RANGER AGAINST WAR: Charlie Wilson's War <

Sunday, February 24, 2008

Charlie Wilson's War

And God saw everything that he had made,
and behold, it was very good
--Genesis 1:31


I still think politics is about who's getting screwed

and who's doing the screwing

--Molly Ivins


Purple haze all in my brain
Lately things just don't seem the same
--Purple Haze
, Jimi Hendrix
____________

When Ranger was a young man the argument against drug usage was that drugs distort reality and are therefore harmful. However, long-term U.S. policy is so out-of-touch with reality that it seems to operate on a psychedelic plane.

Exhibit #1:

"The new provincial government is expected to be led by the Awami National Party (ANP), a left-leaning, secular group that backed the pro-Soviet government in Afghanistan in its war against U.S. and Pakistani-backed Islamic guerrillas in the 1980s (Voters in Pakistan Reject Religious Extremists.)"

ANP is now seen by the U.S. policymakers as a viable counterbalance to the religious extremists, which favor groups like al-Qaeda and the Taliban. But look at this historically, and darkly, through a State Department prism:

  • The USSR invades Afghanistan -- this is bad.
  • USSR policy marginalizes religious extremists -- this is bad.
  • U.S. backs the Taliban, war lords and drug deals -- this is good.
  • The Taliban and al-Qaeda types shoot USSR aircraft out of the sky with U.S. missiles -- this is good.
  • The ANP supports the Soviet incursion -- this is bad.

Fast-forward 25 years. . .
  • The U.S. invades Afghanistan -- this is good.
  • The U.S. marginalizes religious extremists -- this is good.
  • The U.S. opposes the Taliban and al-Qaeda -- this is good.
  • The U.S. supports the war lords and drug lords -- this is good.
  • The Taliban and al-Qaeda shoot U.S. aircraft out of the sky -- this is bad.
  • The ANP opposes the Taliban and al-Qaeda -- this is good.

Well, Ranger doesn't use drugs or even get drunk, but this is mind-bending stuff. U.S. policy is as fickle as presidential hopefuls.

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2 Comments:

Blogger The Minstrel Boy said...

sometimes i look at the current administration, and listen to the double talk drivel coming out of their mouths and wonder why i bothered to sober up. who knows maybe viewed through the lens of the bottom of a tequila bottle it might be a clearer picture. thanks to bush the street value of heroin has gone down while the quality and purity has gone up, same with cocaine.

freedom. on the march. usa usa usa usa!

Monday, February 25, 2008 at 12:27:00 PM GMT-5  
Blogger rangeragainstwar said...

MB, We both bothered to sober up because eventually we grew up. It's what real adults do, we don't need the crutch and we've moved on.Your comments indicate that you bic my point. jim

Monday, February 25, 2008 at 4:45:00 PM GMT-5  

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