative… you can get information on it here at the Humane Society’s web site.

Nestle and Byron (my doggies… one that we bought from a legitimate Connecticut breeder and the other that we rescued from a West Virginia shelter) and I hope you will get involved in this effort.

Dennis Kucinich has my Quote of the Day…

“The war is a threat to our national security. We’ll spend over $100 billion next year to bomb a nation of poor people while we reenergize the Taliban, destabilize Pakistan, deplete our army and put more of our soldiers’ lives on the line. Meanwhile, back here in the USA, 15 million people are out of work. People are losing their jobs, their health care, their savings, their investments, and their retirement security. $13 trillion in bailouts for Wall Street, trillions for war; when are we going to start taking care of things here at home?”

- Congressman Kucinich in a Press Release today.

Snow on Under The LobsterScope until January 4…

…thanks to our hosts at WordPress.com. We’ll have snow falling on our main page through Christmas. Almost makes me feel like I’m back in New England!

This afternoon’s entertainment… Reid takes on Gregg

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid addressed Senator Judd Gregg (R-NH)–ranking member on the Budget Committee– for authoring a detailed memo advising Republicans on the procedural mechanisms they can use to delay health care legislation.

Take a look:

You can see Sen. Gregg’s actual memo over at TPM.

A very good summary of where the Democrats are on the Health Care Bill from Chris Dodd:

As many of you know, I was born and spent a large part of my life in Connecticut, where I voted for Chris Dodd when he first ran for the Senate. Somehow, this has kept me on his e-mail list (and apparently the good list – not the one that simply asks for money). I got this today with a good summary on the Democratic Caucus this week and I pass it on to you:

Dear Bill,

We had a meeting of the Senate Democratic Caucus yesterday, and I wanted to send you a quick update about the health care reform bill.

First of all, we had big news Monday when the Congressional Budget Office released its report on the cost of the reform bill to consumers. The CBO confirmed that our bill would lower health care premiums for almost everyone in America. Whether you have insurance through your job or purchase your own coverage, your premiums will likely go down under the current bill.

This was a watershed moment in this debate, because Republicans are making the cost of premiums one of their primary talking points. They insist that premiums would go up for middle-class Americans, and tout studies by their friends in the insurance industry to make their point. But the unbiased, nonpartisan CBO provides the definitive answer to questions about pending legislation, and its report shows once and for all that the vast majority of Americans will see their premiums go down.

Does this mean the Republicans will stop fighting our health care reform efforts? Of course not. In our Democratic Caucus meeting yesterday, we discussed the ongoing efforts by Republicans to delay, obstruct, and kill this bill using every means at their disposal. Their latest weapon of choice is the politically motivated poison pill amendment.

They are going to try to force Democrats to make politically difficult votes, votes that if they succeed would end our chances for passing a reform bill. In the Caucus meeting, we discussed the importance of maintaining the unity needed to beat back these efforts from the Republicans.

While they are working to kill this bill, Democrats are working to make it even stronger. A great example is an amendment, proposed by my friend Senator Barbara Mikulski of Maryland, which would protect women’s health services. (NOTE: This amendment passed this morning 61 -39)

There’s a long debate ahead of us, and the continuing support that you have shown our reform efforts are helping us face the relentless attacks from the Republicans. Thank you so much.

Sincerely,

Chris

Do we learn from History?

…even RECENT History? I’m beginning to wonder what we can possibly do to change the way we interact with the world.

This long article on Washington’s Blog is worth the read. Here’s a clip:

clipped from www.georgewashington2.blogspot.com What Empires Have Said Throughout History: “One More Surge” A leading advisor to the U.S. military, the Rand Corporation, released a study in 2008 called “How Terrorist Groups End: Lessons for Countering al Qa’ida“. The report confirms what experts have been saying for years: the war on terror is actually weakening national security. As a press release about the study states: “Terrorists should be perceived and described as criminals, not holy warriors, and our analysis suggests that there is no battlefield solution to terrorism.” In fact, starting right after 9/11 — at the latest — the goal has always been to create “regime change” and instability in Iraq, Iran, Syria, Libya, Sudan, Somalia, Lebanon and other countries. The goal was never focused on destroying Al Qaeda. As just one example, the U.S. let Bin Laden escape in 2001 and again in 2007. Indeed, the goal seems to have more to do with being a superpower (i.e. an empire) than stopping terrorism.

