Dan Lyons

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 !

BRITS, NEW ZEALAND WANT RECONCILIATION WITH TALIBAN/
TELEGRAPH16NOV

Imagine reaction of troops being bombed,
shot by Taliban.

Govts have to talk ‘reconciliation’
To fool voters about quick pullout;/
They don’t care about feelings
Of wretched troops in Afgh.

US AMBASSADOR FEARS HE CAN’T WORK WITH KARZAI REGIME/
And Pakistan govt. is very weak, is not backed by population for working With US/

Pak.army offensive is NOT vs. Taliban attacking Afgh.
WASHINGTONPOST/16nov

PUNJABIS ALSO JOINING TAL. IN PAK/
People thinks only danger is from Pashtuns/
But many Punjabis (majority in Pak.)
Are also hostile to govt,/

Punjabi believe Indians or Americans
are behind attacks, not Punjabi.

Alienated Punjabi youth train in Waziristan, then return
To Punjab to bomb and kill.

LATIMES16NOV

US PULLED OUT OF NURISTAN—
TALIBAN NOW IN COMPLETE CONTROL/
LONGWARJOURNAL15NOV

This shows what will happen
In ‘less-populated’ areas,
Which McC plans to abandon,
Retreating to cities.

For this retreat, he needs 80k more GIs !

QUAEDA BLAMES BLACKWATER (&US)
FOR GRISLY PAK. ATTACKS/
Cnn15nov
Pakistanis already believe such stories.
Blackwater acquired a black reputation in Iraq/
We kept them on, so risked such accusations.

DIFFERENT STRATEGIES:
MCCRYSTAL’S PROPOSAL WON’T WORK FOR EITHER/
--to defeat Qaeda? We’d have to invade Pakistan !
--to stabilize Afgh? That would take
a lot more than 40,000 GIs !
EXPERT ON CBSNEW15NOV

AFGHAN CORRUPTION DWARFS TALIBAN THREAT/
Says anonymous official.
CBSNEWS/15NOV
But will Karzai really clean out his regime?
Can he, by firing corrupt officials who helped him get elected?

PAK.INTEL AGENCY WAS WORTH THE $ CIA PAID THEM/
UnitedPress15nov

But what will be reaction of Pakistanis,
Already opposed to Americans,
When they hear that their govt has been on US payroll for yrs?

US STRATEGY IS LIKE FAILED SOVIET STRATEGY/
Retreat to big cities, secure roads between them./
Try for help from neighbor countries.
UNITED PRESS15NOV

TOWN TAKEN 2 YEARS AGO IS WARSPOT AGAIN/
NATO Invaders can clear regions, but not hold them./
LONDON TIMES15NOV

ESCALATION TO BE STAGGERINGLY EXPENSIVE/
--$1,000,000 FOR EACH ADDED GI/
--$400 FOR EACH GALLON OF GAS/
--INCREASED AFGHAN COSTS WOULD WIPE OUT
ANY SAVINGS FROM IRAQ PULLOUT/
--$56 THOUSAND MILLIONS TO TRAIN AFGH ARMY
OVER 5 YEARS !/
--Most Dem legislators won’t vote for more $
for more troops/
--Obama must rely on GOP votes to escalate !

NYTIMES/15NOV

AFGHAN CULTURE IS FROM 700 YRS AGO/
Practically every Afghan male is ready to die fighting foreign invaders./
--Soviet pulled out because they calculated it would take
up to 1,000,000 troops to pacify Afgh.
--McCrystal did NOT predict that the 80k more GIs
would lead to victory—only that
not escalating would lead to quick defeat.

Rogers in NYTIMES/15NOV

WAS IRAQ WAR WORTH IT?/
--People agree that Iraq is now better off than at the height of civil war
between Shia and Sunni (over destruction of Shia shrine)/

--Question should be—are Iraqis better off than under Saddam’s dictatorship?/
Hundreds of thousands of Iraqis have been killed/wounded
in our war, or 2 MILLION forced abroad/

--Saddam protected women—
new Shia regime will crush women once we leave./

--Saddam protected Christians—
who now are being crushed and fleeing.

--New civil wars are likely when we leave.
Shia outnumber Sunnis 3 to 1, have army
Trained & equipped by US. They’ll slaughter Sunnis.

