Descent into Chaos: How the War Against Islamic Extremism Is Being Lost

[seemslikeadream]

http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/books/book_reviews/article4165577.ece



Ahmed Rashid, a Pakistani journalist of the highest narrative and analytical gifts, is baffled by the West’s almost demented indifference and folly towards Afghanistan and his own country. The stakes are huge. If either state fails, as is highly plausible, global stability will be rocked. The United Nations, Nato, the European Union and, of course, America will see their purposes and credibility set at naught.

Yet, as Rashid writes: “The international community’s lukewarm commitment to Afghanistan after 9/11 has been matched only by its incompetence, incoherence and conflicting strategies — all led by the United States.” Meanwhile, in Pakistan, Washington’s commitment, since 2001, to support President Pervez Musharraf’s military dictatorship rather than to promote the interests of the Pakistani people, “has created immense hatred for the US army and America, hatred that penetrates all classes of society”.

These are strong words, yet Rashid is no foaming leftist, still less an enthusiast for Islamic militance. He merely tells a story from the viewpoint of a highly informed Pakistani who knows intimately almost all the leading players, including Afghanistan’s president, Hamid Karzai, many of the Afghan warlords, and, of course, key figures in his own country.

The severest criticism that can be made of his tale is that we know some of it already. A group of ignorant, immensely powerful and thus dangerous men in Washington, of whom Donald Rumsfeld, the defence secretary, was probably the worst, sought to exploit America’s shock after 9/11 to pursue their own global agenda, on which taking out Saddam Hussein was tops.

[jimshoes]

1. And yet somewhere in rumsfeld's demented mind

things are all going along swimmingly as he sits in some dimly lit office and asks himself questions, then answers them in the same breath while writing memos that no one will ever read.

[malaise]

2. That the rest of the planet sits by and allows them to

destroy the planet is even more frightening

[ladjf]

3. No mechanism currently exists that would enable those who realize that

the planet is being run by sociopaths to do anything meaningful to stop the lunacy.
In the U.S. we do have elections, a mechanism designed to allow the majority to decide on their leadership. However, the entire process has been so totally corrupted that the outcomes of the elections are being decided in advance by the sociopaths.

At some terrible point in the not too distant future, we might find ourselves in a position wherein other Countries, including some of our former allies, will find it necessary to take decisive and catastrophic military action against the U.S. in order to reign in the out of control series of military actions initiated by the U.S. Government.

If the maniacs who are now running America had any sense at all they would realize that the road we are now on will lead to our own destruction. Who knows? Maybe that's exactly what they want, some kind of Biblical prophecy of doomsday.

[malaise]

4. Valid point but people need to wake up n/t

[ladjf]

5. Being awake is not a deterrent to the corrupt practices of Government

if there is no way to stop them.