re: "Its (sic) all political now"

Bouhammer at Bouhammer's Afghan and Military Blog (" A blog about Military Issues, Afghanistan, and everything in between ") provided a reminder of why we fight.

Money quote(s):

"Back in 2001 when we went into Afghanistan, it was for a noble cause. We were attacked as a country and lost thousands of our citizens because Afghanistan allowed the terrorist to train and thrive there. After we eliminated the enemy we began the process of rebuilding the country. It has been decimated starting with the Soviet occupation and then after that as the Taliban took control.

From 2001-2012 we have lost thousands of America’s sons and daughters there, 1891 to be exact. They fell giving their lives for the security of our country and for the good of the Afghan people and the world. The cause of this war was just and appropriate. Regardless of what people feel about why we went to war with Iraq, the war in Afghanistan was warranted." (Bold typeface added for emphasis. - CAA.)

&

"(W)ith SecDef Panetta’s slip of the tongue the other day stating that we are going to end the “combat’ role a year early in 2013, it really smells like our war strategy is now completely political. This screw up by the SecDef shocked many around the world, from the Afghans to Panetta’s own staff."

2/3

JO - The politics of race

From my archive of press clippings:

Jamaica Observer

The politics of race

Thursday, July 10, 2008

Dear Editor,

The system of government originated in Africa. Humanity itself began in Africa. I stress these points mainly because, in spite of Barack Obama's clear-cut qualifications to be president of the United States, many ignorant non-blacks are scrutinising his ability to effectively hold the post strictly on the basis of race. For some, the very notion of a black man claiming the highest political office of a so-called first-world country, even with his biracial genealogy, is a threat to every nefarious falsehood they've ever held about black people.

Read the whole letter here.