Out of Afghanistan

Day Seven. I gotta indulge in a national issue before I go into strategy. Besides, we need to be holding Florida’s Congress members and candidates accountable on this, which we aren’t doing. We need to be questioning all our candidates about this, even for the legislature, because some of them will move up to Congress from there. I will no longer support candidates whose worldview perpetuates the worldwide mess we are in. Iraq isn’t the only problem. Alan made an incisive comment on one of my posts. He said Liberals start wars. I could agree, with qualifications. And I’d postulate that at least in theory, Progressives don’t, or at least shouldn’t. You shouldn’t.

What set me off this morning were these paragraphs buried in a McClatchy News Service story: “Tribal insurgents allied with the Taliban and al Qaeda have created a virtually independent Islamic state in much of Pakistan’s tribal belt and repulsed repeated U.S.-supported drives by the Pakistani army to bring the region under control (my italics). At the same time, the Taliban have mounted a ferocious return in Afghanistan. Taliban fighters have taken de facto control of one rural district after the next, moving from their southern heartland toward the Afghan capital. Allied drug lords have produced record crops of opium poppy, fueling corruption and violence. And civilian casualities from the U.S. airstrikes, and anger over Iraq and U.S. support for Israel, have dramatically boosted anti-Americanism and opposition to the government in Kabul. Given the insecurity, violence and anti-U.S. anger — even among moderates – on both sides of the border …..”

I reject the Liberals’ argument that we had to invade and occupy Afghanistan so that Liberals can look strong on defense and as a cover to oppose Iraq. What the F right does the U.S. have occupying foreign countries? And what the F right does the U.S. have bringing the Islamic region in Pakistan “under control”? It’s not our F ing business to be dictating to the world that they can’t have Islamic governments. Let Pakistan deal with its own affairs. If we stopped arming the Afghanistan “government” and the Pakistani military dictatorship, etc., my Secretary of State could reach a nice deal with the Taliban and al Qaeda: we leave you alone, you leave us alone. That’s how you’re strong on defense, Liberals.