Quote of the Day…

“The American people overwhelmingly voted last year for a change in our national priorities to put the interests of ordinary people ahead of the greed of Wall Street and the wealthy few. What the American people did not bargain for was another four years for one of the key architects of the Bush economy.”

-Senator Bernie Sanders putting a hold on therenomination of Ben Bernanke to the Federal Reserve.

Go to it, Bernie!

Bank of America is going to repay its TARP funds…

Looks like not everything is in the pits with our economy. This is a good sign.

clipped from www.marketwatch.com SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) – Bank of America Corp. shares rose 3% in heavy after-hours volume Wednesday after the bank said it would pay off the $45 billion in bailout funds it owes the government. Bank of America /quotes/comstock/13*!bac/quotes/nls/bac (BAC 16.18, +0.53, +3.39%) shares rose 3.5% on volume of 8.3 million shares, the most active stock in the after-hours session, after the banking company said it would repay $45 billion it borrowed under the Troubled Asset Relief Program. Bank of America will use $26.2 billion in excess liquidity and $18.8 billion from the sale of “common equivalent securities.” It also plans to increase equity by $4 billion through asset sales.

Headline News for Today: Hasan is charged.

One thing you can say about running this through criminal court as opposed to the military is that is is GETTING DONE right away. That’s not something we’re used to.

From The Daily Beast:

clipped from www.thedailybeast.com Fort Hood Shooter Charged Nidal Malik Hasan, the alleged gunman in the Nov 5 Fort Hood shootings, has been charged with 32 counts of attempted premeditated murder. The suspect has already been charged with 13 counts of premeditated murder; the additional charges, according to the Army, stem from the 30 soldiers and two civilian police officers who were injured in the massacre. Since the murder charges already carry the death penalty, the additional charges of attempted murder may not affect the suspect’s ultimate punishment, according to the Hasan’s lawyer.

Full Text of Obama’s Speech at West Point

The President started to justify his surge of 30,000 troops in Afghanistan last night. Whether you agree with him or not, you have to evaluate what he ACTUALLY said:

The White House has released President Obama’s speech at West Point Tuesday night. The president plans to talk about efforts to turn over responsibility to Afghans and Afghan security forces while also bringing in more troops from the U.S. and its allies. “Taken together, these additional American and international troops will allow us to accelerate handing over responsibility to Afghan forces, and allow us to begin the transfer of our forces out of Afghanistan in July of 2011,” Obama plans to say.

The full speech:

Good evening. To the United States Corps of Cadets, to the men and women of our armed services, and to my fellow Americans: I want to speak to you tonight about our effort in Afghanistan – the nature of our commitment there, the scope of our interests, and the strategy that my Administration will pursue to bring this war to a successful conclusion. It is an honor for me to do so here – at West Point – where so many men and women have prepared to stand up for our security, and to represent what is finest about our country.

To address these issues, it is important to recall why America and our allies were compelled to fight a war in Afghanistan in the first place. We did not ask for this fight. On September 11, 2001, nineteen men hijacked four airplanes and used them to murder nearly 3,000 people. They struck at our military and economic nerve centers. They took the lives of innocent men, women, and children without regard to their faith or race or station. Were it not for the heroic actions of the passengers on board one of those flights, they could have also struck at one of the great symbols of our democracy in Washington, and killed many more.

As we know, these men belonged to al Qaeda – a group of extremists who have distorted and defiled Islam, one of the world’s great religions, to justify the slaughter of innocents. Al Qaeda’s base of operations was in Afghanistan, where they were harbored by the Taliban – a ruthless, repressive and radical movement that seized control of that country after it was ravaged by years of Soviet occupation and civil war, and after the attention of America and our friends had turned elsewhere.

Just days after 9/11, Congress authorized the use of force against al Qaeda and those who harbored them – an authorization that continues to this day. The vote in the Senate was 98 to 0. The vote in the House was 420 to 1. For the first time in its history, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization invoked Article 5 – the commitment that says an attack on one member nation is an attack on all. And the United Nations Security Council endorsed the use of all necessary steps to respond to the 9/11 attacks. America, our allies and the world were acting as one to destroy al Qaeda’s terrorist network, and to protect our common security.

Under the banner of this domestic unity and international legitimacy – and only after the Taliban refused to turn over Osama bin Laden – we sent our troops into Afghanistan. Within a matter of months, al Qaeda was scattered and many of its operatives were killed. The Taliban was driven from power and pushed back on its heels. A place that had known decades of fear now had reason to hope. At a conference convened by the UN, a provisional government was established under President Hamid Karzai. And an International Security Assistance Force was established to help bring a lasting peace to a war-torn country.

