I’ve spent some of the weekend on a patriotic inspired commenting tear in other weblogs, in an attempt of fight willful ignorance. I think I connected in a couple of situations, even among those intent on putting all those on the other side of the argument in a narrow box defined by the stereotypes of their political parties.
Today I listened to Harmid Karzai of Afghanistan receive the Philadelphia Liberty medal. His speech was powerful and I’m sure there are some on the far left and far right who didn’t appreciate what he had to say.
He quoted Patrick Henry’s famous liberty or death speech and talked of the sacrifice in blood that Afghans are making and willing to make for their freedom. He then spoke of how important is that children have been able to go to back school and how thankful he was for it.
On July 4th many direct you to read The Declaration of Independence, but without context, so very few understand reasoning of it’s author, of those who signed it, or what they put on the line to do so.
In honor of the Harmid Karzai speech today, read Patrick Henry’s “Liberty or Death” speech and then what Thomas Jefferson had to say about an informed citizenry, of public education, of science, of trust in our people over our leaders, of light and liberty.
They are bound to get you thinking about what freedom means.
The only problem is, Harmid’s “presidency” holds as much legitimacy as Bush’s. Perhaps if he didn;t hold that chair on a company that had wanted to lay a gas pipeline through Afgahnistan, he wouldn’t be leader of the country.
I will not recognize a blood sucking oil/gas baron for that freedom medal. He has done nothing to deserve it.
I understand how you feel – but on this I think you’re wrong. He’s in harms way and is attempting to put together a government under the worst of circumstances. We better all hope he suceeds.
What am I wrong about? The fact is real – he held a chair on the board of directors for the comapny that is laying the gas pipe through afgahnistan – he was not elected by his people – he was inserted by Bush whose family is set to make billions off of this deal.
WHile I am sure the byproducts of his intentions will make the country better off (we hope) I still do not beleive he deserves anything. He did nothing to earn that presidency other than by a part of a company that had a greedy interest in afghanistan being free.
I should have been more specific. I meant to say you maybe right on the facts, but I think your conclusion is wrong.
The country did not have a democracy when he was installed as its leader. He’s working to help transition it to one. Since there is zero tradition for democracy there, democracy is so hard to get running and to actually run, and he seems to be the best possible person to bring it about (charisma, respect, etc): I think he deserves our support. If we abandon him – it will be as we have done before in similar situations and the country will receed back to its previous state, under a theocratic rule.
Now, saying that, it doesn’t mean we shouldn’t watch carefully, and assist change if it doesn’t come about. It’s important that he succeed.
Unlike Iraq, there was a clear reason to attack Afghanistan. A very clear one.
I’m not happy with our follow thru though. The country needs more support than we are giving it and the warlords in that country are trying to regain control.
Iraq has distracted us from finishing the job there. And that’s a crime as far as I’m concerned.
Of course there was a clear reason for attacking Afghanistan – the taliban didn’t want to allow the gas pipeline through. If you think otherwise, just look at the fcat that only a mere couple of months before 9-11, a talibam official was invited over to the Whitehouse – hardly a thing to do with a suspected enemy. Did the taliban need to go? Yes. Was Afghanistan a hotbed for terrorist activity? Sure it was. If those are reasons, than why are we not attacking Saudi Arabia (15 of the 19 hijackers were Saudi’s). Why are we not attacking ourselves? (The all lived and trained in the US funded by Osama bin Laden whose money apparently came from AMERICAN investments).
I am not saying we should leave – there is a job to finish and hopefully the country will be a better place for it – HOWEVER, I am sick of the above being by-products of nothing more than blood-for-oil/gas wars.
As far as Kharzi is concerned, he is as illegitment as Bush is. One was not elected fairly and the other was not elected at all. Matter of fact, they are pretty much one in the same – they both have deep oil interests and they both were “installed” as leaders of their country – hardly the type of people you want promoting democracy.
As far as Iraq is concerned, thsat war is probably a more legit cause than Afghanistan – at least it is obvious and clear that Iraq is a blood-for-oil war.
I don’t beleive that human beings in the 21st century have a need for wars anymore. The trillions spent on war could be put to better use for feedings hungry people, curing diseases (but wait, curing diseases would make pharmicuticals lose profits, so we will just treat the diseases), educating people, properly housing people, etc.