Taliban

Half Of Nightmarish 2020 Completed, With Half To Occur: What Is Next?

Half of the year 2020 is gone, and it has been an horrific six months:

The impeachment trail of Donald Trump, where his Republican Party refused to recognize the danger he presents, and his being in office since early February has been a series of disasters.

The outbreak of the Corona Virus Pandemic, with Trump not taking it seriously from Day One onward.

The economic collapse, which has caused the second Great Depression, but affecting a population three times larger, and no ending to be seen, with so much more desperation, homelessness, and hunger as the result.

The racial discord which has developed over the George Floyd murder by police in Minneapolis, and Trump inciting more racial animosity.

The refusal of Trump to protect Americans in combat, and labeling the bounty paid by the Russians to Taliban fighters to kill Americans in Afghanistan, as a hoax.

Five nightmares and four months to Election Day, 125 days from today, and then 78 days to Inauguration Day!

Will America survive intact over the next 203 days is the issue, extremely worrisome!

The health, safety, and lives of Americans is at stake!

Trump Is Clearly A National Security Risk After Revelation About Russian Payments To Taliban To Kill American Military In Afghanistan

Donald Trump is proving what any sane American knows: that he is a traitor tied to Russia’s President Vladimir Putin, and has been from the beginning of his Presidency.

The revelation that Russia made payments to Taliban fighters to kill American soldiers in Afghanistan, and that Trump has done nothing about it, and claims no knowledge had ever been given to him regarding this, is totally infuriating, and requires a swift removal from office.

If only Vice President Mike Pence had guts and courage, and worked to gain the support of a majority of the Trump cabinet, Trump could be forced out, but clearly, that is not about to happen.

There are rumors that Trump might resign, due to his poor reelection polls, but that is still hard to believe, and one has to wonder what Mike Pence and cabinet members knew, and whether they have been in on the scam.

America is in a very bad time, with the CoronaVirus Pandemic, the economic depression, the racial animus, and now this national security issue.

This is, more now than when the Impeachment trial took place, the most crisis ridden moment since the Great Depression, and possibly more so than the events of the 1930s.

There are signs of some Republicans in Congress starting to stir in anger, but the party has been so feeble, one wonders what will come out of the situation.

More than ever, for sure, it is urgent that Joe Biden defeats Donald Trump by a massive margin in November, or the nation is doomed long term!

The Insult Of Considering Inviting The Taliban Terrorists To Camp David Around The September 11 Commemoration Anniversary

Just as the 18th anniversary of the September 11th attacks was about to be reached, Donald Trump decided he would invite the Taliban terrorist group which harbored Osama bin Laden and Al Qaeda to peace negotiations at Camp David.

Camp David, where Dwight D. Eisenhower invited Nikita Khrushchev of the Soviet Union.

Camp David, where Jimmy Carter invited Menachem Begin of Israel and Anwar Sadat of Egypt.

Inviting the Taliban, who have no intention of making peace, and only want to suppress women and deny music and other modern ideas of civilization, is an insult to all those who died on September 11.

Thankfully, after an American soldier was killed by the Taliban, Trump abruptly changed his plans, but it led to a breach with National Security Adviser John Bolton, leading to his either being fired or resigning.

No one is trying to defend Bolton, who is a serial hawk responsible to a great extent for the Iraq War, and wants to go to war with Iran and North Korea without any thought.

But on this issue of the Taliban, for once, John Bolton was correct, and what the President has done by even considering dealing with the Taliban, is an insult to the nearly 3,000 victims of September 11, and the 2,500 military who have died in Afghanistan since 2001, along with about 20,000 wounded!

The Growing Threat To Mike Pence On The 2020 Trump Ticket

It has been fascinating to watch Vice President Mike Pence squirm and try to keep a poker face every time he is seen behind President Donald Trump.