--Was this war worth it to America?
Winners were Shia and IRAN. We lost THOUSANDS OF GIs killed or wounded,
many with shellshock or brain injuries
that will wreck their lives back home.

--We spent hundreds of billions of (borrowed)dollars
when our deficit was already nearly intolerable.

--Bushies neglected Afghan war
by concentrating on Iraq war.

--No, this war was NOT worth its costs.

AFGHAN ARMY A MERE DREAM/
You can’t have a national army if you don’t have a nation.
You’ll just have a collection of anarchic militias,
As you had before Taliban imposed some order for a while,
(until US destroyed that order).

BRITS MOVING MORE AND MORE TO PULLOUT/
Now 71% want out this year.
GUARDIAN 15 NOV
Trouble is, Tory alternative is always Hawk (like GOP)
Only Liberal Dems might call for exit

BRIT TROOPS WILL COME HOME
AFTER MESSIAH COMES OR RETURNS/
Brown says ‘when Afghan troops can prevail’.
LONDON TELEGRAPH14NOV

SURGE WILL REQUIRE HUGE SUPPLY SURGE,
Threatened by Taliban attacks
(they just burned 5 fuel trucks)
and by Russ delays.

Northern supply route is threatened,
Not just Pakistan route.

Expert Cordesman says war will have to
Last 3 or 4 more years.
NYTIMES/14NOV

That contradicts Obama’s pledge
That war will not last 10-12 years
(8 years already) !

STUPID TO TRY ‘9/11’ MASTERMIND IN NY/
--Everyone worldwide will know it’s a
show trial—no NY jury could be impartial./

--His being subject to ONE HUNDRED AND EIGHTY-THREE
WATERBOARDINGS will be front-page news again
Around the world. This was as monstrous as primitive Muslim
Punishments./

--Defendants want to die; they were blocked from hungerstrikes
at Guantanamo. They will be permanent heroes
for 1500 millions of Muslims worldwide./

--They would have done better to have murdered him
at Guantanamo.

PAK’S CIVIL GOVT IN TROUBLE/
They were spared corruption trials
By amnesty, which is due to expire./
Army may use threat of prosecution
To tilt power away from govt to army./

This quarrel will weaken anti-Taliban fight.
MCCLATCHY14NOV

US might welcome army takeover.

RICH ARE BUYING AGAIN
Huffingtonpost14nov

But that won’t help economy—there aren’t enough rich,
And they won’t buy enough.

Walmart is lowering prices,
Worried that ordinary Americans aren’t buying enough.
That’s deflation.

Ayn Rand was right that most production now worldwide
Is by machines owned by rich/
So they’ll get the money/

But machines don’t consume,
And middle-class can’t afford to consume,
So no sign of end of deflation.

Ordinary persons wanting secure career
Should train to cater to rich,
As was point made by
RISE OF THE MERITOCRACY,
Long ago.

US TROOP SURGE WILL HAMPER
ANTI-TALIBAN FIGHT/
Says former Afghan warlord.
LONDON TELEGRAPH13NOV

CANADIANS SUFFER MOST CASUALTIES/
In proportion of troops in Afgh/
LONDON GUARDIAN13NOV

No wonder they’re committed
To a pullout deadline.

OBAMITES WOULD COVER ESCALATION
BY CHATTER ABOUT EXIT STRATEGY /

That will upset those Afghans & Pakistanis who want
Enduring US presence./

“Politicians may talk of limited commitment,
but military commanders know
you can’t predict length of a war.”
LATIMES13NOV

GERMAN GESTURE IN AFGH/
They’re sending 100 more troops,
SEATTLEPI13NOV
While US is asked to send 40k more,
plus 68k already there./

German constitution forbids non-defensive war.
A German soldier spends only 4 months in Afgh,
While GIs are sent back for repeated tours.

TALIBAN PROPAGANDA FAR OUTSPINS NATO’S/
They use internet, TV, DVD, and other tools
To convince Afghans that NATO is their enemy,
And that Taliban will never leave.
LONDON TIMES/12NOV

ABORTION-FUNDING WILL BE DENIED TO EVERYONE UP TO $88K/

That won’t be an apocalyptic disaster—if ordinary people
Find out about and use the MORNING-AFTER PILL,
Now available to adults without prescription.

