printThe excerpt is from my new WND.COM column, “Old Blights (Afghanistan) And New (Barack)”:
“So far, the Left’s Prince of Peace has beefed-up Bush-era troop levels to 68,000, and is giving a good deal of thought to further deepening American involvement in the Afghan theater. The recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize (now that provided some comedic relief) has managed to also sustain his predecessor’s efforts in Baghdad, where streets are slick with fresh blood.
As Dr. Johnson said, ‘There is no settling the point of precedency between a louse and a flea.’ Neoconservative (Bush) or Progressive (Barack): louse or flea—a pest is still a pest.
It’s hard to tell whether B.O. believes his own the blather. Nevertheless, the president has expressed a talismanic faith that if he solves Afghanistan, he’ll solve terrorism …”
Read the rest, here.
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THANK YOU for shedding some light on an important subject.
Obama, the Chicago pol Nobelist, may not believe the bologna but, like LBJ circa 1965, he believes that he will get blamed for LOSING Afghanistan if we pull out now. That decision cost the lives of 4 million Indochinese & 60,000 Americans.
Diem won an election in 1955 with 98.2% of votes and 600,000 votes in Saigon out of 450,000 – after the CIA bumped him off, Thieu won in 1967 with an 83% voter participation…. as if elections are meaningful to bucktooth Pushtun druglords. Sadly, most “conservatives” are blissfully unaware of history, are oblivious to reality, and continue to swallow the neocon nonsense.
Atta and 15 Saudis + planned an attack in Germany and America, inspired by the Egyptian Zawahiri and Saudi BinLaden, guests of the Taliban. America subsequently occupied Afghanistan, occupied Iraq, bombed Pakistan, and threatened Iran. The Islamic thugs hide in Yemen, Somalia, Europe, and probably America. STOP THE NONSENSE!
I think the rank and file military understand the hopelessness of the mission but the brass (politicos) has to swallow the “democracy/nation-building” nonsense emanating from DC. Hoh and Sauer are the TRUE HEROES.
1) “his predecessor’s efforts in Baghdad, where streets are slick with fresh blood.”
2)As Dr. Johnson said, ‘There is no settling the point of precedency between a louse and a flea.’ Neoconservative (Bush) or Progressive (Barack): louse or flea—a pest is still a pest.
3) ” In an attempt to fortify his fiefdom, this politician in fatigues sojourned to London to lobby for more soldiers.”
5) “It has been said that Afghanistan is where empires go to die. True enough. But it is men in the flesh who pay so very dearly”
Now you, dear reader, have seen and read the evidence. If this lady doesn’t write better than any other journalist you have read this week (or month or year for that matter)I will perform the Republican Party magic trick of kissing your a$$ while hugging the elephant!!
Great job and a damn fine piece of art work, Ilana.
Faced with the intractable – Afghanistan, we react with the sentimental – democratization, civilization, necessity. Occupy Afghanistan for a hundred years, segregate it from surrounding pathologies, quarantine the infected areas and after a century you’d still have a territory of primitive, Islamic (I repeat myself) tribalism.
Acceptance of the immutable is a requisite to long-term sanity. We, the West, are well on our way to becoming “certifiably” insane.
“Nevertheless, the president has expressed a talismanic faith that if he solves Afghanistan, he’ll solve terrorism …” Ilana Mercer
From what I hear, Afghanistan is about protecting some natural gas and/or oil pipeline route, in which case that war is being prosecuted for greed rather than just insane stupidity.
Solving terrorism is as simple as closing down our overseas military bases and minding out own business. I notice the Swiss get along quite well with the rest of the world. Israel is a special case but that is between them, their neighbor/relatives and the Lord. Let individual American Jews and sympathetic Christians support them but our government should not.
“If this lady doesn’t write better than any other journalist you have read this week (or month or year for that matter)…” Robert On
Duh! Poetic, profound, precise, hardworking, witty, sharp, correct, etc., etc., etc. and kind to lesser and lazier lights.
I disagree with M. B. – I have yet to see the US fight a war for profit (ignoring the profit of the Blackwaters, that is). The Left in the 1960’s claimed Vietnam was some treasure trove as the “real reason” for the 60,000 lives and a trillion bucks down the sewer….
No – the US fights wars out of its own arrogance and Messianic Wilsonianism, compounded by the lack of guts of politicians who might know better but who don’t want to be accused of “LOSING” Afghanistan, Vietnam, Haiti, whatever (as if we own those places to begin with!).
“and kind to lesser and lazier lights.”
