My NYTimes #62. October 3, 2009 10:01 am Link
When US MEDIA becomes part of the US WAR Machine
The language deployed by the NYTimes reporters, as well as the language of the US war apparatus etc are EQUALLY troubling. They are similar. They became embedded in the US War Machine in West Asia in Iraq and now they are in South Asia Afghanistan and Pakistan
“Chosen” Company? That should go down really well with the Afghans, just about as well as it would be received in Gaza.
A “hostile frontier village” in Eastern Afghanistan, writes Thom Shanker. Who is the hostile entity? the people who live there or the US and US-led NATO who are droning and killing?
I could go on and on. picking examples out of both Shanker’s reporting as well as the document on the Wanat Battle.
“Winning” is now being being cosmetically configured to fool the US public. No point trying to fool the Afghans. History shows they don’t tolerate occupiers. Your firepower is nothing compared with their staying power.
In fact, many thousands of NYTimes readers over the past several months have questioned what the US military means when they use the word “win.”
McChrystal and his propagandists undoubtedly are Times readers,. They see there is tremendous US public opposition to the Army’s notion of “winning” in Afghanistan.
The Army understands that our unemployed and underemployed, our millions wihout healthcare and our tens of thousands saddled with foreclosures, think that "winning" is not warfare in South Asia but means — bring the troops home NOW.
McChrystal and his hawks are incapable of learning any new lesson in Afghanistan, despite their claims of lesson learned from Wanat. Why? Because the US military premise is mistaken.
The US does not have any role in Afghanistan except at the negotiating table and in humanitarian efforts to undo the damage already caused by US/NATO deadly use of firepower.
Http://EthicalDemocracy.blogspot.com
GOATS — for Social Justice article
— Chithra KarunaKaran
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NYTimes copyright
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/03/world/asia/03battle.html?ref=global-home
Report Cites Firefight as Lesson on Afghan War
By THOM SHANKER
Published: October 2, 2009
Wanat Battle Cited as Lesson in Afghan War
By The New York Times
My NYTimes Comment # 46. September 22, 2009 8:46 am Link
The military presence of the US and US-led NATO is a continuing mis-step by the West in the South Asia region.
The US created the Taliban who once were the Mujahideen, that the US paid and trained in their invented Cold War against the Soviets.
If history is any guide the Afghans will continue to be unassailable.
Unfortunately the US has (temporarily) gained what is has sought -- strategic depth in South Asia. The US has accomplished this mainly through a long (since the early 50's) subjugation of a weakened post-Partition Pakistan.
It will be a while before South Asia's sovereign nation-states can muster the solidarity needed to kick the US and NATO out of the region.
We South Asians are not there yet for reasons of our own long oppression under Brit colonialism.
Our own postcolonial dependency mindset, manipulated by our own homegrown political, military and feudal elites,
prevents us in South Asia from freeing South Asia from the US and Europe.
The Debacle Decades are with us at this time.
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My comment to the NYTimes Public Editor
Should'nt NYTimes Readers know who "The Editors" are? (see link below)
Today's Room for Debate is written by "The Editors"
"The Editors" reads like a subterfuge for some paleo-policy with a distinct subtext, which i prefer not to name,in response to your own chosen anonymity.
Where's the transparency?
Where's the authentic Room or Debate?
Who are (the white males?) with AIPAC creds.(?) who wrote it?
--
Chithra KarunaKaran
Ethical Democracy As Lived Practice
http://EthicalDemocracy.blogspot.com
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http://roomfordebate.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/09/21/fending-off-failure-in-afghanistan/#comment-157167
NYTimes copyright
September 21, 2009, 7:06 pm
Fending Off Failure in Afghanistan
By The Editors