This pill prevents pregnancy
up to 7 days after impregnation.

And there is an RU pill that protects longer,
Needs prescription.

The people in trouble: ordinary people discovering a
Bad Foetal defect after 7 weeks.

They’ll have to pay for an abortion.
This will gived added-money to
commercial abortion providers.

Blame is on Catholic bishops who pressured
‘BlueDog’Democrats to add rigid
anti-abortion amendment to HealthCarebill.

Catholics get about as many abortions as others,
so bishops work their wiles thru politicians.

WORLD OVERPRODUCTION (REL. TO DEMAND-BACKED-BY-MONEY)
WILL RUIN ALL INDUSTRIAL NATIONS
(‘China needs export market, can’t destroy US economy
FINANCIAL TIMES/12NOV)
EACH NATION WILL TRY TO SHRINK IMPORTS, ENLARGE EXPORTS/
IMPOSSIBLE SITUATION,
Leading to world Depression, perhaps wars to protect export markets.

OVERPRODUCTION RESULTS FROM MEGATECH.

MEGATECH DOES MUCH GOOD,
BUT EVEN MORE HARM.

For explanation, see
Lamar.colostate.edu/~dlyons
(chapter two)

PAKISTANIS FURIOUS AT US ARTICLE
HINTING US TAKOVER OF PAK. NUKES/
Seymour Hersh in NEWYORKER says he was told we have secret plans
To grab nuke triggers
if jihadists or army rogues seem likely to grab nukes.
NEWS.YAHOO.COM12NOV

FEWER JIHADIST ATTACKS
COMING FROM AFGHANISTAN/
More European casualties/ spiking Eur.voters’ wanting pullout
NEWS.YAHOO.COM12NOV

WAR-HERO WANTS US NOT TO SEND MORE TROOPS,
BUT TO STATION SMALL GROUPS OF GIs WITH
LOCAL VILLAGES.
He admits this would raise US casualties.
It contradicts McC’s strategy, to bolster central govt.
NYTIMES12NOV

This guy doesn’t understand that US voters
Don’t care so much how many troops are over there,
But HOW MANY CASUALTIES PER WEEK.

Ordinary Americans don’t realize that 30k GIs
Are still in Korea, 60 YRS AFTER WAR ENDED.
The reason for this ignoring: no US casualties there.

His strategy would strengthen US majority
Opposing war.

KARZAI SPEAKS AGAINST NATO EFFORTS/
(They’re pressuring him to reform his regime)
“They didn’t come here till after 9/11—
we were in trouble before that. They’re not here
to benefit Afghans, only in the ‘war vs. terror’.” /

Embarrasssingly, that’s what NATO leaders
Are telling their objecting voters.
LONDON TIMES12NOV

Karzai’s word will spread thru Afgh, quoted by Taliban.
This will disrupt McC’s dream of getting Afghans
on our side.

OBAMA WILL TRY TO SQUARE THE CIRCLE—
--convince Afghans that we won’t pull out,
--and convince everyone that we do not have
an ‘open-ended’ commitment.
NYTIMES12NOV

WHY DID IRAQ SUNNIS TURN VS. QAEDA INSURGENTS?
That’s what made the Surge ‘work’ in Iraq./
Sunnis came to realize that Qaeda attacks on Shia
Were intended to provoke slaughter of SUNNIS !
(Shia outnumber them 3 to 1, and have all the US weapons
and trained army).

No parallel opportunity in Afgh.

NATO WOULD TRAIN AFGHANS—
BUT THEY DON’T SPEAK THE LANGUAGES !

And the Taliban DO speak the languages;
They can infiltrate our supposedly allied forces.

OBAMA REJECTS ALL PRESENT TROOP OPTIONS !
Influenced by knowledgeable ambassador to Afgh,
Who has strong doubts about increasing
number of GIs.
AssocPress/12nov

GEORGE BALL POST-FACTO
DENOUNCED US VIET STRATEGY/
Viet govt. was crumbling,VietCong succeeding, and So.Viet forces Being defeated—so advisers to LBJ said we should increase bombing— Instead of pulling out.