Now that I have never noticed about her. But I will take your word for it.
Or to put it another way, a writer’s writer?
Myron writes:
“Atta and 15 Saudis + planned an attack in Germany and America, inspired by the Egyptian Zawahiri and Saudi BinLaden, guests of the Taliban. America subsequently occupied Afghanistan, occupied Iraq, bombed Pakistan, and threatened Iran. The Islamic thugs hide in Yemen, Somalia, Europe, and probably America. STOP THE NONSENSE!
You crack me up by pulling down these truths that are so obvious and yet, obscure, that I wonder sometimes if “it is the train moving away from me, or me moving away from the train.” Thanks for your good humor and always good thoughts.
“No – the US fights wars out of its own arrogance and Messianic Wilsonianism, compounded by the lack of guts of politicians who might know better but who don’t want to be accused of “LOSING” Afghanistan, Vietnam, Haiti, whatever (as if we own those
places to begin with!).” Myron Pauli
Yes, his (Lincoln’s) “truth” goes marching on. In fact ,I supported the Vietnam War and was willing to go but a 1-Y deferent saved me (and maybe my fellow soldiers). I thought isolationists were just selfish cowards but now I see they were wise and no cowards.
“Now that I have never noticed about her. But I will take your word for it.” Robert On
Well, I try to stay on her good side lest she turn that devastating wit on me!
Dear Ilana, I just finished your commentary ‘Old Blights’ and I want you to know I appreciate it and the courage you have for being truthful in this day and age where truth is slowly fading away. As I have told some of your colleagues I appreciate and look forward to reading WND as the most trustworthy source of information that we read. I am a missionary in Brasil and what is happening in my country is sickening and discouraging and our prayers are with you and the others who are willing to be attacked but still determined to print and speak the truth. Thanks again.
Joe Pottle
Natal, Brasil
Robert – I will take a bow but thanks also goes to Ilana Mercer for her efforts to SPEAK THE TRUTH.
She spoke up forcefully and prophetically against the idiocy in Iraq in 2002 while most of the media and the population was swallowing Bush’s Neocon Kool-Aid.
It is truly pathetic that “conservatives”, who generally understand the inability of the US government to control everyone’s education or health care or the like …. – will believe in spite of centuries of history and years of evidence over and over and over again – that we can “WIN” in this nation-building hooey in Iraqistan, Somalinam, Haitigo, and other godforsaken places…. They operate with the same mental blinders as the left-liberals but in other areas.
From what I hear, Afghanistan is about protecting some natural gas and/or oil pipeline route, in which case that war is being prosecuted for greed rather than just insane stupidity.
Of course. That’s why the first thing we did after the invasion was to seize and exploit the oil fields and drive the price of gasoline down to $1 a gallon. (snort)
Solving terrorism is as simple as closing down our overseas military bases and minding out own business. I notice the Swiss get along quite well with the rest of the world.
Yes, the Swiss take part in no foreign wars. And yet there are many Moslems in Switzerland, happily building mosques and agitating for the tribe. As their numbers increase so do their demands, and then violence becomes commonplace as it is now in places like Britain and France. Why are the Moslems in Switzerland not content to settle in and live happy, peaceful lives? Because the example of Mohammed and the word of the Koran commands them to conquer.
So minding your own business isn’t good enough after all. Real belief exists, Mr. Moon; our current nation-building misadventure in Afghanistan is the result of true belief, the belief that within every Afghan there is an American trying to get out. But there isn’t.
I agree with the comments above, Ilana writes with a crisp, beautiful fluidity. Her work is a joy to read.
“Why are the Moslems in Switzerland not content to settle in and live happy, peaceful lives?” Van Wijk
Minding one’s own business includes who one allows to immigrate into his country. Me, I would only have allowed redheaded Irish women (and South African and Rhodesian refugees).
I am sorry to learn the Swiss have been so foolish. What is it with Europe that they persist in being overrun with Muslims? Immigration is not a right; it is a privilege.
““Why are the Moslems in Switzerland not content to settle in and live happy, peaceful lives?”” Van Wijk
It is not their fault as Ilana has pointed out, they are merely being faithful to their religion. It is the foolish Swiss who are at fault.
“our current nation-building misadventure in Afghanistan is the result of true belief, the belief that within every Afghan there is an American trying to get out. But there isn’t.” Van Wijk
A strange conceit to be sure. Why should we want to spread Detroit to the rest of the world? I don’t find American culture worth spreading. It we are the best then it is really one sorry, sorry world.