The Future for Afghanistan ?

The Washington Post: David Ingnatius looks at the strategic review of General McChrystal in Afghanistan. It can argued that Mr Ingnatius has it about right, the article states the following, " This may be one of those messy situations where the best course is to both shoot and talk.. " The McChrystal plan to protect Afghans does recall the Strategic Hamlets of the Vietnam War, the idea was to protect the local people of Vietnam from the Viet Cong, on the whole as the US lost its first War it didn't work in the long term. Also you can protect the people all the want but if you have insurgents you still have to catch or kill them, its that simple, otherwise as Security Forces in Afghanistan you can build roads, schools and hospitals and the see the Taliban/Terrorists blow them up. Also the question has to be asked if you are going to secure the people do you place troops in the small towns and villages around Afghanistan or do you bring the people in to a secure area. As recent bombings have shown in Kabul, the West on the whole is not that secure in Afghanistan. Thus if you place troops in small urban areas you need more troops, thus Obama will need to send more troops. This July and August has been the bloodiest months for the US since the War started in 2001, at last count in August the US has lost 51 soldiers. Thus the recent view held by many that Obama is the next LBJ, and Afghanistan is the new Vietnam.

A Modest Health Care Reform Bill - Blue Dog Democrats

The New York Times: Reports that Blue Dog Democrats expect a Health Care Reform Bill that they can support, the NYT writes the following, "...Blue Dogs signaled they were still ready to move forward, it was clear that others could support only a substantially scaled-back approach. " Thus if one is reading the tea leaves correctly, the White House will pull the plug on a public option on health care, while moving on with a Health Care Bill that will overhaul the Medical Insurance Industry in the USA. Lets see the details first folks, the devil is in the small print. As long as no Death Panels or advice if your old to kick the bucket, also you get to keep your insurance and your Doctor, and your Doctor decides what tests you need not someone in Washington D.C. Lets see the actual Bill first folks, remember to read the footnotes!!

No Public Option in Health Reform - Obama

Politico: Reports that the Obama White House has confirmed that it will not push for a public option in its health care reform package. This shows that even President Obama can read the tea leaves, he will get reform but insurance reform, an example the US Insurances will not be able to turn people down if they have a pre existing condition, this would be a very fair move by the US Government, also seek to to reduce the costs of medical insurance and allow those that don't have insurance to get cover in the future. If the Obama White House had started down this route at the start it would have gotten many Republican votes in the House and the Senate. But lets see the details from Obama first, this blogger is tired of political spin, have found it better to read the small print first before supporting a policy.

Liberals off the Reservation over Afghanistan ?

Politico: Reports that the Obama White House see a threat that Liberals will bail on the Obama Administration when it comes to Afghanistan. One could advice that President Obama stop talking about Health Reform, it doesn't help him with the voters and start to talk about Afghanistan. That was the problem that LBJ created, he didn't want public discussions about the War in Vietnam at the start of his Presidency, thus when the War went south on LBJ he didn't have the public support, thus Obama should drop health care and stick to Foreign Policy, he can lose Liberals on Foreign Policy, Reagan never had Liberals but won big. Obama can not afford to lose on health and Afghanistan, if he does he can say goodbye to the Congress in 2010 and the Presidency in 2012.

Liberals and Obama

The New York Times: Reports on how Afghanistan has become a major problem for President Obama, the NYT writes the following, " ( Obama ) already faces growing discontent among his liberal base, not only over the war but also over national security policy, health care,.... and other issues. " In other words the Liberal New York Times is not happy, they see Iraq and Afghanistan as Bush Wars, they would rather spend billions on gay rights that defend the United States. At the end of the President Obama might have to tell the extreme Liberal New York Times to take a hike, in fact if the Liberal NYT writes critical stories about him his polls might go up. Afghanistan in some respects is more important than Vietnam, if Obama caves to the left over Afghanistan, his political career will follow the fate of LBJ. Thus as stated this is Obama's LBJ moment but also its a moment of character for President Obama, can he see that the security of the USA and the West is more important than his own arrogance and the support of the left in American politics.

45,000 US Troops for Afghanistan ?

McClatchy: Reports that US Commander in Afghanistan, General McChrystal could ask for another forty five thousand troops after his review of the strategy in Afghanistan. This is President Obama's LBJ moment, in 1965 LBJ sent in the Marines to Southern Vietnam, that was a start of a war that lasted till 1973, the US lost of over fifty thousand USA Armed Forces Personnel and bought down LBJ in 1968. The Nixon Administration ended the War in 1973 but the damage didn't end till 1975 when the last US helicopter left the US Embassy in Saigon with North Vietnam troops at the gate of the US Embassy. Thus President Obama puts in the troops and stays the course or he gets out, but as stated many times in this blog, that is not an option, Afghanistan would fall back to the Taliban/Terrorists, Pakistan would become a target for the Taliban of Pakistan and Afghanistan, Pakistan is nuclear armed power, India might use its nuclear weapons on a weak Pakistan under threat from the Taliban. Also NATO might as well close up shop, it would be shown to be weak, thus Russia might take a chance and start a war with the Ukraine over the Crimea. Lets not forget the invasion of Georgia in 2008 by Russia. Thus President Obama has found his Just War, he has to be careful that it does not dethrone him as Vietnam finished the political career of LBJ.

Voter Fraud in Afghanistan - Part Two

The New York Times: Reports on the alleged voter fraud by President Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan, the NYT writes the following, " Mr. Karzai’s campaign is accused of forging ballots, stealing votes and preventing people from going to the polls. " This is very awkward for the Obama Administration, does it allow Mr Karzai to do a Diem of South of Vietnam, in other words fix an election, or does it demand a new election and look like a colonial power wanting to get the results it wants. Also lets not forget that the above runs in to conflict with the New Strategy for Afghanistan by the US Military, building support from the ground up for the Government in Kabul. The idea of the new strategy is to protect the people more than fighting the insurgents, that has always seem odd to this writer, cant the US Army do both, also you will never get a Western Election in Afghanistan, it just depends who can stuff the ballot boxes more, it can be argued that if you have a new election, with a different result the other side will have things that wont pass the smell test. As the article in the Liberal New York Times points out, "... southern Afghan tribe called Bariz... " has changed sides in the election, but the allegation is that President Karzai got his men to stuff all the ballots in his favour. Thus you have tribal politics and corruption, okay its sounds like something out of 20th Century American politics in the 1900's but elections have always been thus, it takes time and lets not get on pedestal, lets recall the 1960 and 2000 Presidential Race in the USA. Thus it can be argued that President Obama should hold his nose and accept President Karzai but make it clear that the Karzai could have the same fate as Diem in less in changes the civics of Afghanistan.