McCrystal now sounds like Westmoreland then.
One critic then referred to W’s strategy—
if it could be called A strategy at all-as ‘Thump ‘em.”
PALERMO IN HUFFINGTONPOST12NOV

McC’s strategy now is to retreat to cities
(won’t that embolden jihadists all over the world?)
--a retreat needing 80,000 more GIs--
and cut the bombing—but the bombing still
kills civilians (in Afgh & Pakistan)
and recruits survivors into Taliban.

HOW MANY READ LYONS ? /
35,000 ‘HITS’ IN 7 YEARS
(9000 POSTS ON DANLYONS.BLOGSPOT.COM
5000 HITS A YEAR, OVER TEN HITS A DAY.

And some more on Boston.com/

I see this as like teaching—
A teacher doesn’t expect to change history,
Just to share his ideas with a few.

AMERICANS FAIL TO ELIMINATE
JIHADISTS IN PHILLIPINES/
Muslims there still remember the awful slaughter
Inflicted by Americans around 1900.
LONDON TELEGRAPH11NOV

Again, what good would it do to dominate Afghanistan?
We’d be no safer from
tens of thousands Of hostile Muslims all over the world,
of every race and color.

YEMEN—THE BIG JIHADIST THREAT/
2 different rebel groups chant DEATH TO AMERICA ! /
A cleric congratulates Ft.Hood murderer
on worldwide internet,
And calls for similar actions.

Yemen is allegedly an American ally—
But an Arab says, “With America as a friend,
Who needs enemies?”
LONDON TELEGRAPH11NOV
Will we invade Yemen? Pakistan? Somalia? Indonesia?
If not, how will our Afghan fiasco make us safer?

SEND MORE TO DIE,
OR INSULT THOSE ALREADY KILLED/
Hawk slogan parodied in GUARDIAN/11NOV

We all know the folly of
sending good MONEY after bad—
But we’re suckers for the SACRIFICE TRAP
involving lives.

US, BRITAIN ABUSE VETERANS' DAY/
(not just by 'Veterans'sales!)
On the day for honoring victims of the war-disease
THEY HONOR THE DISEASE !
(FROM A VETERAN)

Last surviving WWI vet
shuns Brit REMEMBRANCE DAY
because it glorifies war

NEWS YAHOO 11NOV

SHELL-SHOCK, BRAIN INJURIES,
SUICIDE, DIVORCE, VIOLENCE
ARE RAMPANT among GIs returning from Iraq, Afgh/
Mental-health facilities are inadequate.
LATIMES/11NOV

3 REPORTS SAY QUICK EXPANSION OF
AFGHAN FORCES ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE/

Yet this is vital part of escalation plans/

NYTIMES6NOV

US-FRIENDLY AFGHAN POLL RUN BY GOP,
FINANCED BY US GOVT/

Afghans on street talk differently—/
Some believe in US conspiracy with Taliban,/
Many believe Talliban can’t be beaten/
Many oppose more GIs in Afgh.

NYTIMES11NOV

SRI LANKAN PUTDOWN OF TERRORISTS
TOOK 25 YEARS/
& THIS WAS A FOREIGN CONTINGENT
INSIDE THEIR COUNTRY/
We have NO SUCH STAKE in Afgh/
We’d be NO SAFER if we succeeded in Afgh/
And we could succeed only by wiping out everyone,
Jihadists and civilians, in AFPAK border region.//

We’d be lumped together with rogue states like
Burma and UGANDAand ISRAEL./
Behner in HUFFINGTONPOST/11NOV

6 PREVENTABLE VETERAN DEATHS A DAY/
because they didn’t have health insurance/
Far higher rate than combat deaths,
Says Harvard study, quoted in
HUFFINGTONPOST11NOV

FINALLY, STATISTICS ON GIs WOUNDED !/
70,000 BRAIN INJURIES SINCE 07/
20,000 THIS YEAR/

1800 SPINAL INJURIES in Afgh this year so far
600 in Iraq.
Some crippling for life/
HUFFINGTONPOST/11NOV

OBAMA STILL LOOKING FOR
BRIDGE OUT OF AFGH/
Gates, Mullen, Clinton still for escalation.