It is clear to any perceptive observer that the Trump-Pence team is a “shot gun marriage” of convenience, with the evangelical right wing loving the overly puritanical Mike Pence and his wife Karen, who promote anti gay prejudice, and show no compassion or empathy toward those less fortunate. This fits perfectly with the Christian Right, which is only interested in making money and promoting hypocrisy, as they go after gay rights and women’s rights with a viciousness totally unlike the teachings of Jesus Christ.

Pence has kept his mouth shut and his thoughts to himself, as far as we can discern, but the news that Pence apparently sided with former National Security Adviser John Bolton, just fired, in his opposition to the crazy idea to invite the terrorist Taliban of Afghanistan, who harbored Al Qaeda before the September 11, 2001 attacks, to Camp David for a peace accord, is astounding.

So there is apparently a breach between the President and the Vice President, rarely public news in the history of the relationship of Presidents with Vice Presidents.

And just this week, rumors that Ivanka Trump, the President’s daughter, and Jared Kushner, his son in law, were lobbying for Pence to be replaced on the 2020 Presidential ticket by a woman, now seems to make more sense that Pence is starting to resist the craziness of his boss.

Of course, Pence denies he disagreed on the Taliban and Camp David, but since Pence is such a good liar, manipulator, and total religious hypocrite, it will be interesting to see what happens in the next year between Trump and Pence, and the odds of some news of a breach getting out to the public, seems quite likely.

Trump Insisting On Border Wall, While Abandoning Commitment To Resistance To ISIS And Taliban In Middle East, The Much Greater Long Term Threat To National Security

Donald Trump is creating an economic and constitutional crisis in his stubborn insistence on a border wall, which will not insure the safety of the United States, and is a financial boondoggle.

Meanwhile, he is abandoning a commitment to resistance to two Muslim terrorist groups which are still major problems in the Middle East, ISIS and the Taliban, leaving it to other nations that have ill intent—Russia, Iran, Turkey, and the murderous regime in Syria—to resolve that issue, which, instead, will lead to the further growth of terrorism, which will spread around the globe.

This is a much greater long term threat to American national security, and one can sure that in the future, we will have some kind of major terrorist attack caused by ISIS and or the Taliban in a manner that will affect many Americans.

This, if it happens under the Trump Presidency, would be a perfect excuse for Trump to attempt to suspend the Constitution, declare martial law, and accomplish his underlying goal of creating an authoritarian dictatorship on a Fascist model.

This cannot be allowed to happen, and the new 116th Congress must resist Trump at all costs, and Republicans who have any morals or ethics or concern for our historical heritage of rule by law, must join with Democrats to insure the survival of our democratic system of government, at what is clearly now the greatest crisis since the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962, when, fortunately, we had a level headed and mentally stable President in charge.

The Temper Tantrum Of Donald Trump Must Face Democratic Discipline As A Lesson Of What Is Coming

The shutdown of the US government over the Christmas holidays is truly “How the Grinch Stole Christmas”.

Donald Trump is showing just how much of a toddler’s behavior we have to deal with in the Oval Office, and he must face Democratic Party discipline and taught a lesson of what is coming.

Trump will not get his way, will not be allowed to waste taxpayer money in such a reckless way, when a proposed Mexico Wall will have no effect on national security, as there are other ways to protect the border in a more technological manner than a wall which cannot be accomplished in many areas of the 2,000 mile boundary between the US and Mexico.

Trump’s portrayal of the danger of terrorism at the border is preposterous on its face, and instead, he should be changing his plan to leave Syria and now Afghanistan abruptly, when the true terrorist threat of ISIS and the Taliban is being encouraged by Trump’s decision to take rash action on withdrawal of troops.

Leaving both Syria and Afghanistan is a dangerous move that not only affects US national security, and encourages a future Al Qaeda type attack on the American homeland, but also on Americans and other friendly nation nationals in the Middle East over the long haul, as just occurred with two young women slaughtered in Morocco in a brutal ISIS manner.

