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U.S. troop deaths for the last three months have doubled in Afghanistan. This, Washington tells us, is the "cost of winning," which of course is the grossest bullshit because neither this administration nor Bushco's has defined what exactly "winning" is, or what good stuff we get for continuing the slaughter on all sides.
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There was something about "Freedom's on the march!" and "Spreading democracy!" Oh goody! Because that would mean if we ever could manage "winning" in Afghanistan, that would reduce the task of freeing up democracy in the other eighty or ninety-odd percent of the world that will still lack the American version of such, and which would easily increase our opportunity for "winning" elsewhere, well, almost anywhere we wanted more "winning."
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But we may detect a trend, perhaps a shift from the "domino" theory to the "hopscotch" strategy: First the killing in Afghanistan, then -- HOP! -- the slaughter in Iraq, then -- HOP! -- more killing back in Afghanistan, then -- HOP! -- back to slaughter in Iraq, to RE-stabilize, don't you know, then --HOP! -- back to killing in Afghanistan, or perhaps Iran, or perhaps -- HOP! -- to Africa to justify the costs we've ALREADY incurred in AFRICOM, of which one must ask why do we have a military command structure in Africa, what is it actually doing, and what will be the definition of "winning" there? (And please do not feed us more of the "strategic vision" propaganda.)
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And, Oh! did I mention the recent military-basing agreement in Columbia -- no, not the one in Maryland or South Carolina, but the one in South America? What purpose does this serve? Perhaps the initial stage of our bringing freedom to the Southern Hemisphere of the Western Hemisphere?
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If this all appears to be a bit disjointed or insane, it is because that's precisely what it is, at least for us.
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But the study of psychology advises that human behavior is motivated by reward and punishment. If such is indeed true, who here is getting rewarded and who is being punished? It would seem that the people getting killed, maimed and impoverished(on both sides) and their families are getting punished. And for awhile there was the proposition that the folks cheering on "freedom's march," and running about waving little flags got some kind of rewarding kick out of the mass-slaughter endeavor, but one senses that these folks are starting to notice the casualty reports, perhaps even beginning to wonder if their tax dollars spent on endless war could be put to better use for the schools their children attend, the roads they drive on looking for the job they lost or a place to live when their unregulated mortgage goes into default, or a healthcare program better than the world's 37th "best."
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Yes, the all too slowly emerging disillusion will perhaps ultimately contribute to the impetus, to the reward for stopping the slaughter. But there are much more solid rewards for the treachery that still will require exposure and corrective action. The initial problem here is to specifically and convincingly identify what are the actual rewards of national treachery and who benefits from them and the programs and schemes for their execution.
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Is it Big Petro? Is it Big Weapons? Is it those who Lust for Power? Is it Madness? Perhaps a cabal of these four or more?
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We need to stop screwing around. We need to foster disabusing the minds of the electorate still swallowing "freedom's on the March," and awaken the obtuse and uninvolved to the tragic consequences they however unconsciously foster, and we need to identify and reveal the hard rewards to the profiteers and the madmen.
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And then we need to stop the slaughter, not with another maniacal "surge" of slaughter, but by withdrawal now, a surge for peace.
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We must vacate Afghanistan and Iraq now, and leave those countries to a fate determined by their indigenous peoples. We must nullify the basing program in Columbia, cancel AFRICOM, eliminate the great percentage of American military stationed in 120 other countries about the world, endorse a decent solution for the Palestinians, and actively support peace and the true best interests of humanity.
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Idealistic? Perhaps, but your life, your family's, your children's and your grandchildren's and the future of humanity are in the balance.
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So what's it to be? Acquiescing in more freedom's-on-the-march propaganda for treachery and slaughter, or the survival of our families and humanity?