Stephanopolis at HUFFINGTONPOST11NOV

A SENSIBLE PLAN: clear and HOLD one region in Afgh/
We surely have enough troops there already/
Develop governance and economy there/
See if McCrystal’s plan works/
Says Zakariah on CNN/10NOV

Trouble is, Generals would pick the easiest area;
That would show nothing about plan working
In tougher areas.

Zakariah points out that McC’s plan
Would require commitment of virtually
ENTIRE AVAILABLE US FORCES
FOR TEN MORE YEARS.
(an 18-yr war !)

QAEDA USING SMALLER, MOBILE HAVENS/
On AFPAK border.
ASSOC PRESS/10NOV

They don’t need big, bombable havens

GEN.JONES SAYS WAR IS HOPELESS/
Just as it’s rumored that Obama will send
Nearly 40k more troops to Afgh.

ANTI-JIHAD NEEDS LONG HAUL/
Says editorial in CSMONITOR/10NOV/
That’s right—but it does NOT imply that
We should commit to Afghan war
For long haul. Unlikely success there would
Not weaken jihadists around the world.

We need long-haul commitment to
Homeland defense.

HOME-MADE BOMB ATTACKS HAVE INCREASED STEADILY OVER THE YEARS IN IRAQ & AFGH/
Washingtonpost/10nov

AFGHAN SUCCESS WILL TAKE YEARS/
Says Brit general/
LONDON TELEGRAPH/10NOV
Will Brit, US voters stand for 20-yrs of
Casualties, treasury-drain?

TELEGRAPH HAWKS SWITCH BACK & FORTH BETWEEN 3 QUESTIONS/
--IS AFGHAN CAMPAIGN HOPELESS?
--IS IT POINTLESS? Would we be any safer if we had unlikely success in Afgh?
--IS CASUALTY RATE TOO HIGH?
(LONDON TELEGRAPH/10NOV)
Brit voters have focused on 2d question—and answered YES—This war is pointless.

(After all, the London attack was planned in Britain !)

Telegraph reproaches them for
focusing on Brit casualties—
But high casualties only focus attention on 2d question.

HOME-MADE BOMB ATTACKS HAVE INCREASED STEADILY OVER THE YEARS IN IRAQ & AFGH/
Washingtonpost/10nov

“THE NEXT 9/11 WILL ORIGINATE IN AFPAK”/
blithely asserts hawk on CNN,9nov

She offers no evidence for this claim—
The London attack originated in Britain—
The Bali attack in Indonesia.
And so on.

Sympathizers with jihad may be a tiny, tiny
Percentage of world Muslims—
But that may mean hundreds of thousands
Of jihadists, around the world.
Of every race and color.

We can’t assume that (highly unlikely) success
In Afgh will make us safer.

We need to focus on Homeland Defense.

HEZBOLLAH PART OF UNITY GOVT. IN LEBANON/
CBS9NOV
Israel launched a vicious attack on Lebanon,
Thinking it would undermine Hezbollah.

SENIOR BRIT HONCHOS (privately) SEE
‘NO ALTERNATIVE’ TO PULLOUT/
London telegraph9nov

“A pullout, not a retreat !”/
says Brit mil.honcho, about plans
to abandonless-populated areas of Helmland,/
leaving Brit allies to mercy of Taliban.
LONDON TIMES9NOV

If NATO is going to protect only cities
And crucial roads, why will they need
Tens of thousands of extra troops?

25 WOUNDED IN SEARCH FOR 2 GIs—
PERHAPS BY FRIENDLY FIRE/
washingtonpost/9nov
First it was said they were results of enemy attack—
Then…
Indiscriminate air attacks continue.

GOP BEHIND AFGHAN STALEMATE

FACTS ABOUT AFGHAN WAR/
The issue is US politics:
--GOP convinced Americans that Truman ‘lost’ China.
--They now say that we could have won in Vietnam
if Dems hadn’t chickened out (a flat, obvious lie).
At the time they predicted that our Viet defeat
Would spread Communism all over Asia—
In fact, Communist Vietnam went to war with
Communist Cambodia and Communist China.

