Fall Guys in Rumsfeld’s Games

According to Simon Jenkins of Guardian Cosmopolitan News, Iraq is miring all who touch it. - One example - “phosphorus shake and bake shells used in the fall of Falluja. Worse than napalm the above criminal act falls under a ban by the 1993 Chemical Weapons Convention against populated cities.”

What US hypocrisy when one of the most cited reasons for toppling Hussein was his use of chemical weapons against his own people? Why is it that neither Britain nor Australia never complain about whatever happens in Afghanistan or Iraq? Satisfaction enough for Blair and Howard, when Mr Rumsfeld says that in war “stuff happens”.

Jenkins goes on to say the Rumsfeld strategy all along was to beat hell out of the opposition in places like Afghanistan and Iraq - “then do not stay.”

Jenkins believes that Rumsfeld’s strategy all along was never to get bogged down in nation-building. Leave it to others, like the UN, or puppet stooges like Ahmed Chalabi. And above all, avoid allies with moral scruples. As Condoleeza Rice told George Bush during his first election campaign: “We need the 82nd Airborne more than just escorting kids to kindergarten.” .

Looks like in Afghanistan, Rumsfeld’s plan is now near done, with Washington’s puppet Karrzai apparently filling the bill. Also democracy sort of fitting into place, warlords and drug-runners acting nice and friendly, especially for keeping out the Taliban - giving some credit to the Taliban for cleaning up the poppy-fields, but Karzai, however, now worried about the war-lords backing the peasants to grow more drugs than ever.

Part Two

Usetting things along with the US pullout rumours, according to Jenkins, is Tony Blair’s plan to let UK defence secretary John Reid land 4, 800 UK troops in Afghanistan, said to be mainly to clean out the opium fields. But how to keep the millions of peasant farmers happy trying to grow something as profitable as poppies, without turning them against Mr Karzai, is still unclear?

Finally we might ponder about Mr Howard’s offer of more Aussie troops for Afghanistan. Our PM might not know that they are also part of Tony Blair and John Reid’s project to try and mend the opium problem that Rumsfeld’s forces are leaving behind? Could finish up a bit like a dog’s breakfast..

One wonders sometimes whether acting like a 19th century elder statesman is the way for Howard to go, for it seems the White House might be just treating himself and Blair like a couple of stooges or after-thoughts. .

Behind it all, the rough seemingly unintellectual Rumsfeld should learn he has to be much more discerning concerning his use of American massive military strength. Not just to use it to scare hell out of both friend and foe. Historically, it has been simply a change from British gunboat diplomacy to US missile diplomacy. But Mr Rumsfeld could do well to learn not to bash and blow places to bits leaving terror and hatred behind so much, but learn to use his diplomacy commonsensibly, which these days means both respecting and backing a far stronger United Nations with a military group similar but much much bigger than the Atlantic Pact. But above all, there will have to be much more wisdom and understanding, which means sometimes sharing the blame between the two enemies, which was really the original Kantian doctrine of international Reapolitik originally thought up for our future global survival.

Let’s hope all good Christians pray for it!

Aaron,

I too expected to see a full and frank apology by now, and am astonished to see none forthcoming.
Has it not been requested by the moderator, one wonders?

This is posted on behalf of Boaz_David:

Dear Graham

could you post this in the 'Some will not Integrate' thread on my behalf please ? A few people are wondering why I have not responded to their calls for 'apology'

"To fellow posters and Almanac,
I concede that I overstepped the mark in my comment about 'connection' which would have created a false impression of the standing of Almanac in regards to the 2 organizations mentioned.
His 'connection' as such was nothing more than a journalistic interest, and in the case of the Ananda Marga, he gave activist support for Tim Anderson after he had left the organization.
I"ve not said anything on the forum earlier because I'm banned for a week in the sin bin.
I regret any wrong impression gained regarding Almanac and trust that it won't happen again and yes, "I'm sorry"."

Cheers
Boaz_David

BOAZ _David

Thanks for the apology. I knew that you would do it. Gosh mate, you do put your foot in your mouth on so many occasions. Even so, I never get the impression that you deliberately wish to cause harm to other people. You have been very kind to me and I appreciate that - even though I mostly do not share your views. Take care mate.

Almanac

I could be a spastic midget - your terms! That means that I have cerebral palsy (a condition of mostly high intelligence) and I am very short (but not short on neurones though).

I think that Graham Y should have banned you as well - for your downright disgusting slams at disabled people.

Your use of "outdated language" gives me a good sense of your outdated neurones. Your assertions about "midgets" and "spastics" is far more harmful than anything that BD claimed.

Get a grip OLO

The double standards are rife
Kay

Bye bye Swilkie. Another one to cut and run. What was that you were saying about nobody winning this debate, Sneaky Peter? You must be starting to feel lonely?

Ring up Natasha and get what's left of her Monster Raving Loony Party to help you out.