TO HAVE BUT NOT

TO HAVE, BUT HAVE NOT

FROM: "SMART THE GENERALS MAY BE WIZZARDS THEY ARE NOT" BY DAVID IRWING 11/2//09 WWW.THOMAS PAINE'S CORNER.COM

"Private contractors for security in Iraq and Afghanistan now outnumber American troops doing the same work and are paid five times as much, causing much resentment in the military. What we have on our hands in Iraq and Afghanistan is an army of mercenaries, and its costing the American taxpayers plenty. But, well, like we’ve said @@@@%! Moreover, only 5% of the Taliban are hard core ideologues. And while ten percent have a grudge against the U.S. because their family members have been killed by the U.S. military, or for other reasons, the remaining 85% are just simple farmers trying to make a go of it in life.We pay Afghans $100 a month to join our cause. The Taliban pays them $300 to become Taliban fighters. Guess who wins out there.

But the big thing to consider, of the countless billions of dollars the United States is paying to wage this war, we could be rebuilding and building Afghanistan to create jobs, eliminate disease, build homes, pave roads, and do all kinds of good things that would win Afghanistan’s heart and mind. Unfortunately, it’s not likely we will do that, just as we don’t do it here at home.

. . "But few running the show will consider peaceful means like those described above that would have the most powerful impact. Instead, we will have more war and more needless killing and suffering on both sides. Besides inspiring more anti-American propaganda and increasing anti-American recruitment abroad, not to mention the paltry little fact of bringing more death and casualties to American troops and the Afghan population"

. . . "Until people become enlightened they must suffer the consequences of their ignorance. The same is true for countries. To kill when other means are available is not an enlightened approach and the country should not support it."

With Love and Kindness,

THE HATMAN