--So they are getting ready to say Dems ‘lost’ Afghanistan/
and Obamites are yielding to their lies,
are ready to send 34k more troops to Afgh.
HUFFINGTONPOST8NOV

Sad truth: most Americans say they oppose this war,
But Americans can’t stand to lose a war—
They will blame Dems—
So Dems will escalate war until it is obvious
To EVERYONE (after all our allies pull out)
That the war is hopeless—
And that it is also POINTLESS, because Qaeda
Has haven in Pakistan & elsewhere—
It doesn’t NEED Afgh.

2 IN 3 BRITS WANT OUT OF UNWINNABLE WAR/
Brit soldiers will be taken ‘out of harm’s way’
until the BritishElection—
else the Taliban will attack them specially,
To bolster Brit opposition to the war.
GUARDIAN7NOV

200,000 GIs COULD BE SWALLOWED UP
IN AFGHAN DESERT/
says Obama adviser, Gen.Jones/
LONDON TELEGRAPH/7NOV

MUSLIM PARADOX/
Only a very small percentage of world Muslims
May sympathize with, or join, jihadists—
But a very small percentage of 1500 millions of Muslims
Are enough to threaten our Homeland.

We can’t pick them out and attack them—
All we can do is try to minimize attacks on our Homeland
And repair after attacks that get thru.
(Biowar is most likely.)

Homeland Defense gets a tiny budget
Compared to useless Pentagon.

REPUTATION OF BRIT MILITARY IS AT STAKE/
So Brits must not pull out of Afgh/ say military honchos/
LONDON TIMES/7NOV

More Brit soldiers must die, & Brit treasury must be emptied
To protect REPUTATION of their military ??? !!!

HUGE VULNERABLE MRAP VEHICLES/
On narrow mountain roads, they can’t turn around,
Are easily ambushed, blown up by antitank mines,
IEDs, and armor-piercing shells.

Pentagon is sending smaller MRAPS,
More maneuverable, but also more vulnerable.
MCCLATCHY/NOV

LABOR HONCHO SAYS PULL OUT/
Howell notes discouragement of Brit troops
Over Afghans’ non-cooperation or attacking them.

He wants money spent on Afgh
To be spent on Homeland Defense—
Echoing Lyons’ position for years.

Liberal Dems (3d party) may make pullout
Part of their election platform.

GUARDIAN/7NOV

FAR MORE DANGERS(DISPERSED) THAN IN COLD WAR/
Says Brit honcho/
REUTERS/6NOV

We can’t deter jihadists with our huge stock of H-bombs,
Or with profligate spending on Pentagon ships & planes.

We should be concentrating of Homeland Defense.

OUR TROOPS IN AFGH GIVE TAL. WONDERFUL PHOTOS OF BLOWN-UP NATO VEHICLES
TO BOLSTER JIHADISTS AROUND THE WORLD.

Semple says we should cut troop numbers,
settle for protecting the autocrats
In Kabul from complete Taliban takeover.

He calls for long NATO haul—
But Nato voters won’t stand for this.

LONDON TELEGRAPH/76NOV

WHEN FOREIGNERS AREN’T SAFE IN KABUL,
TAL. WILL HAVE WON/
So far, foreigners feel safe/but Tal. Plans attacks
that will undermine their confidence/
LONDONTIMES/6NOV

UN THREATENS TO PULL COMPLETELY
OUT OF AFGH/
If Karzai can’t guarantee their safety/
LONDON TIMES/6NOV

He can’t and they will.

OUR HEAVIEST MRAP VEHICLES
NO MATCH FOR TAL.BOMBS/
GI spinal injuries spike (many paralysed)
As mraps thrown into air

LONDON GUARDIAN/6NOV

BROWN COULDN'T LEAD BRITS TO BATHROOM/
FECKLESS BROWN TRIES AGAIN TO GET
DISILLUSIONED BRITS TO SUPPORT AFGHAN WAR
Financial times/6nov

BROWN HINTS AT BRIT PULLOUT/
If Karzai doesn’t reform/
But he doesn’t set deadline for reform
GUARDIAN/6NOV

AFGHAN FORCES LEADERLESS, ILLITERATE,
CORRUPT—AND DESERTING/
They rip sinks off walls to wash their feet for religious purposes./

Yet Obamites fantasize they can be trained by the tens of thousands
To replace GIs in Afgh.

Afghan policeman just killed 5 of his Brit trainers.