Then, in early 2003, the decision was made to wage a second war in Iraq. The wrenching debate over the Iraq War is well-known and need not be repeated here. It is enough to say that for the next six years, the Iraq War drew the dominant share of our troops, our resources, our diplomacy, and our national attention – and that the decision to go into Iraq caused substantial rifts between America and much of the world.

Today, after extraordinary costs, we are bringing the Iraq war to a responsible end. We will remove our combat brigades from Iraq by the end of next summer, and all of our troops by the end of 2011. That we are doing so is a testament to the character of our men and women in uniform. Thanks to their courage, grit and perseverance , we have given Iraqis a chance to shape their future, and we are successfully leaving Iraq to its people.

But while we have achieved hard-earned milestones in Iraq, the situation in Afghanistan has deteriorated. After escaping across the border into Pakistan in 2001 and 2002, al Qaeda’s leadership established a safe-haven there. Although a legitimate government was elected by the Afghan people, it has been hampered by corruption, the drug trade, an under-developed economy, and insufficient Security Forces. Over the last several years, the Taliban has maintained common cause with al Qaeda, as they both seek an overthrow of the Afghan government. Gradually, the Taliban has begun to take control over swaths of Afghanistan, while engaging in increasingly brazen and devastating acts of terrorism against the Pakistani people.

Throughout this period, our troop levels in Afghanistan remained a fraction of what they were in Iraq. When I took office, we had just over 32,000 Americans serving in Afghanistan, compared to 160,000 in Iraq at the peak of the war. Commanders in Afghanistan repeatedly asked for support to deal with the reemergence of the Taliban, but these reinforcements did not arrive. That’s why, shortly after taking office, I approved a long-standing request for more troops. After consultations with our allies, I then announced a strategy recognizing the fundamental connection between our war effort in Afghanistan, and the extremist safe-havens in Pakistan. I set a goal that was narrowly defined as disrupting, dismantling, and defeating al Qaeda and its extremist allies, and pledged to better coordinate our military and civilian effort.

Since then, we have made progress on some important objectives. High-ranking al Qaeda and Taliban leaders have been killed, and we have stepped up the pressure on al Qaeda world-wide. In Pakistan, that nation’s Army has gone on its largest offensive in years. In Afghanistan, we and our allies prevented the Taliban from stopping a presidential election, and – although it was marred by fraud – that election produced a government that is consistent with Afghanistan’s laws and Constitution.

Yet huge challenges remain. Afghanistan is not lost, but for several years it has moved backwards. There is no imminent threat of the government being overthrown, but the Taliban has gained momentum. Al Qaeda has not reemerged in Afghanistan in the same numbers as before 9/11, but they retain their safe-havens along the border. And our forces lack the full support they need to effectively train and partner with Afghan Security Forces and better secure the population. Our new Commander in Afghanistan – General McChrystal – has reported that the security situation is more serious than he anticipated. In short: the status quo is not sustainable.

As cadets, you volunteered for service during this time of danger. Some of you have fought in Afghanistan. Many will deploy there. As your Commander-in-Chief, I owe you a mission that is clearly defined, and worthy of your service. That is why, after the Afghan voting was completed, I insisted on a thorough review of our strategy. Let me be clear: there has never been an option before me that called for troop deployments before 2010, so there has been no delay or denial of resources necessary for the conduct of the war. Instead, the review has allowed me ask the hard questions, and to explore all of the different options along with my national security team, our military and civilian leadership in Afghanistan, and with our key partners. Given the stakes involved, I owed the American people – and our troops – no less.

This review is now complete. And as Commander-in-Chief, I have determined that it is in our vital national interest to send an additional 30,000 U.S. troops to Afghanistan. After 18 months, our troops will begin to come home. These are the resources that we need to seize the initiative, while building the Afghan capacity that can allow for a responsible transition of our forces out of Afghanistan.

I do not make this decision lightly. I opposed the war in Iraq precisely because I believe that we must exercise restraint in the use of military force, and always consider the long-term consequences of our actions. We have been at war for eight years, at enormous cost in lives and resources. Years of debate over Iraq and terrorism have left our unity on national security issues in tatters, and created a highly polarized and partisan backdrop for this effort. And having just experienced the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression, the American people are understandably focused on rebuilding our economy and putting people to work here at home.

