The New York Times‘ Alissa Rubin (5/2/12) reports of President Barack Obama’s trip to Afghanistan:
The trip communicated something of vital importance to the Afghans: reassurance that the United States is not in an all-out scramble to get away.
It’s not clear what the basis for Rubin’s claim that “reassurance” that the U.S. is in no hurry to leave Afghanistan is “of vital importance” to Afghans. A poll taken in 2010 on behalf of the Washington Post, ABC, BBC and the German broadcaster ARD found that 55 percent of the Afghan public supported the rapid withdrawal of foreign troops (GlobalPost, 12/9/10). A 2011 poll by the International Council on Security and Development (5/11) found that 76 percent of respondents in the north of Afghanistan believed NATO military operations were bad for the Afghan people, as did 87 percent of respondents in the south. A March 2012 poll by the German Institute for Social Research and Statistical Analysis (PressTV, 4/17/12) reported 60 percent support for early withdrawal of U.S. forces.
Based on available evidence, it sounds like news that Americans plan to stay in their country would be of vital importance to Afghans. But “reassurance” is not the word for it.
Not only are the Afghans reassured, but so are the American soldiers, who would be so disappointed at the prospect of leaving this Middle East paradise.
If not for the Bush/Obama economic draft, where would these soldiers be getting their daily three squares?
This is a classic example of defining the terms of the debate.
(Not that there’s any real debate going on in the corpress on this subject.)
Withdrawal is labeled “an all-out scramble to get away”, rather than the morally requisite ending of a bloody imperial enterprise.
Thus leaving now becomes a cowardly and irresponsible act, and not one required by our collective conscience.
Language is a virus.
And the corporate media is its infectuous agent.
At best they’re citing the opinion that the Taliban vs. occupation isn’t an easy choice for civil society representatives. That’s the opinion of RAWA. To the orthodox ear, one must hear reassurance in whatever the state’s response to “oh god you invaded and now the Taliban are stronger than before and now you’re going to leave and probably not fix what you broke, seriously fix it, women and girls have been getting acid sprayed in their faces.”
At worst, they are limiting their understanding Karzai, and this is the more likely option. The vassal has an opinion and so does the empire, an impressive feat of ventriloquism.
Sounds more like the NYT want’s assurance that they will have something important to cover. Like how hard it is to represent the “turd in the punchbowl”, to those drinking the punch.
The American people do not want troops in Afghanistan. The Afghan people do not want American troops in Afghanistan. Only a thin sliver wants them there, but I guess they are the ones who matter.
NO ONE wants American troops in Afghanistan.No one(except a thin sliver)wanted the twin towers destroyed with thousands dead.If we could call back that horrible day, Im sure we would call back our troops involvement in that country.But we can’t
Well you are wrong on that Michael-e it seems that those in politics, military brass, corporate military and such support services do. For them it is a bonanza of money. Now the Afghans never wanted us there, and most of the soldiers see no reason to be there but both of them have no say in the matter. Most of us too don’t want them there but our voices are ignored as well. How do we change that?
Well can’t change what happened on 911.We went in for our national security.We probably wont leave till we feel the ground situation there is more secure.As far as do people make money on war,yes always.WW2 my lord almighty the money made was astounding.Pulled us finally out of depression.But to say that those who handle the jobs necessary for equipping our military are the CAUSE of our being there is way off base.In fact Id say they have NOTHING to do with it.Bush went to war there because of 911.Not because some company in Idaho make ball bearings for our tanks.