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President Obama is set to increase troops to Afghanistan..He announced that its his intention to ‘finish the job’. He says this after winning the Noble Peace Prize..and that has left many people upset. Afghanistan is a unwinable war..Yesterday in downtown Oakland, Congress woman Barbara Lee held a rally/ press conference where she announced that she had introduced a bill HR 3699 that would prevent additional funding for the war in Afghanistan..
She kicks lots of wisdom why we need to be out of Afghanistan.
In this show we interview Barbara Lee as well as actor Danny Glover and assemblyman Tom Hayden and Black Panther founder Bobby Seale. DEFUND THE WAR IN AFGHANISTAN
Here’s the archive and link to the show..
“Finish the job”, message boy, please! Don’t America have to always send the troops overseas during the Christmas holidays? This is bogus, but if it keeps the gas prices lower and ruins the deficit even more, the hell with it! Pres. Obama ain’t calling no shots, that is for sure. Do what you all want, “we” don’t mater. Still looking for Bin Laden, hey? Killed Sadaam, now you looking for “Alkida”. This is really more corporate and militarty welfare to protect… I’m out like a light on this one.
Lee’s bill will go nowhere, but that doesn’t mean that the bi-partisan imperialist mainstream opposes her introducing it. Quite to the contrary. She, along with Kucinich and a few other left-wing Democrats fulfil the special function of holding out the illusion that progressive change will come from the Democratic Party. But for real change to come we must look to ourselves and the class struggle—independent of and against both parties of the rich!
I disagree with the troop escalation, too. But Obama is not the first Democrat to a) play ball with the military powers, and b), promise to not do so. It’s almost as if Obama is the first president ever to be held to his campaign slogans verbatim. Do we need to run down Bush’s campaign promises and how many of them he’s made good on? “I’m a uniter, not a divider”. No criticism. People just accept the fact that he lied to get into office. Don’t even get me started on his hyperbolic fairy tales about the free market. The economy crashes on his watch, and I’m yet to hear anyone hold him to all of his promises about how well the free market would work with his elimination of regulations. Oh, except for Obama in his ’08 campaign. I don’t agree with how Obama is handling the war or the economy. At the same time, I’m not going to pretend this shit is his fault, either, and that he’s the first presidential candidate to make boisterous promises to win. They all do. And the reason why Obama won is because his promises are not all that extreme, anyway. He really just promised change. More specifically, to make America a better country for the middle class. Is he not at least trying that with health care? Is it his fault Republicans are standing in his way? They don’t let him change things, then they mock him for not changing things.
Rob thomas fall back with all them excuses. You elected BO because he was supposed to change the status quo. now your just saying oh well all presidents lie. You should have voted for mccain because at least when he flip flopped we wouldn be so confused as to what is right and what is wrong.
Separation is the only soloution for blacks in this nation. Take it or leave it. Obama never had any integrity because he and the “change” slogan was chosen by rich men who promote wars and rob the average American citizen of their well being.
Maybe people will finally start waking up to the fact that Obama is NO DIFFERENT than any other President that has preceded him. He is merely a Trojan Horse that has duped the whole of humanity (especially black folks) into supporting an initiative that President Bush dreamed of.
He is a POLITICIAN, period; and they are no different than any other salesman. Remember when Obama said this:? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4LsSppYxSHk&feature=player_embedded
He even said that “You can take that to the bank.” Whoever would have guessed that he was talking about Bear Stearns. :o(
Those who strive to stay sleep will be rudely awakened.
Tungz
It’s complicated. The president is limited in how much he can go against the established grain. If he even wanted to redraw troops the result would be counted as failure to accomplish objectives and he would not be re-electable. As long as we are still active and the mission objective is current he is safe politically. The opposition to escalation is marginal.
t,
I don’t know what you mean by me voting for Obama to change the status quo. What do you mean by status quo? who are you referring to when YOU say status quo? I voted for Obama because he was the best candidate. Better than Hillary because I didn’t want 20 years of Clinton/Bush, and better than McCain on just about every issue. As far as change goes, I certainly didn’t expect much change in ONE YEAR. Although, some change has come, regardless. Is Obama not trying to make health care more affordable? Say he isn’t. Say he’s not at least trying to make health care more affordable to those who can’t afford it right now. You can’t because you know he is. Give him that much, for crying out loud.
Didn’t Obama state that this was one of his goals BEFORE getting elected?
Anyway, this looks to be an effort to secure certain areas while building up Afghan forces. It also looks to be a beefed-up withdrawal from the region. I’d also throw in an eventual withdrawal from Iraq, since some of those forces will simply get shifted.
Frank, you put things into perspective. Thanks.