NYTIMES/6NOV

Soviets also tried this gimmick, but were still driven out .

“I CAN’T DEFINE AFGHAN SUCCESS—
BUT WE’LL KNOW IT WHEN WE SEE IT !”

This silly mantra was repeated twice by Obamites.
HUFFINGTONPOST6NOV

Michael Brenner sums up the absurd defenses
Offered for continuing that winless,pointless war.

TALIBAN WON THE AFGHAN VOTE/
5 MILLION VOTED/
10 MILLION REGISTERED VOTERS
DID NOT SHOW UP./
Sydney morning herald6nov

42 GI CASUALTIES NOT IN AFGH, BUT IN US/
at Ft.Hood, Texas/
CNN.COM5NOV
We can’t stand off hundreds of thousands of enraged Muslims,
Worldwide, of every race and color,
By useless Pentagon attacks on other nations.

We must pull out of Afgh,Iraq,
And concentrate on Homeland Defense.

(A High Brit honcho just said the same thing;
I’ve been saying it for years.)

35-YR CIVIL WAR IN AFGH/
City folk, well-to-do, educated/
Vs. MAJORITY rural folk, poor, ignorant,
religious fanatics/

Soviet AND OURSELVES have foolishily sided with city folk.
Karzai has no interest in reconciliation.

Our footprint recruits Taliban,
Doesn’t weaken Qaeda, doesn’t stabilize Pakistan/
MATTHEW HOH (MARINE HERO, RESIGNED US DIPLOMAT)
On MSNBC/5NOV

HOW IS AFGH RELEVANT TO HOMELAND SECURITY?
HOW MANY RESOURCES WILL BE NEEDED?
questions Obama is asking, acc. To his Homeland official./
AssocPress/5nov

Correct answer to 1st question (Afgh is NOT relevant)
Shoud justify pullout.

2 IN 3 GERMANS WANT OUT/
Remaining ‘allies’ increasingly unhappy
Over ‘endless’ war without clear goals.
GUARDIAN/5NOV

OBAMA SHOULDN’T HURRY HIS DECISION/
Past ‘fast decisions’ have been wrong./
Chance of Afghan success is small/
ULLMANN IN UNITED PRESS/4nov

Hawks want hurry—because they know that every month
More Americans will oppose the war.

OUR HEAVIEST VEHICLES ARE NO MATCH FOR TALIBAN BOMBS

MANY MORE GI SPINE INJURIES/
From road-bombs that throw our huge vehicles into the air/
United press 4nov

GIs GOING UNPROTECTED WON’T STOP/
Even after Taliban infiltrator kills 5 Brit soldiers/
This is mantra for McC/
Admits short-run risks (GI casualties) will increase.
LONDON TELEGRAPH/4NOV

For US & Brit voters, THERE IS NO LONG-RUN !

1 IN 3 AFGHAN POLICE DESERT TO TALIBAN/
taking with them their weapons & training/

Only 1 in 3 are motivated to fight Taliban.
LONDONTIMES/4NOV

6 MONTHS TO REFORM OR US PULLS OUT/
says Obama to Karzai/
LONDONTIMES/4NOV

PROTEST VS. ULSTER WAR
APPLIES TO AFGHAN WAR/
Famous Brit poet protested
vs. Brit majority who backed war
Without suffering, without imagination to realize its horror.
LONDON GUARDIAN/4NOV

PENTAGON PLANS/
--Kill bad guys
--get locals to kill bad guys
--teach local militia to kill bad guys
--stimulate local economies so they’ll eliminate opium
--eliminate opium ourselves
--build up central govt
--build up warlords’ provincial govts
--buy off the bad guys
--pull back into 10 cities,
--adding tens of thousands more GIs

NUSBAMER IN HUFFINGTONPOST.4NOV

KARZAI CAN’T CLEAN UP GOVT./
He’ll have to award key posts
To warlords, druglords,
Who helped him get elected.
MCCLATCHY/4NOV

FIVE BRITS KILLED BY ROGUE POLICEMAN/ 92 THIS YEAR/
Brit voters will turn even more against the war./
BLOOMBERG/4NOV

In rush to expand, train thousands of Afghan police, soldiers,
Taliban infiltrators can’t be vetted.
GUARDIAN/4NOV

ENTIRE US ARMY NEEDED
FOR MCC’S STRATEGY—
FOR 10 YEARS/
FareedZakariah on CNN/3nov

KARZAI TALKS TOUGH ON CORRUPTION,
With alleged drug lord at his side/
ABC/3NOV

QAEDA HAVEN IN SOMALIA/
‘the new Afghanistan’/
MSNBC3NOV
Will US invade every haven?

