But wait! There was one mission that was more than accomplished: the military-industrial complex was making money hand over fist. Deaths be damned! Profits over people wins every time. Never mind the conscience or morality-the almighty dollar rules.
The USA is has been in Afghanistan for two reasons: Control the poppy harvest and secure precious metals buried in Afghan rocks needed for high tech devices (thousands of tons of military electronics) - end of report. Someone must have figured that troops are not necessary for either of these unspoken mission components. Global Big Pharma has opiate substitutes in the pipeline and new precious metal sources have been discovered in Africa. The "erase the Bin Laden supporters" was a cover story after year-one.
Specifically, according to sources such as the Energy Resource Governance Initiative and others: gold, platinum, silver, copper, iron, chromite, lithium, zinc, mercury, uranium, aluminum, lanthanum, cerium, and neodymium. The rare earth metals are used in cell phones, televisions, hybrid engines, computers, lasers, batteries, tank navigations systems, missile guidance systems, missile defense components, satellites, and military communication systems. And let us not forget the high quality emeralds, rubies, sapphires, turquoise, and lapis lazuli. I am just very thankful that one young man I know who did FOUR tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan made it home with limbs intact. Also thankful for all the others who survived that horrific "war."
Jim Blake, you're crediting the US with more intelligence and foresight than I do. Can you provide some reliable sources on how either poppies or previous metals have paid off?
Lucian and I grew up as sons of career officers and lived all over the world as dependents. I have a simple request for those who seek to send our children off to war:
Pick countries where the possibility of bringing home a local national spouse exists...
You nailed it with this one, Lucian. I'm winding up a proofread of a book about Kissinger's role in Middle East diplomacy in the wake of the October 1973 war. I'm struck once again by the influence of whipped-up "public opinion" especially in the U.S. and Israel, but also in Egypt. What's been striking me over and over (seriously: it's a wonder I don't have a permanent concussion) since 9/11 is that U.S. public opinion, which knows precious little about how our own country works, knows an infinitesimal fraction of that about how [fill in the blank: Afghanistan, Iraq, Vietnam . . .] works. My mind is beyond boggling at this point. It just wants to shut down.
We are going to learn the same lessons again aren't we....get out the "WTF Vietnam Seriously???"papers and books and we can just put an asterix on most of the lessons we learned there and just say Yeah and the 20 years war in Afghanistan we learnt that stuff again....we hope.....
If me, my brother, and a couple of million other guys hadn't gone to Vietnam, it'd be a communist country today. Thousands of lives, trillions of dollars, and not a lesson learned.
Do you understand corporate fascism? Eisenhower warned of this—the “military industrial complex.” Reagan didn’t pull down any walls—we rooted on the sidelines for the Russians to squander their wealth on fruitless military escapades…and then Republicans convinced Americans to be stupid enough to follow suit in Afghanistan.
I’ve found that sarcasm doesn’t translate well in writing unless it is done with absurd comedy. Especially nowadays, when lunatics and conspiracy theories abound…
But wait! There was one mission that was more than accomplished: the military-industrial complex was making money hand over fist. Deaths be damned! Profits over people wins every time. Never mind the conscience or morality-the almighty dollar rules.
Failing in Afghanistan, we've joined company with Britain and the USSR.
The USA is has been in Afghanistan for two reasons: Control the poppy harvest and secure precious metals buried in Afghan rocks needed for high tech devices (thousands of tons of military electronics) - end of report. Someone must have figured that troops are not necessary for either of these unspoken mission components. Global Big Pharma has opiate substitutes in the pipeline and new precious metal sources have been discovered in Africa. The "erase the Bin Laden supporters" was a cover story after year-one.
Specifically, according to sources such as the Energy Resource Governance Initiative and others: gold, platinum, silver, copper, iron, chromite, lithium, zinc, mercury, uranium, aluminum, lanthanum, cerium, and neodymium. The rare earth metals are used in cell phones, televisions, hybrid engines, computers, lasers, batteries, tank navigations systems, missile guidance systems, missile defense components, satellites, and military communication systems. And let us not forget the high quality emeralds, rubies, sapphires, turquoise, and lapis lazuli. I am just very thankful that one young man I know who did FOUR tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan made it home with limbs intact. Also thankful for all the others who survived that horrific "war."
Jim Blake, you're crediting the US with more intelligence and foresight than I do. Can you provide some reliable sources on how either poppies or previous metals have paid off?
It is the killing that sets us apart. That, and a lack of clear objectives and a definition of a “win”…
Lucian and I grew up as sons of career officers and lived all over the world as dependents. I have a simple request for those who seek to send our children off to war:
Pick countries where the possibility of bringing home a local national spouse exists...
You nailed it with this one, Lucian. I'm winding up a proofread of a book about Kissinger's role in Middle East diplomacy in the wake of the October 1973 war. I'm struck once again by the influence of whipped-up "public opinion" especially in the U.S. and Israel, but also in Egypt. What's been striking me over and over (seriously: it's a wonder I don't have a permanent concussion) since 9/11 is that U.S. public opinion, which knows precious little about how our own country works, knows an infinitesimal fraction of that about how [fill in the blank: Afghanistan, Iraq, Vietnam . . .] works. My mind is beyond boggling at this point. It just wants to shut down.
A variation on the theme of "show the flag" voyages isn't even close to a definable mission.
We are going to learn the same lessons again aren't we....get out the "WTF Vietnam Seriously???"papers and books and we can just put an asterix on most of the lessons we learned there and just say Yeah and the 20 years war in Afghanistan we learnt that stuff again....we hope.....
You can't "win" wars like this.
I am a paid subscriber, at least that's what my Visa credit card monthly statement tells me.
If me, my brother, and a couple of million other guys hadn't gone to Vietnam, it'd be a communist country today. Thousands of lives, trillions of dollars, and not a lesson learned.
Do you understand corporate fascism? Eisenhower warned of this—the “military industrial complex.” Reagan didn’t pull down any walls—we rooted on the sidelines for the Russians to squander their wealth on fruitless military escapades…and then Republicans convinced Americans to be stupid enough to follow suit in Afghanistan.
You may be reading more into a sarcastic comment than is there.
I’ve found that sarcasm doesn’t translate well in writing unless it is done with absurd comedy. Especially nowadays, when lunatics and conspiracy theories abound…