Most of all, I know that this decision asks even more of you – a military that, along with your families, has already borne the heaviest of all burdens. As President, I have signed a letter of condolence to the family of each American who gives their life in these wars. I have read the letters from the parents and spouses of those who deployed. I have visited our courageous wounded warriors at Walter Reed. I have travelled to Dover to meet the flag-draped caskets of 18 Americans returning home to their final resting place. I see firsthand the terrible wages of war. If I did not think that the security of the United States and the safety of the American people were at stake in Afghanistan, I would gladly order every single one of our troops home tomorrow.

So no – I do not make this decision lightly. I make this decision because I am convinced that our security is at stake in Afghanistan and Pakistan. This is the epicenter of the violent extremism practiced by al Qaeda. It is from here that we were attacked on 9/11, and it is from here that new attacks are being plotted as I speak. This is no idle danger; no hypothetical threat. In the last few months alone, we have apprehended extremists within our borders who were sent here from the border region of Afghanistan and Pakistan to commit new acts of terror. This danger will only grow if the region slides backwards, and al Qaeda can operate with impunity. We must keep the pressure on al Qaeda, and to do that, we must increase the stability and capacity of our partners in the region.

Of course, this burden is not ours alone to bear. This is not just America’s war. Since 9/11, al Qaeda’s safe-havens have been the source of attacks against London and Amman and Bali. The people and governments of both Afghanistan and Pakistan are endangered. And the stakes are even higher within a nuclear-armed Pakistan, because we know that al Qaeda and other extremists seek nuclear weapons, and we have every reason to believe that they would use them.

These facts compel us to act along with our friends and allies. Our overarching goal remains the same: to disrupt, dismantle, and defeat al Qaeda in Afghanistan and Pakistan, and to prevent its capacity to threaten America and our allies in the future.

To meet that goal, we will pursue the following objectives within Afghanistan. We must deny al Qaeda a safe-haven. We must reverse the Taliban’s momentum and deny it the ability to overthrow the government. And we must strengthen the capacity of Afghanistan’s Security Forces and government, so that they can take lead responsibility for Afghanistan’s future.

We will meet these objectives in three ways. First, we will pursue a military strategy that will break the Taliban’s momentum and increase Afghanistan’s capacity over the next 18 months.

The 30,000 additional troops that I am announcing tonight will deploy in the first part of 2010 – the fastest pace possible – so that they can target the insurgency and secure key population centers. They will increase our ability to train competent Afghan Security Forces, and to partner with them so that more Afghans can get into the fight. And they will help create the conditions for the United States to transfer responsibility to the Afghans.

Because this is an international effort, I have asked that our commitment be joined by contributions from our allies. Some have already provided additional troops, and we are confident that there will be further contributions in the days and weeks ahead. Our friends have fought and bled and died alongside us in Afghanistan. Now, we must come together to end this war successfully. For what’s at stake is not simply a test of NATO’s credibility – what’s at stake is the security of our Allies, and the common security of the world.

Taken together, these additional American and international troops will allow us to accelerate handing over responsibility to Afghan forces, and allow us to begin the transfer of our forces out of Afghanistan in July of 2011. Just as we have done in Iraq, we will execute this transition responsibly, taking into account conditions on the ground. We will continue to advise and assist Afghanistan’s Security Forces to ensure that they can succeed over the long haul. But it will be clear to the Afghan government – and, more importantly, to the Afghan people – that they will ultimately be responsible for their own country.

Second, we will work with our partners, the UN, and the Afghan people to pursue a more effective civilian strategy, so that the government can take advantage of improved security.

This effort must be based on performance. The days of providing a blank check are over. President Karzai’s inauguration speech sent the right message about moving in a new direction. And going forward, we will be clear about what we expect from those who receive our assistance. We will support Afghan Ministries, Governors, and local leaders that combat corruption and deliver for the people. We expect those who are ineffective or corrupt to be held accountable. And we will also focus our assistance in areas – such as agriculture – that can make an immediate impact in the lives of the Afghan people.