We’d do better to pull out of Iraq, Afghanistan,
And spend $ and attention
On TREMENDOUSLY UNDERFUNDED
Homeland Defense.

MOST PAKISTANIS BLAME US
FOR TALIBAN ATTACKS/
Only 51% (even after awful attacks) favor
the war vs. Taliban./
A plurality think the attacks will NOT make Pak.
More secure.

REUTERS/3NOV

87 CASUALTIES IN PAK. IN 1 DAY/
NYTIMES/3NOV

Tal.damage to Pakistan far exceeds
Even the CLAIMED damage to Taliban

KARZAI MAKES NO SPECIFIC PLEDGES
IN REFORMING CORRUPTION/
Nytimes/3nov

WHAT’S HAPPENING IN WAZIRISTAN?
No outsider knows, because of rigid army censorship/
Taliban spokesman says they’re dragging Pak.Army
Into a trap, prepared to fight a long war.
SEATTLEPI/3NOV

Pak. Army is not trained to fight guerillas.
Every previous thrust has been defeated.

NO AFGHAN ARMY CREATED BY US
WILL BE ACCEPTED/
“We are content with blood, but not with a master.”
HUFFINGTONPOST (ASTORE,EX-COLONEL)/3NOV

US BLUNDER TO INVADE
RECRUITING NON-PASHTUN WARLORDS/
These warlords’ primitive ferocity was what made Pashtuns tolerate Taliban in the first place.

Russ were next-door to Afgh, still got driven out.

Remaking Afgh will take a long time—will Brit, German, & US populaces
Tolerate this?
(Pakistan) DAILY PRESS/3NOV

MORE TROOPS->MORE CASUALTIES/
Rightwingers say Obama’s delay is ‘endangering GIs’/
However, if he adds troops (as is likely)
Casualty rate will RISE, at least for a few months,/
And that will make Americans demand a pullout.

BRIT AID HONCHO QUITS/
Says present strategy (including McC’s)
Will end in failure.
LONDON TIMES/2NOV

RUNOFF ELECTION CANCELLED/
Karzai named President for 5 more years.

He will likely make some cosmetic changes
In his regime—but US will still have to work
With an illegitimate, ineffective, corrupt govt.

The enlarged Afgan army which McC plans
Will be run under this govt.

CLINTON VS. OBAMA/
CLINTON SAYS 1-CANDIDATE VOTE WON'T DELIGITIMIZE 2D ELECTION/
It's said that Obama will now postpone decision until late November.

Probably until he sees how much this farce
spikes antiwar opinion at home.

“AFGHANISTAN WORSE THAN VIETNAM”/
Afgh is tribal, has no tradition of central govt./

People who say we could have won in Vietnam
Forget that LBJ himself said it was his fatal mistake.
People say Vietnam was lost at home
Forget that this war also will likely be lost
When war-opponents at home spike.

say ABC analysts 1nov/

Also, it’s said that one-candidate Afghan election
Might postpone Obama decision to late Nov.

WHY A 2D ELECTION NOW?
Karzai would win as only candidate/
turnout will be low/
NATO troops will die protecting poll-places.
LONDON TIMES/1Nov

“SUNNI BAATHISTS MUST BE ELIMINATED”
says Maliki in Iraq/
”We’ll never have security while they exist.”

NEWS.YAHOO.COM1NOV

So much for Sunni/Shia coexistence.

Americans don’t care any more about Iraq—
But they should think twice about Petraeus’surge
Being a model for Afghan success.

(Afghan factions are much more fierce.)

Petreus himself warns against this mistake.

IS OBAMA REALLY PRAGMATIC? /
If he were, he’d face fact that he’ll lose Congress next year,
And Presidency in 2012.

So he might as well do what’s right,
And pull out of Afghanistan,
Concentrating on Homeland Defense.