Bill Moyers on this week’s JOURNAL Sarah Chayes Afghanistan Failures! Tragic!

[1776Forever]

In the last debate Sen. Obama had brought up the fact that the Afghanistan failure was in main part due to the amount of force and treasure that has been used in Iraq and has caused shortages in the Afghani cause. On February 22, 2008 broadcast called Policies for the "Forgotten War", Bill Moyers Journal interviewed Sarah Chayes who has become an activist for the people in Afghanistan. She wove a truly amazing report on the use of the money that has been wasted on huge modern buildings and given to the drug cartel there. It was overwhelming to hear this from her and see the pictures of so many of the Afghani's who are trying to just survive. I would urge anyone who did not see this to try and get a transcript or hopefully a rebroadcast of the program.

Here is Sarah Chayes website where you can donate to help out:

http://www.arghand.org/

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http://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/blog/2008/02/policies_for_the_forgotten_war_1.html

Conversing with Bill Moyers on this week’s JOURNAL, former NPR journalist Sarah Chayes discussed many of the complex challenges on the ground in Afghanistan, including what she suggests is a fundamental contradiction in American strategy:

“We’re paying a billion dollars a year to Pakistan, which is orchestrating the Taliban insurgency. So it’s actually U.S. taxpayer money that is paying for the insurgents, who are then killing – at the moment – Canadian troops... It’s been very clear to me, watching since 2002, that Pakistan has been buying us off by a well-timed delivery of an al-Qaeda operative, which has then caused us to look the other way about the Taliban... so this is why 99 % of the people in Kandahar believe that we are allied with the Taliban. Everybody thinks that America is allied with the Taliban.”

:cry:

[Bigmack]

1. She was brilliant on that show!

I went to order her book on the Sandy Eggo library system, and all 8 copies are "available"... not checked out. It figures... in a country where Faux is the top network, and Murikan I-dull is the favorite program, something with substance sits on the shelf.

After reading Chalmers Johnson's books on US empire, I've come to the conclusion that the US simply doesn't have the STUFF to run an empire. The US needs to get out of the business of attempting to run the world.

OT a little... why can't the US simply buy the opium from the farmers, or even the middle-men, and take the shit off the market? My tinfoil hat tells me that the US government doesn't really mind all that shit being pumped into the ghettos... keeps the natives quiet and busy with their own little war. My rational side says that the US bureaucracy is just too fucked up to handle anything sensible like that.

Any ideas?

[1776Forever]

3. You present a truly BIG picture scenerio on this problem -

Perhaps in the future we will see a constructive program that will take control of the opium problem. With the emphasis of the Bush Administration trying to reach a sustaining peaceful approach to the Israeli/Palestinian issue as one small part of the middle-east dilemma's I would like to see a comprehensive approach that would bring all parties in the region to the table and make them feel like they all have a "say" in the future of the region. Can we dream of a Middle-Eastern foundation like those of Europe or Asia? Where the good of the people is given a chance and war and killing is a part of the past? Dare we dream? I feel we must or all go down like a bunch of domino's. It is such a small world!

Thank you for the book notation. I will check it out!

Cheers!

:grouphug:

[annabanana]

2. The show should be available on itunes. . . (rec). . . .n/t

[KatyaR]

5. It is--

do a search in iTunes for "Bill Moyers Journal Podcast," and the videos are there. There's also audio podcasts; search for "Bill Moyers Journal."

She gave an amazing interview--I could have listened to her for hours. She made the situation in Afghanistan come to life.

[stillcool]

4. She is brilliant...

I have seen her several times, and she always provides a font of information, in such a calm, clear manner. Definitely not for the sound-byte crowd.

[L. Coyote]

6. Program your record for FRI nights... Moyers and Now are must see

[Divine Discontent]

7. that's damning...

the fact we give $1,000,000,000.00 a year to Pakistan itself is disgusting, and knowing that according to people there, that Pakistan is orchestrating the Taliban's insurgency, and that we therefore are aiding in slaughtering our neighbor's children is typical neo-con bullshit that is against the Constitution, the push for diplomatic friendship, and morals of decency.

Shrub needs to repent of his EVIL warmongering.

I just don't think he has a big enough intellect to even comprehend the harm he's doing - he clearly is an idiot and unfit to be in the position he's in - thanks Congress.