The people of Afghanistan have endured violence for decades. They have been confronted with occupation – by the Soviet Union, and then by foreign al Qaeda fighters who used Afghan land for their own purposes. So tonight, I want the Afghan people to understand – America seeks an end to this era of war and suffering. We have no interest in occupying your country. We will support efforts by the Afghan government to open the door to those Taliban who abandon violence and respect the human rights of their fellow citizens. And we will seek a partnership with Afghanistan grounded in mutual respect – to isolate those who destroy; to strengthen those who build; to hasten the day when our troops will leave; and to forge a lasting friendship in which America is your partner, and never your patron.

Third, we will act with the full recognition that our success in Afghanistan is inextricably linked to our partnership with Pakistan.

We are in Afghanistan to prevent a cancer from once again spreading through that country. But this same cancer has also taken root in the border region of Pakistan. That is why we need a strategy that works on both sides of the border.

In the past, there have been those in Pakistan who have argued that the struggle against extremism is not their fight, and that Pakistan is better off doing little or seeking accommodation with those who use violence. But in recent years, as innocents have been killed from Karachi to Islamabad, it has become clear that it is the Pakistani people who are the most endangered by extremism. Public opinion has turned. The Pakistani Army has waged an offensive in Swat and South Waziristan. And there is no doubt that the United States and Pakistan share a common enemy.

In the past, we too often defined our relationship with Pakistan narrowly. Those days are over. Moving forward, we are committed to a partnership with Pakistan that is built on a foundation of mutual interests, mutual respect, and mutual trust. We will strengthen Pakistan’s capacity to target those groups that threaten our countries, and have made it clear that we cannot tolerate a safe-haven for terrorists whose location is known, and whose intentions are clear. America is also providing substantial resources to support Pakistan’s democracy and development. We are the largest international supporter for those Pakistanis displaced by the fighting. And going forward, the Pakistani people must know: America will remain a strong supporter of Pakistan’s security and prosperity long after the guns have fallen silent, so that the great potential of its people can be unleashed.

These are the three core elements of our strategy: a military effort to create the conditions for a transition; a civilian surge that reinforces positive action; and an effective partnership with Pakistan.

I recognize that there are a range of concerns about our approach. So let me briefly address a few of the prominent arguments that I have heard, and which I take very seriously.

First, there are those who suggest that Afghanistan is another Vietnam. They argue that it cannot be stabilized, and we are better off cutting our losses and rapidly withdrawing. Yet this argument depends upon a false reading of history. Unlike Vietnam, we are joined by a broad coalition of 43 nations that recognizes the legitimacy of our action. Unlike Vietnam, we are not facing a broad-based popular insurgency. And most importantly, unlike Vietnam, the American people were viciously attacked from Afghanistan, and remain a target for those same extremists who are plotting along its border. To abandon this area now – and to rely only on efforts against al Qaeda from a distance – would significantly hamper our ability to keep the pressure on al Qaeda, and create an unacceptable risk of additional attacks on our homeland and our allies.

Second, there are those who acknowledge that we cannot leave Afghanistan in its current state, but suggest that we go forward with the troops that we have. But this would simply maintain a status quo in which we muddle through, and permit a slow deterioration of conditions there. It would ultimately prove more costly and prolong our stay in Afghanistan, because we would never be able to generate the conditions needed to train Afghan Security Forces and give them the space to take over.

Finally, there are those who oppose identifying a timeframe for our transition to Afghan responsibility. Indeed, some call for a more dramatic and open-ended escalation of our war effort – one that would commit us to a nation building project of up to a decade. I reject this course because it sets goals that are beyond what we can achieve at a reasonable cost, and what we need to achieve to secure our interests. Furthermore, the absence of a timeframe for transition would deny us any sense of urgency in working with the Afghan government. It must be clear that Afghans will have to take responsibility for their security, and that America has no interest in fighting an endless war in Afghanistan.

As President, I refuse to set goals that go beyond our responsibility, our means, our or interests. And I must weigh all of the challenges that our nation faces. I do not have the luxury of committing to just one. Indeed, I am mindful of the words of President Eisenhower, who – in discussing our national security – said, “Each proposal must be weighed in the light of a broader consideration: the need to maintain balance in and among national programs.”

Over the past several years, we have lost that balance, and failed to appreciate the connection between our national security and our economy. In the wake of an economic crisis, too many of our friends and neighbors are out of work and struggle to pay the bills, and too many Americans are worried about the future facing our children. Meanwhile, competition within the global economy has grown more fierce. So we simply cannot afford to ignore the price of these wars.