Withdrawal also encourages Russia, Iran, Turkey, and Syria’s mass murder dictator, and endangers Israel, as it allows expansion of Iranian influence. One can be critical of Israel’s government and its policies, but still be concerned at any threat to its security and survival.

Also, leaving Syria put the courageous Kurdish minority which has fought bravely alongside the US and other allied nations in the cross hairs of the Turkish government, which plans a blood bath to slaughter them, and prevent their establishment of their own nationhood, and this should not be allowed to happen.

If Trump is permitted to win this battle, then constitutional democracy in America and worldwide is threatened.

And Democrats and loyal Americans must make Trump’s Presidency a nightmare, which forces him to resign from office, or convince sensible Republicans that he must be told his time is up, a la what happened with Richard Nixon in 1974 at the end of the Watergate Scandal.

Trump must be taught his limits or the nation is endangered long term.

Donald Trump And Afghanistan: No More Interest In Reform, Only Killing, A Prescription For Disaster!

Donald Trump’s speech on Afghanistan last night was what this blogger expected: Trump the warmonger, a complete switch from his “isolationist” stand during his Presidential campaign.

It was very predictable, as again, Donald Trump proved to be what he has always been best at being, a massive liar and manipulator of the truth!

The man who was a draft dodger, on the basis of bone spurs in the 1960s, and said his “Vietnam” was avoiding sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) with women at that time of his life, now has become a war President, and is allowing his overly dominant military administration to “charge on” in Afghanistan, after 16 years, the most of any American war, and inability to resolve the matter.

Afghanistan caused the loss of Alexander the Great in ancient times; of the British Empire in the 19th century; and of the Soviet Union from 1979-1989.

It is a “hell hole” with no end, and already 2,400 Americans have died in that war, and the war has also cost an estimate of between $841 billion to $2 trillion dollars, a massive waste of money that has undermined the nation! And over 20,000 men and women have been wounded, many of them seriously, and mental issues have arisen among many of these veterans, and many others who were not physically harmed.

And to top it off, Trump has indicated there is no interest in trying to make life better for Afghan civilians, but rather just to kill terrorists!

That is a prescription for endless, constant war, and bitterness, and continued growth of terrorism for decades on end!

The Taliban control an estimated 35-60 percent of the nation, and opium production in the major province that produces the drug is 80 percent under their control.

The Afghan mentality is that you kill their relatives, for generations after, the goal will be revenge, so a war is unwinnable.

And Trump seems to be stirring up trouble with neighbor Pakistan, a Muslim nation with nuclear weapons, with his hostile rhetoric.

It seems as if Trump has decided to be a warmonger–continuing in Afghanistan, while fighting ISIL (ISIS), and stirring up China with threats of trade wars, while trying to deal with North Korea, without starting a new Korean War or using nuclear weapons on Kim Jong Un; and threatening to break the Iranian nuclear agreement; and also suggesting action in Venezuela; as well as trying to deal with the Israeli-Palestinian dispute, Syria, and Iraq.

All that Trump seems to be able to do is make money all of the time, while promoting American imperialism overseas, insuring engagement in more wars, and spending taxpayer money to glorify himself as a “tough guy” in international affairs, while avoiding diplomacy, and cutting the State Department budget by up to 40 percent, including NOT having many ambassadorial positions filled or even nominated after seven months in office!

Trump is a true proponent of unregulated capitalism and American militarism, precisely what has led to so much turmoil and suffering caused by the top few percent of the population who worship Wall Street and the Pentagon as the answer to all problems in America.

Meanwhile, the white and minority working class become the cannon fodder for Trump’s egotism and narcissism, as he continues to divide America, and has no concern about the tremendous damage he is causing, creating an atmosphere of civil anger and disrespect that has split America like no time since the 1960s, and in many ways, worse than that decade 50 years ago!

