Is there really any chance at long term success for bribing the Taliban to join our forces?
Apparently President Barack Obama “hopes” there is a chance, since last week he signed a $680 billion defense appropriations bill to fund the military operations in fiscal 2010. The strategy of paying Taliban members to join American forces against the radical Taliban is an element of this bill to receive a piece of the payout. There is a popular Afghan phrase, “You can rent an Afghan, but you can’t buy him,” but the U.S. Government is willing to spend billions of dollars and try anyway.
The defense of the strategy reveals the Taliban members of Afghanistan are dissimilar to those in Iraq. They are less motivated by the extreme ideologies and religious fervor, and more motivated by employment or income. To them, their loyalty to the Taliban is conditional and can be reversed if their conditions from American forces are better. Senator Carl Levin said, “They believe an effort to attract these fighters to the governments side could succeed, if they are offered security for themselves and their families,” as well as granted amnesty. The offering of amnesty is not a new concept to separate Taliban members from their leaders, however offering monetary compensation is.
A similar tactic was applied in Iraq, however these “bribes” we called “employment opportunities.” Of the Taliban in Afghanistan, General McChrystal says, “Most are operating for pay; some are under a commander’s charismatic leadership; some are frustrated with local leaders.” Certainly, there is a lot of truth to this statement. However, relying solely on bribing the Taliban to join positive forces has little promise for long term stability for Afghanistan.
Long term success for Afghanistan and their people does not reflect some Blockbuster movie scene where some nations chalk up the “W” and others defeat. This has more to do with Afghanistan’s ability to maintain a stable government after the separated Taliban members are no longer on the American payroll. An expert on the Afghanistan-Pakistan region, Nicholas Schmidle, said “So long as the Americans are keenly aware of this, you’re buying a very, very, very temporary allegiance… If that’s the foundation for moving forward, it’s a shaky foundation.” At this point, there is a clear effort to rent some Afghans, however there is no promise we can buy them out permanently.
After the unfortunate events Monday, where 18 Americans were killed in Afghanistan, President Obama departed D.C by Marine One to Dover Air Force Base in the late hours Wednesday night to meet the bodies. Those 18 Americans add to the death toll as the most fatal month in Afghanistan for Americans. In the current events leading up to this Dover visit, Obama has received much criticism for his actions on proceeding in Afghanistan.
In mixed responses, some praise the President’s efforts for paying respect to the American heroes upon their arrival to their homeland, and appreciate the humanity of the Commander in Chief. Sadly, others believe it is just another publicity stunt as if Obama is still campaigning to the Americans and is beating around the Bush (no pun intended) in his decision for Afghanistan. Regardless of Obama’s agenda, those fallen sons and daughters deserve the utmost respect and honor for their service to our nation.
The GOP is really laying the pressure on Obama because they believe the troops overseas are in danger if they do not get more help. The additional 18 Americans killed Monday only reinforce their beliefs. Senator John McCain (AZ) is one who has strongly criticized Obama for taking too much time in his decision making, as he believes if decisions are made more swiftly, the President has an opportunity to prevent similar events.
Even the lefts are supporting the troop surge, as Rep. John Murtha (D-Pa.) stated on the deployment of more troops, ” In my mind, you should pay for the cost whatever way.” This is a valid statement from chairman of the House Appropriations Defense subcommittee, in control of funding operations in Afghanistan. Murtha says, “You can take it out of other programs or you can raise taxes.”
From the White House press secretary Robert Gibbs, who accompanied Obama to Dover Air Force Base, stated the President’s decision proceeding in Afghanistan is near its end. But has it already been to long?
Does the president really deserve to be titled a peacemaker?
The president, of just nine months, receiving a Nobel Peace Prize brings a lot of shock value. However, Barack Obama is not the first nor the last president to receive this prestigious prize. The real shock is what has he accomplished to receive this honor? It seems premature to award someone for their plans and ideas to win hearts and minds which don’t have much to be supported by at this point in time. Obama’s mouth has signed a check his actions can’t cash, yet. What happens if his presidential term finishes before anything positive results from his “ideas”? Does the Nobel Committee take his prize back, or give him a pat on the back and say, “Good effort, anyway”? He has received praise and congratulations from both Democrats and Republicans, but he has also drawn a lot of criticism.
The underlying element is Obama’s vision to end extreme ideologies isn’t his own. The desire to establish Israeli-Palestinian peace is not breaking news. Not only was it not Obama’s idea to fight extreme ideologies in Iraq and Afghanistan, receiving a Nobel Peace Prize on the same day as meeting with his war council to deploy 40,000 additional troops to a war seems worse than ironic. Did he define what winning would mean? He received an honor for something he figuratively represents. If he is in fact such a peacemaker, and worthy of this honor, why would he agree to deploy more troops? Not only is he pissing off the people who support him, he’s still pissing off the people who don’t. However, many people believe he should end the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, or at least establish some success, in order to be awarded this prize. Public opinion varies as some say his prize is well deserved, and some say it is a Nobel Speech Prize.
As if the demands from General McChrystal to deploy more troops were not enough pressure for the president, he is now holding the weight of this controversial peace prize as he makes a significant decision affecting the future of the war in Afghanistan. Therefore in the wake of this prize, the United States has a commander in chief playing rocks, paper, scissors in the Oval Office.