All told, by the time I took office the cost of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan approached a trillion dollars. Going forward, I am committed to addressing these costs openly and honestly. Our new approach in Afghanistan is likely to cost us roughly 30 billion dollars for the military this year, and I will work closely with Congress to address these costs as we work to bring down our deficit.

But as we end the war in Iraq and transition to Afghan responsibility, we must rebuild our strength here at home. Our prosperity provides a foundation for our power. It pays for our military. It underwrites our diplomacy. It taps the potential of our people, and allows investment in new industry. And it will allow us to compete in this century as successfully as we did in the last. That is why our troop commitment in Afghanistan cannot be open-ended – because the nation that I am most interested in building is our own.

Let me be clear: none of this will be easy. The struggle against violent extremism will not be finished quickly, and it extends well beyond Afghanistan and Pakistan. It will be an enduring test of our free society, and our leadership in the world. And unlike the great power conflicts and clear lines of division that defined the 20th century, our effort will involve disorderly regions and diffuse enemies.

So as a result, America will have to show our strength in the way that we end wars and prevent conflict. We will have to be nimble and precise in our use of military power. Where al Qaeda and its allies attempt to establish a foothold – whether in Somalia or Yemen or elsewhere – they must be confronted by growing pressure and strong partnerships.

And we cannot count on military might alone. We have to invest in our homeland security, because we cannot capture or kill every violent extremist abroad. We have to improve and better coordinate our intelligence, so that we stay one step ahead of shadowy networks.

We will have to take away the tools of mass destruction. That is why I have made it a central pillar of my foreign policy to secure loose nuclear materials from terrorists; to stop the spread of nuclear weapons; and to pursue the goal of a world without them. Because every nation must understand that true security will never come from an endless race for ever-more destructive weapons – true security will come for those who reject them.

We will have to use diplomacy, because no one nation can meet the challenges of an interconnected world acting alone. I have spent this year renewing our alliances and forging new partnerships. And we have forged a new beginning between America and the Muslim World – one that recognizes our mutual interest in breaking a cycle of conflict, and that promises a future in which those who kill innocents are isolated by those who stand up for peace and prosperity and human dignity.

Finally, we must draw on the strength of our values – for the challenges that we face may have changed, but the things that we believe in must not. That is why we must promote our values by living them at home – which is why I have prohibited torture and will close the prison at Guantanamo Bay. And we must make it clear to every man, woman and child around the world who lives under the dark cloud of tyranny that America will speak out on behalf of their human rights, and tend to the light of freedom, and justice, and opportunity, and respect for the dignity of all peoples. That is who we are. That is the moral source of America’s authority.

Since the days of Franklin Roosevelt, and the service and sacrifice of our grandparents, our country has borne a special burden in global affairs. We have spilled American blood in many countries on multiple continents. We have spent our revenue to help others rebuild from rubble and develop their own economies. We have joined with others to develop an architecture of institutions – from the United Nations to NATO to the World Bank – that provide for the common security and prosperity of human beings.

We have not always been thanked for these efforts, and we have at times made mistakes. But more than any other nation, the United States of America has underwritten global security for over six decades – a time that, for all its problems, has seen walls come down, markets open, billions lifted from poverty, unparalleled scientific progress, and advancing frontiers of human liberty.

For unlike the great powers of old, we have not sought world domination. Our union was founded in resistance to oppression. We do not seek to occupy other nations. We will not claim another nation’s resources or target other peoples because their faith or ethnicity is different from ours. What we have fought for – and what we continue to fight for – is a better future for our children and grandchildren, and we believe that their lives will be better if other peoples’ children and grandchildren can live in freedom and access opportunity.

As a country, we are not as young – and perhaps not as innocent – as we were when Roosevelt was President. Yet we are still heirs to a noble struggle for freedom. Now we must summon all of our might and moral suasion to meet the challenges of a new age.

In the end, our security and leadership does not come solely from the strength of our arms. It derives from our people – from the workers and businesses who will rebuild our economy; from the entrepreneurs and researchers who will pioneer new industries; from the teachers that will educate our children, and the service of those who work in our communities at home; from the diplomats and Peace Corps volunteers who spread hope abroad; and from the men and women in uniform who are part of an unbroken line of sacrifice that has made government of the people, by the people, and for the people a reality on this Earth.

This vast and diverse citizenry will not always agree on every issue – nor should we. But I also know that we, as a country, cannot sustain our leadership nor navigate the momentous challenges of our time if we allow ourselves to be split asunder by the same rancor and cynicism and partisanship that has in recent times poisoned our national discourse.

