Was reading my 9/11 blog from last year… Not much has changed.

Really as I think about it, not much has changed at all.

Our politicians are as ineffective and self absorbed as ever. 

We still are at war.

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That progress is in “Winning Hearts & minds”American lives are still being lost. Although according to some people, progress is being made in Afghanistan and Iraq. 

Perhaps…

I’m not convinced that our troops or politicians are seeing anything more than the smiling mask of duplicity.

Culturally the peoples of Afghanistan and Iraq are so far from us I question whether they see our form of government or the reasons we are in their countries as any “Better” than we see theirs.

Most Americans can’t conceive of a life without running water, indoor plumbing, the 24 hour news cycle, and electricity 24 / 7. I’m not even going to try to discuss what an American would think about not having a telephone, 500 channels of Cable TV, or internet.

How many Americans could accept Total Religious control of their lives?

Can you see someone telling an American that they couldn’t listen to “The Who” or Elvis, or “Nine Inch Nails”.

How about not being able to see a movie because that movie contained music from one of the “Forbidden Bands”?

Women of afghanistan

Can you see an American woman submitting to wearing a garment that allowed them to show only their eyes? How about being whipped with a switch or slapped in the face because she mouthed off to her husband?

Can you imagine what an American woman would do to someone that said “Get in the kitchen bitch and make my dinner“? I guess there are some women here that would take that. But the majority wouldn’t.

I shudder to think what my Mother would do.

If you look at our culture from the perspective of the folks in Afghanistan or Iraq what would you see?

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A culture of excess, with too many religions, most perceived as polytheistic idolaters?

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Women and children allowed to running amok because they’re not allowed to be disciplined?

How about a place were the temptations to sin are so prevalent that even the most pious cannot avoid sinning?

I think we’re, at best winning cooperation in hopes that soon we’ll be gone and things in their countries can return to normal.I don’t think we’re winning hearts & minds…

It doesn’t matter to these people if America, the Taliban, or al-Qaeda are winning, or even in control.

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The only thing that matters is cash. One of these players paying the bills is good, two or all three pumping money into their country is fanfuckingtastic! 

We have made previously poor tribal leaders wealthy. I believe that as soon as we leave, “Normal” will mean those leaders purchasing  the best weapons they can afford and settling old scores.

The tribal leader from the next valley over who used to demand unfair tribute will suddenly end up looking up the barrel of a brand new AK-47 while his daughters are being raped. Then he’ll meet Allah.

No matter what, when we leave these countries will return to the “Old Order… The one that’s about the point of a sword”.

So why not leave now? Get it over with, let them settle old scores and when the dust clears whatever is left of al-Qaeda or the Taliban we can take out with a few well placed daisy cutters. 

It sounds brutal and cold.

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But it’s a cost effective solution.

Yeah, I guess I’m still hostile. Last year I asked the question “How do we move forward?”

I think the answer is getting the fuck out of those shit hole countries and leaving them to their own devices. I guess I’m just sick of hearing about the latest fucked up bombing or shooting carried out by a “Friendly”.

“Friendly” is a matter of who’s paying better.