Friday, October 22, 2010

Obama's Escalating Robot-War in Pakistan Endangers Us All : Johann Hari

An MQ-9 Reaper takes off on a mission in Afgha...Image via WikipediaObama's Escalating Robot-War in Pakistan Endangers Us All : Johann Hari

This is the best article I have yet read that intelligently critiques the "drone wars" in Pakistan and elsewhere.

Disturbing and compelling reading.

3 comments:

Protoprotestant said...

Very disturbing. I'm afraid American Conservatives think Obama is some kind of anti-American socialist.

George Bush III is more like it.

Al Shaw said...

I'd be interested to know your views on this question:

Why, despite the pre-election rhetoric, has the current President not followed a noticeably different line of policy with regard to Afghanistan?

Protoprotestant said...

Ah, sorry I guess I need to check back more often.....

Just a guess of course....

But I think he probably sat down in the Oval Office and found out there's more to it. There's Iran, Central Asian issues which brings Russia into the picture. There's India, and China's growing relationship with Pakistan. There's defense contracts and obligations, there's resources and corporate investments.

It's a huge mess that is vastly complicated. He probably found out that you can't change things, just like that in a willy-nilly fashion.

There are also logistical and tactical issues that hinder a quick withdrawl. Easy to go in, not so easy to safely get out.

Some believe Kennedy tried to bring about sweeping change and that's what led to Dallas. It has also been suggested that John Paul I was also attempting the same level of shake-up. We don't know of course, but it's plausible.

I wouldn't want to be in Obama's shoes. It was impossible that he could ever even begin to deliver the Change his supporters hoped for. I don't think Obama was really that revolutionary, he was simply anti-Bush. George Bush by 2006 had turned the US public so against his policies it allowed for something no one that would happen for a long time....an African-American President.

It's great that it happened, but his presidency is turning into something of disappointment. The Republicans are a nasty lot and if the Democrats start using the same playbook...it will get really ugly.

I would imagine many in Europe are quite baffled that the American public just handed so much power back to the Republicans?

If you think the American public is pretty stupid....I'm afraid I would have to heartily agree.