Gulf Wars

Much of the hand wringing over Afghanistan centers around the purpose for being there. It was not a war. In war you pull out all the stops and you go to win otherwise don't go. This was an action to prevent another attack on America. The US went after al qaeda and with the help of Afghan fighters defeated the group responsible for the attack on the twin towers. After that the US stayed on to help the Afghan people to defeat the Taliban the group that sponsored al qaeda. This turned into a civil war that lasted up to today where the Afghan people were defeated by the Taliban. This has been the pattern since WW 2. In Korea it was not a war and was called a police action. In Viet Nam the same thing happened. When Iraq invaded Kuwait they asked for help. With the support of large bipartisan majorities, the U.S. Congress passed the Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq Resolution of 2002. In simple terms the US officially declared war, the first time since WW2. The US, along with a dozen allies, amassed an army of 700,000 troupes along the border and within a matter of weeks the Iraqis were driven out of Kuwait and the famous Republican Guard was decimated . At that point the United Nations decreed that the coalition should withdraw and not go after Saddam. The forces forgot they were in a war and changed course to a police action. Thus began a game of tit for tat which lasted for 8 years at which time the US turned Iraq over to a coalition government. This led to the second Gulf war which ended with the capture of Saddam. During these years the military was restricted and not allowed to use the force needed to defeat the enemy. One of the most brazen examples was how the military was prevented from destroying trucks carrying Iraqi oil up to Turkey for sale. The reason given was that they would kill the truck drivers.

Haitians

The Haitians are direct descendants of the African slave trade. Their half of the Island is one of the poorest areas in the world and many over the years have left. A good number of those went to Chili on visitor visas and just stayed. The Chileans were not very welcoming and some say for good reasons. Back in 2002, the national census found that there were 50 Haitians in Chile; by the next census in 2017, there were 64,567 Haitians in Chile, with current numbers looking to be around 150,000. The rules about visitor visas have been changed and Chileans are no longer coming to Chili. These Haitians feel like second class citizens and welcome the opportunity to come to America. They are not concerned about the claims of systemic racism.

EV's

On the news today they announced that Ford was leading the way toward electric cars. While this sounds like music to the ears of the greens it places the cart before the horse. Electric cars are a great idea but the first step should be to use thorium to create electricity. It doesn't make sense to use power generated by fossil fuels to charge the car battery. Physicist will tell you that this is counter productive but if the green deal is about social change it doesn't matter. Science doesn't count.

Vaccinations

When I asked how the unvaccinated could harm the vaccinated, I was told that the unvaccinated is where the variants develop. Upon researching this, I find out that the variants can develop in both the vaccinated and the unvaccinated. Many people who are not vaccinated are coming across the border and being dispersed throughout the country. These people are put on buses supplied by the government and sent to different cities. Videos show that many of them are not wearing masks and certainly not social distancing. Most of these people are under age 65 and may be asymptomatic especially the younger ones. Will this cause the spread of the virus? Has politics so infested this subject that it no longer matters if the virus spreads just who spreads it.

Clancy

Here is a story line for a new Tom Clancy thriller. A country run by an ambitious dictator desires to take over the world. His scientist develop a deadly virus. Then they develop a vaccine and vaccinate all of their people before releasing the bug on the rest of the world. The bug is a super spreader and causes severe long term illness. The people do not die but stay deathly sick for years. The country denies any challenge that they did this on purpose although the world suspects them. As the world's economies collapse the evil autocrat gains power and sits back and waits for other countries to implode.

Afghan children

Many years ago I wrote about the idea that America should not intervene in the affairs of foreign countries unless there was a threat to the US. To illustrate that may not always be the case, I posed the example of foreign soldiers throwing babies into the air and catching them on their bayonets. While this seemed absurd at the time it now seems possible. When you see the things that Al Qaeda and other terror groups are doing to innocent people including children we may soon find out how the civilized world will respond. "UNICEF is shocked by the rapid escalation of grave violations against children in Afghanistan. In the last 72 hours, 20 children have been killed and 130 children have been injured in Kandahar province. "These atrocities are also evidence of the brutal nature and scale of violence in Afghanistan which preys on already vulnerable children. While children have always died in war they were considered collateral damage but these children are being singled out and killed to put fear into the people. Hundreds of children are currently held by the authorities for alleged involvement with the Taliban, or other armed groups, and are often subjected to torture, according to a statement by HRW.

Afghan news

When the US left Afghanistan it was predicted and hoped by some that the news would be blocked. It is difficult to find stories in the main press but if you look you can find many stories. Here is sampling of stories about news people left behind. Among the most tragic examples is the story of how the administration left behind more than 100 government-sponsored journalists, plus their families, after putting them through three weeks of hell. Are we going to pay attention to it anymore? US news outlets are charting a course for Afghan coverage after America leaves Journalists face danger on Kabul streets and a new question: How to cover Afghanistan now? Afghan VOA reporters stuck in Kabul fear they will be forgotten, says colleague WASHINGTON — Afghan journalists with the Voice of America and other U.S.-funded media outlets were shocked they were not evacuated out of Afghanistan by the U.S. government and fear they will be forgotten, one colleague who did make it out said Friday. Taliban have been detaining and assaulting journalists and imposing new restrictions on media work, Human Rights Watch said today o The media spotlight in Afghanistan is about to dim as journalists evacuate The New York Times' Peter Baker tweeted Thursday that the Biden team's "cold political calculation is that Americans won't care what happens in Afghanistan as long as Americans are safe."