Afghanistan War 2001-2017: $800 Billion, And 2,249 Americans Killed In A Quagmire That Is Unwinnable With Troops!

Fareed Zakaria spoke today on his CNN show about the Afghanistan War, which began on October 7, 2001, after the attack on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon on September 11, 2001.

We still have more than 8,000 troops engaged in a war that never has really ended, and it is the longest war in American history.

About $800 billion has been spent fighting the Taliban and Al Qaeda, but one cannot say that the war has been won, or will ever be won.

2,249 Americans have paid the ultimate price, in a quagmire that is unwinnable with troops, by any sensible measure of success.

The Soviet Union collapsed by 1991, partly due to the invasion of Afghanistan that went on from December 1979 February 1989.

The British tried to gain control of Afghanistan as part of the British Empire and failed, and the same for Alexander the Great in ancient times.

The loss of life and treasure is enough, and the US should stop their ground war in Afghanistan, and utilize drones as the only worthwhile investment, since the government of Afghanistan is hopelessly corrupt and unable to win the war, with no one really knowing what “winning” means in any case!

Senator John McCain: The Warmonger And Total Hypocrite!

Senator John McCain is off on a new tear, attacking President Barack Obama over the freeing of Army Sergeant Bowe Bergdhal!

Four months ago, McCain was attacking Obama for failing to resolve the captivity of Bowe Bergdhal in Taliban hands for nearly five years, declaring that America NEVER leaves its soldiers behind, and negotiates to accomplish their freedom.

Senator McCain is, once again, being a total hypocrite, and he has well displayed that he is a warmonger, ready to send troops into every nation in the world that has revolution or turmoil, including Libya, Egypt, Syria, and Ukraine among others!

There is no military conflict that McCain seems to think America should and can avoid, despite the war weariness of the American people after 13 years of war in Afghanistan and almost nine years of war in Iraq, creaing the massive number of war veterans that now need physical and psychological care!

We can thank divine grace for the fact that John McCain was NOT elected President, and also that we were not cursed by a Vice President Sarah Palin, who continues to poison the political atmosphere with her stupid, inane, and divisive rhetoric! Additionally, with the advanced age of McCain, we would have to live with the nightmare possibility of a President Palin!

McCain should be condemned for his double standard, saying one view out of one side of his mouth, and another opposing view out of the other side of his mouth! Hopefully, he will NOT run for reelection to the Senate in 2016!

Republican “Chicken Hawks” And The Reality Of The Stress Of Military Service!

Very few members of Congress or the executive branch have served in the military, so they have no real understanding of the stress of military service, and how it can affect one’s reaction to combat conditions.

But it is Republican “chicken hawks”, and conservative talk show hosts who spout their mouth without any facts, all just to make more money and promote more hate, who have been in the lead in condemning Bowe Bergdahl.

So we have Dick Cheney and many others in the GOP, who avoided service, and talk show hosts who never considered volunteering for military service, who are now being shown up, with the revelation that Bergdahl was tortured, beaten, put in a cage, and has gone through hell in captivity with the Taliban, after wandering off the military base in Afghanistan, without a weapon or any real way to keep contact with the base.

It is clear that Bergdahl had a mental and emotional breakdown, and this can happen to anyone under stress. And now, as a result of captivity for five years, and horrible mistreatment, he has been victimized enough already, but leave it to the hypocrites to do more to destroy whatever peace of mind and sanity he might have left, at the young age of 28!

Any decent human being should denounce the Republicans and conservative talk show hosts on radio and Fox News Channel, as they have demontrated no common decency or concern, but simply have this compelling need to destroy a soldier who volunteered, and obviously, has suffered Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

We should pray that this young man be given a chance to come back into American society, and his parents stop being sent death threats, and the exaggerated accounts by fellow soldiers should be taken “with a grain of salt”, as they are NOT the judge of another person’s mental stability! There is already much evidence from the New York Times that much of what fellow soldiers say is far from accurate in reality!