Comments for Peace Pundit

Comment on Mortenson and Military: Encouraging and Scary by Sandy Morse

Sandy Morse — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 19:47:22 +0000

What would you make of the notion of the President encouraging U.S. citizens to “help the war effort” by investing in schools in Afghanistan (e.g., via the Central Asia Institute), in much the same way citizens were encouraged to invest in War Bonds during WWII? As has been pointed out many, many times, only military families (and the national debt) are currently bearing the burden of this war. If the Afghans felt a significant portion of the American electorate cared about their way of life, perhaps our troops’ efforts would seem more genuine. Or does “seem” read as a Freudian slip?

Comment on Mortenson and Military: Encouraging and Scary by Joe Fineran

Joe Fineran — Sun, 01 Aug 2010 02:08:12 +0000

For more insight, watch Greg Mortenson on Charlie Rose:
http://www.charlierose.com/view/interview/11140

He makes it clear there is no military solution in Afghanistan; and that he favors more dissemination of more information from the field to the public, as in the recent Wikileaks disclosure of civilian casualties.

In the interview, he also states that the Afghan elders asked him to be a conduit to coordinate meetings with the U.S. commanders. He also meets with the Taliban, of which he receives criticism in the U.S. How many people in the entire U.S. government have ever met with the Taliban? Only through dialogue and debate, and not bombs and bullets can there be peace.

Comment on Alternatives to Violence in Kenya by Karen Ande

Karen Ande — Mon, 05 Jul 2010 19:48:11 +0000

Brilliant work and few other options in this environment.

Comment on Elizabeth Rabia Roberts: Letters from the Road by Ric

Ric — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 00:17:44 +0000

I agree that Roberts has done something brave and important, by seeing for herself the situation in Afghanistan. She’s gutsier than I, and I have to agree with her that we must leave a tolerable, operable situation which is stable and secure. OR we have to admit we can’t (or won’t) do that, and make plans for the consequences of quitting.

Comment on For Inspiration and Excitement, Read Stones into Schools by Ric

Ric — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 18:24:36 +0000

Well said, Jeff. In particular, I strongly agree with you statement about the author’s main point: listen with humility. Then act (passionately) on what you hear.

Amen and amen.

Comment on Afghan Civilian Deaths Continue Despite Rule Changes by moraloutrage

moraloutrage — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 06:10:34 +0000

The United Nations just announced that 346 children were killed in Afghanistan last year, more than half of them by NATO forces, mostly in airstrikes.

More than 2,400 civilians were killed last year, the deadliest for Afghan civilians since the fall of the Taliban regime in late 2001, according to the UN.

http://moraloutrage.wordpress.com/2010/02/26/more-than-half-of-all-afghan-children-killed-are-by-nato-strikes/

Comment on Howard Zinn: “Everything We Do is Important” by Geoff

Geoff — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 21:52:24 +0000

Great quote. I think I’ll share this with my students. The freshmen are just finishing up Al Gore’s “Inconvenient Truth” and this will put a good perspective on what they can do.

Comment on Ten Reasons a Troop Surge in Afghanistan is a Mistake by Craig Watson

Craig Watson — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 17:03:10 +0000

All the points are valid. I could add many more, but the one that comes primarily to mind is that staying in Afghanistan reinforces the frightening American mindset of violence, militarism, and corporate control that Martin Luther King warned us so many years ago that we needed to urgently change. Was Reich right in the Greening of America? Do we need to change consciousness before we change structure and action?
Imagine.

Obama really is a pragmatist more than a progressive. No big surprise there, but it has been very disappointing.

Comment on US Judge Dismisses Blackwater Nisoor Square Shooting Case by Sandi

Sandi — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 16:14:15 +0000

It is not only the Iraqis who are furious. Me, too! What message are we sending to Iraq and the world? Our so-called liberation of the country is being executed by, as much as we can judge, a genocidal zealot.

That is “as much as we can judge” Erik Prince and his team, because they continue to live outside any judicial process.

The judge claimed the evidence was inadmissible because the guards were **required**, on threat of job-loss, to tell State Dept what had happened at the shooting. I guess this leaves us employing an army not subject to **any** oversight.

It is well past time to send Xe packing!

Comment on Ten Reasons a Troop Surge in Afghanistan is a Mistake by peacepundit

peacepundit — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 20:16:59 +0000

Building on Dolores' comment, here are links to talks by and interviews of Noam Chomsky on the Afghan war: