STEADY DECLINE IN SUPPORT FOR OBAMA’S AFGHAN POLICY/
Minn.post 4dec

Support might spike after his speech,
Plummet after spke in casualties.

 
ANTI-WAR BASE:
--We’ll of course vote for Obama in 2012, as lesser evil.
But we won’t give much money.

--We’ll of course vote for Dem Senate candidtate ,
as lesser evil==
Romanoff will likely beat Bennet in Colrado Dem primary;
But if Bennett votes against
funding 30K more GIs in Afgh,
Then we’ll support him vs. Romanoff
And GOP candidate —just to register our position strongly.

If Romanov says he’d vote vs. escalation,and Bennet votes vs. escalation,
We might stay home in Primary—or support Bennet,
Voting against GOP Senate candidate.

 
Sorry—I’ve been sick.

OBAMA’S SPEECH(pure failed politics)
--he tried to appease anti-war dems
with chatter about 2011 pullout—/
but this is just chatter about START of pullout…
no assurance that it will happen./

--He tried to appease nasty GOP by throwing 30k more troops (and billions more dollars) into the furnace./
But of course GOP immediately denounced
his pullout plan./

ULLAM notes in United Press Features that we lack 3 essential tools
To find a dignified exit:
--GOVERNANCE: Karzai can’t be replaced—
the few competent ministers in his cabinet will quit
when all the $ go to provincial govts—will they do better?/

US waste is real issue, not Karzai’s corruption—
Only one dime in a dollar of our Aid goes to Afghans !

--building up Afghan army:
Officers are Tajiks, problem is mainly with Pashtuns/
Afghans are illiterate/ Optimists say setting up this army will take 3 to 5 years—what happened to 2011?/

When we leave, who will pay the army? Not Afghanistan !

 
OBAMITES TALK EVACUATION
WHILE PLANNING ESCALATION/
Chatter about ‘exit strategy’: meanwhile—
--No more talk about Karzai being ‘unreliable partner’,
thus barring escalation/

--Leaks unanimous that we’re going to send more GIs.

 
PAKISTAN YOUTH HEADING FOR DISASTER/
London telegraph20nov
We spend far more on hopeless, unimportant Afgh
Than on NUKE-ARMED PAKISTAN !

 
HELMLAND GOVERNOR TURNED OVER 3000 MEN TO TALIBAN/
Soon after, Brit casualties spiked/
LONDON TELEGRAPH20NOV

 
UNDERFINANCED CIVIL AID
IN STABLE REGIONS of Afgh
WOULD DO MORE GOOD THAN
OVERFINANCED MILITARY AID
Thompson in LondonTimes20Nos

 
JAPAN DEFLATION RETURNS/
Along with unemployment/
LONDON GUARDIAN20NOV
When(minority) rich don’t spend a high proportion
Of their riches, and majority ordinary people
Don’t have money to spend,

Then aggregate demand-backed-by-money
Sags,

And prices must be lowered.

Deflation is self-accelerating,
As people wait to buy until prices to sink lower.

 
UNDER TALIBAN, CRIME RATE WAS LOW/
Karzai’s police force is weakest link in
US plans/
If police are not trained, reformed,
US risks losing war, says expert Cordesman
NEWS.YAHOO20NOV

Qualified recruits lacking for Afghan police
FINANCIAL TIMES20NOV

 
OBAMITES QUIT TALKING TOUGH TO OBAMA/
COURTING HIM INSTEAD/
They believe he is UNABLE to discipline lower level corruption/
WASHINGTONPOST20NOV

Taliban will celebrate more 'corruption' fodder
for their propaganda.


From previous statements,
It seems to follow that our prevailing in Afgh/
Is impossible, as well as pointless.

 
2 Mass.Senate candidates want us out of Afgh/
3d opposes troop surge
BOSTON.COM

 
PAKISTAN ARMY WON’T FIGHT TAL.INVADING AFGH/
Most of army is on India border/
They worry about Indian influence In Karzai’s Argh/
The available part of army is tied up in Swat valley
And So Waziristan, trying to hold cleared area
(Taliban just pulled back, Ready to come in again)/
Pak thinks US will pull out soon, leaveTal. In charge of Afgh—(McC has already announced that he’s retreating to cities, leaving most of Afghans at mercy of Tal)—
so Pak. wants to appease those Tal attacking
Afgh.

Pak. Army will fight only Taliban attacking Pak.

US can’t count on them as allies vs. Taliban in Afgh.

TIME MAGAZINE20NOV


Yet our rulers chatter on about necessity
of Pak. help against Tal attacking Afgh.

 
MURDEROUS WARLORD IN HONORED PLACE
AT KARZAI INAUGURATION/
Along with Hilary Clinton/ How can Karzai repudiate the warlords who got him elected?
MCCLATCHY2ONOV

 
KERRY ALSO PREDICTS
5 MORE YEARS IN AFGH/
In interview in USATODAY19NOV

Why? We’d be no safer if we prevailed in Afgh/
There are potential terrorists all over the world,
Many of them aiming at US.

Most Americans say this war is not ‘worth it’—
But they will be ignored by the DC honchos.

 
CHINA/US BALANCE OF POWER SHIFTS/
China holds trillion-dollar debt over US/
US HAS held our consumer-power over China.
BUT NOW:
Obama warns China not to count on US consumers.

China would lose billions if it sold off dollars.
But first creditor to sell off dollars
Would lose Less than later creditors.

UP to a point, US would gain from drop in dollar
(more expensive imports,cheaper exports--
more expensive oil would speed conversion
to other energy sources.)

 
GIS PROTECT LUCRATIVE CHINESE COPPER MINE IN AFGH/
Bids said to be rigged against West/
Aghan official said to take $30 million bribe
To rig bids for Chinese.

Meanwhile, US,Brit troops die,& are grievously wounded
To protect Afgh from Taliban

LONDON TIMES19NOV

 
RUSS DOCUMENT ABOUT LOSING AFGHANISTAN/
Is identical with issues discussed today in Washington/
CONVERSATION: ELLSBURG, HOH
IN HUFFINGTONPOST20NOV

 
US PORTS STILL OPEN TO HUNDREDS OF
CONTAINERS WITH NUKE MATERIAL/
We’ve neglected Homeland Defense for silly foreign wars.

Writer tries to make our vulnerability
An argument for staying in Afgh,
BUT terrorist nukes are not likely
To be developed in Afghanistan !
HUFFINGTONPOST 19NOV

 
WHAT OBAMA MUST EXPLAIN TO US VOTERS: /
--he said Taliban takeover would offer ‘even larger’
safe havens for Qaeda. /But how much larger, adding to
present havens in Pakistan,Somalia, Yemen, Phillipines, Indonesia,
and more?//

--If we pull out of border regions (as planned) , we’ll have even less
‘actionable intelligence’ than we have now.//

--he says we need many more civilians advisers
to bolster Afghan agriculture, economy./
But right now these civilians don’t dare leave Kabul./
State Dept. refuses to send more than 1000 total civilians.//

--he warns of Taliban repression of women—but most Afghans
agree with that./ Karzai passed a law forbidding wives to leave house
without husbands permission, and allowing wife to starve
if she didn’t give husband sex twice a week.//

--He talks of vastly expanding and training
Afghan forces—but observers say this might take
A decade or more--& might be impossible.

--He talks of benchmarks toward our exit—
but so far these have not been offered.
NYTIMES EDITORIAL19NOV

Obama CAN’T explain away these obstacles
To staying in Afgh.

 
PAK.FIGHTS ONLY THOSE TAL. ATTACKING THEM,
NOT THOSE ATTACKING US IN AFGH/
Why should they fight our war,
When we will likely pull out soon,/
Abandoning them as we did earlier./

Taliban fade away;
army cannot HOLD Cleared areas.
NYTIMES18NOV

US congratulates Pak. Army for heavy bombing in Waziristan./
Such attacks don’t bomb hell out of region,
But bomb hell INTO region--
Enraging locals so they join Taliban.

 
THE CAUSE OF DEFLATION, DEPRESSION

FORMER CLINTON HONCHO:
PROBLEM IS OVERPRODUCTION,INEQUALITY/
The rich have the money, but they spend a small percentage of their money ,
In China and US/

Ordinary people would love to spend more,
But have little money./
Result: producing more than can be sold./
(Computers don’t consume)./

Productivity spikes ( product added by fewer workers).
ROBT.REICH IN HUFFINGTONPOST18NOV

 
MORE GIs WOULD MAKE AFGHANS BELIEVE
US IS MAKING THEM KNEEL BEFORE KARZAI GANG/
Says Karzai’s campaign manager in 1st election./

“Reform would take a miracle,
and we Muslims don’t believe in miracles.”/
Says Abdullah/

McClatchydc18nov

If Karzai dumps the thugs who got him elected,
They might kill him.

 
OBAMA THINKS ‘WINNING’ IN AFGH
VITAL TO PROTECT US/
He’s aiming to win./
His timetable seems to be 3 more years—
A twelve-year war./
LONDON GUARDIAN 18NOV

He’s just wrong,;/
even if we did prevail there (highly unlikely),
our homeland would be no safer from terrorists elsewhere./


and most Americans think so./
On other issues (e.g. health) his personal popularity
Has not meant acceptance for his policies./

 
INTERPRETERS FOR BRITS ABANDONED?
They claim so, and that they are left wounded
For Taliban revenge.
LONDON TELEGRAPH17NOV

 
13 YEARS IN AFGH?/
That’s what Brit mil. Honcho predicts.
COUGHLIN IN LONDON TELEGRAPH17NOV

 
US ARMY TO BRIBE TALIBAN TO QUIT FIGHTING/
LONDON TIMES/17NOV

This worked in Iraq,
Where many Sunnis had already turned vs. Qaeda./
But in Afgh, Talibanis might take bribes
And hand the $ over to their leaders./

We forget that we’ve been offering $50,000,000
For someone to turn over binLaden—
But it hasn’t happened yet.

