We are four votes away from a huge victory for the anti-war movement, and you can make that happen. A huge emergency war supplemental bill is moving through congress, and the House of Representatives is expected to vote tomorrow. Many of your representatives from Massachusetts have committed to voting against any war spending that doesn’t include funds for withdrawal. This bill does not.
I am in the process of making my latest film, ‘Rethink Afghanistan,’ and I recently returned from Kabul, Afghanistan. The things I learned there confirmed my belief that our efforts in Afghanistan are badly flawed. We must bring everyone back to the table to develop a new strategy – including an exit – and put it in to place before we send 21,000 more troops into harm’s way and commit another $100 billion to this misadventure.
You are the one who can make that happen. Today is the day. Please pick up the phone and end this war. 202-224-3121.
My biggest question is how do we make sure that we don’t leave behind a failed state. That concern is the reason I’m not chomping at the bit to get out of Afghanistan.
and I don’t really have the time to watch most such videos in any case.
<
p>Really, Robert needs to explain himself more in text. Without watching the video, all I get from this is that he went to Afghanistan believing the war there is fatally flawed in some way and found what he was looking for. That is not enough for me to jump on the bandwagon.
Hah! how does it feel now, suckers?
<
p>OK obviously I’m joking.
The question is not whether or not we leave behind a failed state. The question is what the heck is the plan.
<
p>Afghanistan remains a troubling mess. Politically, it could be expedient to ignore it so as not to rile Republicans while the Democratic majority attempts to reform healthcare, reverse climate change, and prevent the recession from getting far worse.
<
p>The current plan sounds a whole lot like a permanent occupation. How long does it make any sense to support an unpopular government and its police force of bribe collectors? What follows the Bush policy of failure there?
I heard, I called my Rep, Michael Capuano, and I’ll follow up.
The staffer told me Mike had voted against it when it first came up a couple of weeks ago and is working on his decision as we speak. I hope my call, and many others, will support him in doing the right thing again. I feared that we’d be caught in the Afghanistan quagmire even during the campaign. What is it about this country that repeatedly attracts endless, fruitless and horribly costly intervention from powerful distant nations?? The failed state we are most likely to leave behind is OUR OWN. Let’s deal with that.
Currently, he’s listed as a “no” vote on firedoglake.com
http://firedoglake.com/
Keep up the pressure! The staffer stated that Capuano wants to see a clear exit strategy if he’s going to vote yes. Do you think that this administration can make the case for an exit strategy?
http://firedoglake.com/
<
p>Firedoglake has been keeping track of the votes. Are you represented by Tierney or Markey? Call them!
<
p>And what’s with Barney Frank voting for this?
Oddly ineffective, I think, for as accomplished a filmmaker as Greenwald is. It’s just him, staring at the camera, talking in his monotone voice, not giving us much information, and asking us to do something. He was just in Kabul? Great! Show us some footage, for God’s sake? I don’t want to hear about how his trip proves he’s right — I want to see it.
I think the burden of proof for “why we are at war and what we hope to accomplish” should definitely be on Obama at this point. If he wants to focus wholly on domestic affairs, fine. Bring the troops home so they can also focus on their own “domestic affairs”.
Unfortunately—we do not have an alternative at this juncture. If we are not there 24/7, the Taliban and Al Qaeda will. As a consequence, they will topple pakistan, drag India into a war, threaten Iran and a conflgration will ensue. Most unfortunately, having been in two wars, our best and brightest will lose life and limb in that shithole. We are in a real jam–because the US armed forces have not been up to the strength that is realistic in this dangerous world since 1992. We have a very serious problem which will become acutely visible to most folks within the next year or so. I have no idea what the solution is. I am concerned that external forces will force our hand.
Goes to http://www.wearechange.org for their continued harrassment of high placed public officials. I like watching these parasites slink back behind their paid security goons.
<
p>Nano-thermite!