Puppet Masters

Ventriloquist and Scarface, Batman

I'm tired of experimenting with silly puppets
--Puppet Master (1989)
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Speaking on his trips to Afghanistan, Pakistan, India and Iraq last week, our hometown Representative Allen Boyd (D-FL) demonstrated nicely the psychotic nature of those two conflicts (Boyd: Afghanistan, Pakistan Epicenter of War on Terrorism, Tallahassee Democrat, 5/29/08.)

"Afghanistan and Pakistan are really at the epicenter of this global war on terror. The Pakistani government is really one in transition now. We were unclear when we left there exactly who is in in charge."

U.S. Rep. Allen Boyd, Armed Services Committee member who himself possesses a military background, wasn't sure after meeting with Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf who was in charge of this epicenter of terrorism. Got that?

Maybe after Scotty McClellan's recent tell-all, everyone up there is Washington is a bit discombobulated. Of course, issuing from that puzzlement is a whole stream of silly questions, like, why are relying on Pakistan as a key player in the Phony War on Terror (PWOT ©)?

We knew who was in charge in London, Moscow and Paris in WWII. How can you win a war when your allies are nothing but shifting alliances and parties? This is no way to run a war, even a phony one.

Blue Dog Boyd is at least candid enough to admit there was no al-Qaeda in Iraq prior to our meddling. "There were no terrorists in Iraq. That all happened after we toppled the government there." Of course that didn't stop him or the rest of the leaders from having their fantasy war.

Boyd notes, "the Taliban has come back [to Afghanistan] and got a good stronghold," which strengthens al-Qaeda tangentially via Taliban support. Just so, but the Taliban are indigenous Afghans with every right to exert their right within their borders.

They only become an American concern when they support al-Qaeda, so why not try political solutions to break this support relationship? Are military blunderings our best shot at weakening terrorist support networks?

The Taliban support network and safe haven offered to al-Qaeda is not a reason to invade Afghanistan. If it were, why aren't we invading Saudi Arabia or Pakistan? Both of those U.S. allies have offered al-Qaeda more support than do the present Taliban leadership?

Boyd said [Afghan President] Karzai "told him that if Americans leave Afghanistan, the nation might not survive," an admission of the failed state nature of the endeavor. If Afghanistan won't survive without U.S. support, then it is not a democracy, for democratic powers do not need to be shored up by outside powers. Propped up nations are client or puppet states.

That makes Boyd a puppet master.

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