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dan Shafer
Monterey, CA
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dan signed the petition | -
dan signed the petition | -
dan commented on the petition |It would be a shame of historic proportion for the nation of India -- birthplace of world wisdom millennia ago -- to react this way with fear of a new technology. Please allow the Spirit of India to prevail.
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dan signed the petition |
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dan commented on the article |I am so greatly encouraged by the notion of a Marshall Plan-like approach to *ending* or *avoiding* war as opposed to a way to clean up a mess *after* a war. Bold, out-of-the-box thinking that I heartily applaud and will now go support wholeheartedly.
While I agree that opium crop destruction and school construction are important parts of the equation, I'm not sure how we as an invading force can play a constructive role there. Perhaps the US should spearhead and fund a UN effort to create the plan and stay out of its administration, at least on the ground in Afghanistan. But I'm sure there are wiser heads than mine on this subject. I believe we really need to get behind http://jobsforafghans.org/summary.html
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dan commented on the article |
Even though I agree completely with what you said, Francine, the underlying implication that the U.S. never has a right to intervene in an international situation except when its selfish interests, rather than human rights, e.g., are at stake, is one that doesn't have a lot of sympathy or support.
For certain *I* tend to agree with it from a purely pacific point of view, but it's not a widely held position and not a winning argument in this discussion, I suspect.
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dan commented on the article |
What a wonderfully thought-provoking and thoughtful discussion this has engendered. Alan, your last comment definitely has me thinking that perhaps -- but only perhaps -- a unilateral cease-fire might have some positive effect in this situation. If we reduced death and violence by doing so but by maintaining some military presence we keep the Taliban guessing maybe it would result in less a strong toe-hold for them.
I must say, however, that another thought that keeps intruding here for me is that we as Westerners and particularly as Americans have zero appreciation for or understanding of the cultural issues at the base of so much of what makes situations like the one in Afghanistan tick. We impose our Western moralilty, which we know to be superior *because* it is ours, and attempt to enforce it by military might. Even when we are more objectively "right" I wonder about the cost to us and to the "other side" of such imposition. There are no easy answers here for sure, but one thing does seem clear to me: throwing more American lives in harm's way is decidedly *not* a viable policy. I hope Obama has the courage to see that and to stabilize or reduce troop levels.
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dan commented on the article |
Very interesting perspective, Alan. If you're right -- and I realize there's a fair amount of what feels like bombastic rhetoric in your post, which doesn't mean it's not true or important -- then this is a major discussion point that I'm not seeing raised anywhere else. The idea that our continued occupation has the ultimate effect of further integrating Taliban into the controlling position of Afghan society is frightening...and somehow manages to ring true to at least THIS old liberal.
Thanks for sharing and if you have any Web references to your notions here, I'd love to see them.
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dan commented on the article |
I'd be inclined to agree with you, Brenda, but the difficulty lies in yor observation that any U.S.-declared ceasefire "would likely be unilateral at first." How many successful unilateral ceasefires can you remember ever happening? I can't recall a single one, though that may be a function of my advancing years rather than historical reality.
Ohio Congressman Dennis Kucinich has it right when he says that United States foreign policy must shift to a position where war is never the answer and is always unthinkable. From that perspective, we must begin a reasonable withdrawal process from Afghanistan despite the likelihood that an oppressive Taliban regime will result. Fighting oppression with violence is a losing proposition because we and the other side are fighting for completely disparate and often contradictory reasons.
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