 
59 MILLION AMERICANS WENT HUNGRY SOME TIME LAST YEAR/
LONDON GUARDIAN17NOV

I was raised one of 9 children in Great Depression./
We missed meals now and then,
In spite of a 2-acre garden/

Things are worse now,
Because people are not trained
To spend efficiently on food./

The very poor get enough from food stamps./
This artificial demand lets food-providers
Keep prices up.//

The people who are screwed are the working poor,
Just above threshold for food stamps.//

But we CAN AFFORD hopeless,pointless foreign wars,
and a profligate Pentagon useless for Homeland Defense,

 
MOVING LETTER ON AFGH/
in USATODAY17NOV
From a retired officer./
I am reminded of the sacrifices of my men and my buddies
Whose graves dot the Natl. cemetery.
They answered freedom’s call
And died defending a failed policy./

I am still driven to distraction
By the false courage of neoconservatives
Who are very brave with the blood
Of OTHER people’s sons and daughters.

We must not send our youth into combat again
Without a clear mission defending American interests,
Without the full backing of our people,
And without a clear exit strategy for victory.

We have met none of these requirements
In Afghanistan.

 
BRIT PM HOPES FOR START OF PULLOUT IN 2010/
That presupposed graft-free Afghan govt,
And speedy training of Afghan forces.
FINANCIAL TIMES17NOV

These preconditions are more dreams than hopes—
Illusions he hopes will pacify Brit voters—
Who want out THIS YEAR.

 
HAWK MAKES STRANGE PROPOSAL/
‘COWARDLY DEMS SAY OPENLY THEY ARE LOOKING FOR
AN EXIT STRATEGY IN AFGH/

“We can’t ask our GIs to go on dying for an exit straregy./
“BRING THEM HOME NOW !.”/
BLANKLY IN HUFFINGTON POST

He’s right that signaling we’re leaving ‘shortly’
Sends bad signal to GIs and to Pakistan/
(Pak will cuddle up to Taliban if they’re going to
take over Afgh soon.)/

Also, US & allied govts. trumpet that
We’re going to negotiate a peace with Taliban—/
The people who are bombing and shooting GIs! /
Small wonder that GI morale is sinking./

Appeasing anti-war majority voters at home
Backfires over there./

We should bring troops home quickly
Without so much advance notice.

 
CONVENTIONAL PROPOSALS
WITH 2 NEW FEATURES/
--DON’T ESCALATE;
PREPARE TO DRAW DOWN GIs/
--GIVE KARZAI A TIMETABLE
FOR OUR PULLING OUT/
kazai in HuffingtonPost17nov

 
TWO ILLUSIONS WE MUST SHED/
--that our vital interests are subject to our meddling abroad/
--that other nations WANT our meddling/

We must think about
--what counts (for our national interest)/
--what we can aspire to/
--what is beyond mortal powers to accomplish/

BRENNER IN HUFFINGTONPOST.17NOV/
He’s wrong that we’re not in danger of being attacked/
He’s right that we should concentrate on Homeland Security

 
WE CAN’T BEAT TAL. IN EAST AFGH/
French lead offensive there—
Taliban launch dangerous attack
vs. French & tribal leaders/
More allied troops there enrages locals more./
Taliban say NATO allies behind
attack killing civilians/

SEATTLEPI17NOV

 
ROCKETS TARGET KABUL AIRPORT/
At least one gets inside perimeter/other one?
In August, 6 rockets were fired at this airport
SEATTLEPI/17NOV
Naturally, US won't tell how much damage.

 
MANY ATTACKS IN ANBAR,IRAQ
BY MEN DRESSED AS SOLDIERS/
So people won’t trust real soldiers/
Insurgents want to scare investors away.
NYTIMES/17NOV

 
WHY PENTAGON MIGHT WANT OUT OF AFGH, IRAQ/

War corporations don’t make many billions
From weapons used in anti-terrorist wars/

But they’d make many trillions
From arming for future China war,
Needing big ships and science-fiction planes.

So they warn of increased China threat.

INCREASED CHINA MIL.MIGHT in NYTIMES17NOV

 
TALIBAN AMBUSH DEFEATED,
BUT SHOWED IMPROVED TACTICS/
At an isolated US post/
CSMONITOR17NOV

Such posts will soon be abandoned by US.

 
AFGH 2D FROM BOTTOM WORLWIDE
IN CORRUPTION/
Anti-corruption ‘czar’ has convicted only 15 wrongdoers/

Corruption there is not abstract—
Everyone suffers from it/

US ambassador says he can’t work with
Corrupt Karzai regime.

CSMONITOR/17NOV

 
MORE STRONGLY DISAPPROVE OF
AFGHAN SITUATION/
32% STRONGLY DISAPPROVE/
23% STRONGLY APPROVE/
WASHINGTONPOST/17nov

 
PAK.ARMY BRAGS ABOUT TAKING 1 TAL.TOWN/
But admits that thousands of Tal
may have melted away into hills/
“I don’t see an end to this war” says mil.honch/

Pak. Resents US pressure to spike attacks vs. Taliban./
“We will not be prodded by foreigners.”
NYTIMES17NOV
Pak. Army-triumph claims will not get much credit
As long as they bar journalists from war zone./

Anyway, they’re not attacking regions where
Tal. Train for Afghan attacks !