Posts Tagged ‘Afghanistan war’

The throw away line that says volumes

Posted: November 22, 2010 by datechguy in Afghanistan war, media, war
Tags: , ,

One of the things about blogs that is wonderful are the things we notice that nobody picks up on. A great example is this NYT piece of the iCasualties site and this line that I noticed right away:

Also, donations have dried up — less than $1,000, far short of the costs and down from $8,000 to $10,000 in a typical year. And no more people volunteer to enter the data and free Mr. White to improve the design of the site.

I’m shocked SHOCKED. Why would money suddenly have dried up for Mr. White? Also he is confused by another thing.

These days, Mr. White finds himself more frequently in the role of media critic. He says he is continually amazed at how little attention the war in Afghanistan has generated.

Mike Mike Mike, don’t you get it? As long as a democratic congress is there with a democratic president there is absolutely no way the left is going to support you. You may have started this on your own, but your external support is directly proportional to your propaganda value for the left.

Have no fear, if the Republicans take over in 2012 you will find the money and help will suddenly reappear like magic.

Queen Elizabeth must be very embarrassed

Posted: November 15, 2010 by datechguy in Afghanistan war, war
Tags: , ,

England 1940 Sir Winston Churchill:

“Even though large tracts of Europe and many old and famous States have fallen or may fall into the grip of the Gestapo and all the odious apparatus of Nazi rule, we shall not flag or fail. We shall go on to the end. We shall fight in France, we shall fight on the seas and oceans, we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air, we shall defend our island, whatever the cost may be. We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender”

England 2010 General Sir David Richards:

First of all you have to ask: do we need to defeat it [Islamist militancy] in the sense of a clear cut victory? I would argue that it is unnecessary and would never be achieved.

What can the Queen who served in the army during World War 2, who advised her grandson prince Harry to fight in Afghanistan think when she hears this?

It’s stuff like this that leads me to believe when Elizabeth dies, the best of England will die with her.

Let’s remind England how its done

Update: Atlas has an interesting take:

I agree with General Sir David Richards that al-Qaeda “cannot be beaten” but not for the same reasons. Clearly if we are afraid to freely discuss the ideology and motives behind this global war on the West then surely we cannot beat it.If we dare not speak its name, surely we cannot defeat it. If, instead, those that speak to the religious ideology that compels war against the “non-believers” are the ones demonized, surely it will defeat us.

First rule of survival, when someone says they are going to kill you, take them seriously.

Gone with the Bush

Posted: September 6, 2010 by datechguy in Afghanistan war, Blame Bush, internet/free speech, opinion/news, politics, war
Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

Back in Aug of 2009 I ran this chart of Vietnam vets against the war on Google news in a story of how Vietnam vets against the war decided not to back up Cindy Sheehan’s protest against the Obama administration:

Funny how they dropped off the radar in Jan of 2009.

I was reminded of that story when I saw this:

Several factors — war fatigue; a deep, lingering recession; and the presence of a Democratic president they helped elect — have drained the energy from organizations that led the fight against the Iraq war. Some of the most influential anti-war activist groups that once summoned half a million people to march against the Iraq war and the policies of former President George W. Bush are straining to raise the money and attention to fight what they see as Obama’s military entrenchment in Afghanistan.
“We don’t have a very vibrant anti-war movement anymore,” lamented Medea Benjamin, co-founder of Codepink, one of the anti-war movement’s most visible organizations. emphasis mine

Politico seems to be confused by this. If they had been paying attention a year ago they would not be so surprised. Have they given the anti war much attention in print themselves? Or perhaps they might remember this famous line:

If George W. Bush becomes president, the armies of the homeless, hundreds of thousands strong, will once again be used to illustrate the opposition’s arguments about welfare, the economy, and taxation.

George Bush is no longer president, those who oppose him politically who provided finances and manpower and media coverage in an attempt to bring him down will absolutely not do the same with Barack Obama.

BTW I figured I’d update my check of Vietnam Vets against the war on Google News since last year.

Vietnam vets against the war updated graph

A blip, we have a blip! Is it a press release, is it a march, is it a national event, no? What can that one blip be?

This is defiantly NOT the time to get out of politics. Some people feel threatened by the Tea Party movement. While I don’t subscribe too many of their viewpoints, I welcome them to the political fray. Their movement is probably the best thing to happen in politics since the Vietnam Vets against the War staged a million person demonstration in West Potomac Park in March of 1973.

One mention in a side article on the tea party in February. That’s it?

Don’t despair Cindy, Medina, it takes time to create true believers. Come November 2012 I’m sure many on the left who decided that American Military power is not something to protest will suddenly come around. Rest assured that you will have all the support and manpower George Soros and the Democratic party can buy.

One of Time Magazine’s examples

Posted: August 11, 2010 by datechguy in Afghanistan war, opinion/news
Tags: , , , ,

Of why we are fighting:

The Taliban has executed a pregnant widow accused of adultery in western Afghanistan, provincial and district officials said Monday.

The 47-year-old woman, Sanam Gul, also known as Sanam Bibi, was killed in Badghis province Saturday morning, said Ashrafuddin Majidi, the provincial governor’s spokesman.

The district governor of Qades, Hashim Habibi, confirmed the execution. He said the woman was accused of adultery that left her pregnant. The Taliban shadow district governor, Mullah Abdul Hakim, and his judge ordered the woman to be executed, he said.

It is true we can’t be everywhere and change everything but we ARE there. If we leave before the Taliban is crushed we will condemn thousands like her to death.

(btw in case you don’t understand the reference, in other countries a “shadow official” refers to a member of the political opposition who would in fact be in that post if they had power.

Memeorandum thread here

Older Entries
Newer Entries