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President should listen to people, not generals
Why are we in Afghanistan? That is a very good question. Why are we there? Wasn’t it to find Osama bin Laden? Did we find him? How many years have we been searching for him? Are we searching for him? Is he the original invisible man walking among people the market place? With all our military expertise, why hasn’t he been found? Is he really that much smarter than all our people over there?
One senior state department official doesn’t think there is any reason for us to stay there. Matthew Hoh, a former Marine now working for the state department, was over in Afghanistan for five months. He was in the remote regions where the 18 American solders were killed in one attack in September. He spent the five months talking to a many people as he could. These were the people that lived there, in those far out places where they are not controlled by the central government, and where they have been fighting that central government for 35 years. They are used to taking care of themselves and want it to stay that way. They don’t want our help.
Hoh said, “My question is not how we fight this war, but why we fight this war.” The message he was getting from talking to the people is, “... people don’t like us and don’t want to be like us.” My question is why would, or should we send more troops over there? Is that going to make them like us any more?
The president has a heavy sword hanging over his head, so by rights, he should take is time making the decision whether to send more troops or withdraw them as he said during the campaign. Recent polls have shown the American people say it’s time to get out. The president needs to listen to the people as well as the experts.
No matter how long it takes, or how much force we use, if the people don’t want to change, they won’t. We will have just gotten a lot more of our young people killed all for nothing. I sincerely hope the president goes against the generals’ advice and does not send more troops, and starts to bring the troops home. The United States can still support Hamid Karzai, in other ways, but not in a military way. It is up to the Afghan people to secure their own territory. If we haven’t done it in eight years, why waste more lives, money and time? Karzai is now the president, legitimate or not, so let him lead the way to a secure Afghanistan, if he can. That is not our problem.
As I have been told many times, you have to pick your battles. This one is not America’s; it’s time to get out.
It is both inappropriate and annoying that people of the past administration keep criticizing this administration. Yes, I am talking about Sen. John McCain and former Vice President Dick Cheney. For once, at least, I have to compliment President G W Bush for keeping his mouth shut since he left office. Surely, he has spoken reams to people in private, but that is OK, it’s private.
McCain seems to like the limelight. He had his chance and really blew it when he picked Gov. Sarah Palin to be his running mate. He has tendered his remarks too much. It is time for him to stick to the Senate floor with his opinions, not in front of the lights and cameras and microphones. Cheney would do well to try to remember what his term brought down on the American people with his quick insistence to attack Iraq. He has been taken to task several times for speaking out now that he is out of office, but he evidently doesn’t take hints well at all.
There is time to speak out and a time to remain silent. It is time for these two to fade into the “has been” room.
Pat Nagorka is a 35-year resident of Douglas County and a longtime Democrat.
One senior state department official doesn’t think there is any reason for us to stay there. Matthew Hoh, a former Marine now working for the state department, was over in Afghanistan for five months. He was in the remote regions where the 18 American solders were killed in one attack in September. He spent the five months talking to a many people as he could. These were the people that lived there, in those far out places where they are not controlled by the central government, and where they have been fighting that central government for 35 years. They are used to taking care of themselves and want it to stay that way. They don’t want our help.
Hoh said, “My question is not how we fight this war, but why we fight this war.” The message he was getting from talking to the people is, “... people don’t like us and don’t want to be like us.” My question is why would, or should we send more troops over there? Is that going to make them like us any more?
The president has a heavy sword hanging over his head, so by rights, he should take is time making the decision whether to send more troops or withdraw them as he said during the campaign. Recent polls have shown the American people say it’s time to get out. The president needs to listen to the people as well as the experts.
No matter how long it takes, or how much force we use, if the people don’t want to change, they won’t. We will have just gotten a lot more of our young people killed all for nothing. I sincerely hope the president goes against the generals’ advice and does not send more troops, and starts to bring the troops home. The United States can still support Hamid Karzai, in other ways, but not in a military way. It is up to the Afghan people to secure their own territory. If we haven’t done it in eight years, why waste more lives, money and time? Karzai is now the president, legitimate or not, so let him lead the way to a secure Afghanistan, if he can. That is not our problem.
As I have been told many times, you have to pick your battles. This one is not America’s; it’s time to get out.
It is both inappropriate and annoying that people of the past administration keep criticizing this administration. Yes, I am talking about Sen. John McCain and former Vice President Dick Cheney. For once, at least, I have to compliment President G W Bush for keeping his mouth shut since he left office. Surely, he has spoken reams to people in private, but that is OK, it’s private.
McCain seems to like the limelight. He had his chance and really blew it when he picked Gov. Sarah Palin to be his running mate. He has tendered his remarks too much. It is time for him to stick to the Senate floor with his opinions, not in front of the lights and cameras and microphones. Cheney would do well to try to remember what his term brought down on the American people with his quick insistence to attack Iraq. He has been taken to task several times for speaking out now that he is out of office, but he evidently doesn’t take hints well at all.
There is time to speak out and a time to remain silent. It is time for these two to fade into the “has been” room.
Pat Nagorka is a 35-year resident of Douglas County and a longtime Democrat.
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