It is easy to forget that when this war began, we were united – bound together by the fresh memory of a horrific attack, and by the determination to defend our homeland and the values we hold dear. I refuse to accept the notion that we cannot summon that unity again. I believe with every fiber of my being that we – as Americans – can still come together behind a common purpose. For our values are not simply words written into parchment – they are a creed that calls us together, and that has carried us through the darkest of storms as one nation, one people.

America – we are passing through a time of great trial. And the message that we send in the midst of these storms must be clear: that our cause is just, our resolve unwavering. We will go forward with the confidence that right makes might, and with the commitment to forge an America that is safer, a world that is more secure, and a future that represents not the deepest of fears but the highest of hopes. Thank you, God Bless you, God Bless our troops, and may God Bless the United States of America.

Miserable night

Somewhere around 4 PM yesterday I started to feel sick. After auditions tonite I came home and was running  a fever, so I went right to bed. I’ve been up and down all night.

I think it is flu.

oy!

_________

QUICK UPDATE:

Eight in the AM and the fever appears to be gone… but I ache all over (especially a headache that I can’t seem to shake) and I am exhausted from getting no sleep.

Today is Elly’s long day, so I’ll be walking the dogs three times… plus I have auditions again tonite from 7 to 9 (nobody showed up last night and I am getting worried). If I can get some sleep during the day today, I might pull this off.

Quote of the Day – Alec Baldwin Wants To Give Up Acting…

“I consider my entire movie career a complete failure. The goal of movie-making is to star in a film where your performance drives the film, and the film is either a soaring critical or commercial success, and I never had that.

 

“And now, the movies I’ve been in, I never give them a moment’s thought. Every movie I’ve ever been in, I just avoid.”

- Alec Baldwin

…and apparently he’s planning on going into politics.

Rising military suicides outpaces combat deaths in Iraq and Afghanistan…

This article from Congress.org caught my attention. I find it especially interesting since we are about to increase troops in Afghanistan.

 

Here’s a clip… but go to the site and read the whole thing:

clipped from www.congress.org More U.S. military personnel have taken their own lives so far in 2009 than have been killed in either the Afghanistan or Iraq wars this year, according to a Congressional Quarterly compilation of the latest statistics from the armed services. As of Tuesday, at least 334 members of the military services have committed suicide in 2009, compared with 297 killed in Afghanistan and 144 who died in Iraq, the figures show. Lawmakers in recent years have been increasingly concerned about the growing problem of military suicides, especially in the Army. But even those who have been most intensely focused on the issue said they found the new numbers alarming. So far in 2009, the Army has had 211 of the 334 suicides, while the Navy had 47, the Air Force had 34 and the Marine Corps (active duty only) had 42. The rising number of suicides has coincided with U.S. military forces redeploying frequently to Iraq and Afghanistan. Army leaders say they are unable to conclude that the deployments are the main cause of the suicide increase — one-third of the active-duty soldiers who killed themselves in 2009 have no deployment history, according to Army Vice Chief of Staff Gen. Peter Chiarelli. But many senior members of Congress say they believe there is a connection.

Auditions in Shepherdstown, WV…

…for

The Hunting of the Snark.

FULL CIRCLE THEATER COMPANY

113 S. Princess St.
Shepherdstown, WV

December 1, 2, 16 & 17 at 7:00 PM and Saturday Dec. 12 at 1:00 PM
Or by Appointment.

Director: Bill Tchakirides

Music Director: Ruth Raubertas

SINGING PARTS
5 Male
3 Female
All Vocal Ranges Needed!

Please bring recorded accompaniment for audition pieces…

Remember, we’d like to hear how you sing!
We’re looking for a wide variety of physical types.

If you are interested, sheet music samples are available from the score with connected MIDI sound files which we can e-mail to you as audition material. If you request these, let us know what vocal range you sing in (Baritone, Bass, Alto, Soprano…) Contact btchakir@mac.com or call 301-467-9607.

Open Thread – Your Comments Today, 11/30/2009

It’s the last day of the month, the first day of the Major Senate Debate on Health Care, the Day Before Obama Announces Troop Increase in Afghanistan,and a day when there is a forthcoming Federal announcement to save mortgages for struggling homeowners.

If you have something to say, then place a comment now. I’ll be reviewing them to keep off pure advertising and will gey yhem up right away.

- Bill