In his speech at the Rose Garden, Obama’s statement was, “I do not view it as a recognition of my own accomplishments”. We understand Mr. President, that’s because nothing has been accomplished. Congratulations President Obama… for not being George Bush. Only the future will tell, but for now it appears a Nobel Peace Prize can just fall out of a Cracker Jacks box.
Our new President signed the $787 BILLION dollar stimulus plan into law today. I guess that is a good thing but I just don’t see it yet. I am someone who still has a job but is SLOWLY DROWNING. To make matters worse I can actually SEE the hypothetical water slowly rising above my head. With each passing day, week, and month I fall further and further into debt and operate at a quickly growing loss.
With less and less funds available I regularly short one bill this week to pay another, and then do the same thing again the following week. And I see no end in site. Where is my stimulus plan? $800 for couples in tax breaks is not going to cut it to be honest.
There are about 150 million tax paying adults in the USA. If you divide the 787 billion dollars up among them that is around $5,200 each or $10,400 per tax paying couple. Right now I could use $10,000+ a whole lot more then what is currently being proposed. Maybe that is selfish but I HAVE TO look out for what is best for me and my family. And right now I need to figure out how to pay for day care next week, purchase some milk for my son, and put gas in my car to get to the job I hope will still be there next week.
I guess I just don’t get it right now. Billions are going to the car industry. Billions more to the banks and even more to the housing industry. Billions of dollars here and billions more there.
Obama’s new wheels are hot. Check out the first pictures of the new armored limousine which will be used to drive Barack Obama around. Called “Cadillac One” the car will first be seen on January 20th as part of the inaugural parade. It is traditional to show presidential cars off for the first time in this way. (click image to enlarge).
Some good friends of mine produced this entire video, wrote the song, and did all the music. They are very talented musicians, performers and dueling piano players. Enjoy the video!
Here are the lyrics from the video. Lyrics by Troll and Michael McCaslin /Music by Troll/Video and Photoshop by Troll & Creeto
Obama Rhapsody He won the white house, its not a fantasy
Won in a landslide, First black guy in history (more…)
While last night was fun … now Obama has to do the actual job. Talk is great, and the 100,000 people rallies were great, but other then being the first African American president (which is wonderful), he has done nothing yet as the President. We CAN NOT lose sight of that important fact.
The job ahead of him will not be easy. It NEVER is for any President. Again I say - he has to actually accomplish something before I will put him on the same level with any of the other great presidents of the past. This day and last night will pass and then what in the next four years? The jury is still out on how much “change” we will actually see.
I am hopeful he will be successful and at least some of the things he has talked about will become a reality. Remember people, it is just another day today. The day after yesterday. Regardless of the election results last night we are no better off yet. None of us.
Like I said I will remain positive that that he will be able to accomplish something, but we will see. Enjoy the day today, but keep it in perspective. All it is is another 24 hours. I voted for Obama so now he better produce for me/us. We can not forget that in the short term bliss.
Let the celebration begin. Barack Obama, the 47 year old first-term senator from Illinois, has won the election and will become the country’s 44th President. Obama is the first African American to hold the nation’s top political position.
For me I am incredibly happy that the incredibly long two year odyssey that was the Presidential campaign is finally OVER. I could not take one more second of the boring debates, attack ads, and questions about Sarah Palin, and the word “maverick”.
So now the hard stuff begins for Obama. After all they hype and rock-star like big crowds have disappeared, he still is going to have to actually do the work to fix the country. I hope all of us who voted for him do not have false impression that he will be sworn in as President in January and magically the economy will be fixed and the war ended overnight. Both of these major issues will take years to be resolved. The tax breaks and cuts that were discussed endlessly, will not be passed and become reality without months (or years) of debate in the government. There is also always the chance that they will never be passed.
So tonight when McCain says goodbye and good luck, and Obama says hello and we win, take a deep breath and remember that it will takes years to address and start to fix the mess our country is currently in.
I love creativity that political campaigns bring it out every 4 years. There really is nothing like it, with the exception of the Super Bowl ads.
Remember the old Whassup Budweiser commercials that were popular a few years ago. This is the most famous of them -
Well someone VERY creative has updated the commercial as an Obama promotional video. This might be the best political video for either side I have seen yet. Very well done. Check this out -
After the unfortunate events Monday, where 18 Americans were killed in Afghanistan, President Obama departed D.C by Marine One to Dover Air Force Base in the late hours Wednesday night to meet the bodies. Those 18 Americans add to the death toll as the most fatal month in Afghanistan for Americans. In the current events leading up to this Dover visit, Obama has received much criticism for his actions on proceeding in Afghanistan.
Our new President signed the $787 BILLION dollar stimulus plan into law today. I guess that is a good thing but I just don’t see it yet. I am someone who still has a job but is SLOWLY DROWNING. To make matters worse I can actually SEE the hypothetical water slowly rising above my head. With each passing day, week, and month I fall further and further into debt and operate at a quickly growing loss.
Let the celebration begin. Barack Obama, the 47 year old first-term senator from Illinois, has won the election and will become the country’s 44th President. Obama is the first African American to hold the nation’s top political position.
