Drums of war

[RVR]

Share:

Facebook X (Twitter) LinkedIn WhatsApp Email Share Link

U S A health care bill hanging in balance.

washingtonpost.com

All the best

 

[Nara]

Chilling video

A military video of an incident that took place in 2007 in Iraq, when unarmed and innocent civilians were murdered in cold blood, children injured, and the macabre crowing of the soldiers was leaked to WikiLeaks. Dan Froomkin, the only journalist who asked some tough questions when he was in Washington Post, who was later fired, has written a article about it in Huffington Post. Here are the links. The video is almost 18 minutes long. Please watch it to fully understand what war entails.

Collateral Murder

WikiLeaks VIDEO Exposes 2007 'Collateral Murder' In Iraq

peace, where art thou!!!!

 

[nachi naga]

re

A military video of an incident that took place in 2007 in Iraq, when unarmed and innocent civilians were murdered in cold blood, children injured, and the macabre crowing of the soldiers was leaked to WikiLeaks. Dan Froomkin, the only journalist who asked some tough questions when he was in Washington Post, who was later fired, has written a article about it in Huffington Post. Here are the links. The video is almost 18 minutes long. Please watch it to fully understand what war entails.

Collateral Murder

WikiLeaks VIDEO Exposes 2007 'Collateral Murder' In Iraq

peace, where art thou!!!!

nara,

wonder why tv statoins dont telecast such serious issues in hand and concentrate on porny and corny stuff.president bush is a hero for indians owing to clearance of sanctions on nuclear fuels,and president obama is a huge fan of gandhiji.usa and india relations at the best now,but Pakistan will always be the pet of americans.

 

[C RAVI]

nara,

wonder why tv statoins dont telecast such serious issues in hand and concentrate on porny and corny stuff.president bush is a hero for indians owing to clearance of sanctions on nuclear fuels,and president obama is a huge fan of gandhiji.usa and india relations at the best now,but Pakistan will always be the pet of americans.

Sri Nachi Nagai ji,

Every one is playing logical games...

America would ever be friendly with Pakistan and India would be towards Russia......There is a great deal behind the bars..

 

[nachi naga]

Sri Nachi Nagai ji,

Every one is playing logical games...

America would ever be friendly with Pakistan and India would be towards Russia......There is a great deal behind the bars..

ravi saar

indians have been helped by russians a lot and we too reciprocated.similiarly with usa,especially after bill clinton took initiative,followed by gwb,and now obama.pakistan is playing a dangerous double game,sooner or later americans will wake up,to this charade.pakistanis hate americans but bottle up their emotions becoz the moolah the americans pump to them.in fact the wrath of american fury will anhilate them,if pakistanis continue this dangerous game.

 

[pannvalan]

I agree with you.

One day, some idiots from Pakistan will cause greater destruction and loss of lives than 9/11, 2001, in USA. Pakistan will be crushed and decimated.

But, should India have to wait until then, without taking any action, regardless of whatever happens on its soil?

 

[nachi naga]

I agree with you.

One day, some idiots from Pakistan will cause greater destruction and loss of lives than 9/11, 2001, in USA. Pakistan will be crushed and decimated.

But, should India have to wait until then, without taking any action, regardless of whatever happens on its soil?

om,its mental telepathy.this is exactly what i have been telling friends,one day the nukes from pakistan will be bombed on usa and as a test run,they pakistanis will use india as soft target.believe me americans and indians never learn from their mistakes,i can understand indians,but not americans getting fooled with their pants down and skirts up.:amen:

 

[Nara]

The longest war in history is still raging, no end in sight. There are many from the sidelines egging the US on for whatever political ends they seek. Barak flew in to scold bad boy Hamid, and in return Hamid says he might join the Taliban. Suddenly, everything is back to normal, Bob and Hillary are ever so sympathetic to the pressures poor Hamid is under, and the civilians caught in the middle continue to pay the price with their dear lives. Who cares about these wretched Muslim fundamentalists anyway, it is a price they must pay for living among the Taliban. How dumb they are to live in a war zone?

Read this opinion piece in full to get a different perspective.

Glenn Greenwald - Salon.com

Cheers!

 

[nachi naga]

The longest war in history is still raging, no end in sight. There are many from the sidelines egging the US on for whatever political ends they seek. Barak flew in to scold bad boy Hamid, and in return Hamid says he might join the Taliban. Suddenly, everything is back to normal, Bob and Hillary are ever so sympathetic to the pressures poor Hamid is under, and the civilians caught in the middle continue to pay the price with their dear lives. Who cares about these wretched Muslim fundamentalists anyway, it is a price they must pay for living among the Taliban. How dumb they are to live in a war zone?

Read this opinion piece in full to get a different perspective.

Glenn Greenwald - Salon.com

Cheers!

nara,how dearly you love your country and its people,yes the political leaders planned this meticulous operation in iraq,but afghanistan is a genuine war,which americans must win at any cost,its so very important for future generations of americans,so plz do not write aginst war in afghanistan.unless opium fields are destroyed,the financial clout from drugs that finance the jihadis will never stop.the best customer for this drug product is americans.25% of oil in the world is used by americans.so,you see,its americans who are killing themselves with their own money with minimal american lives lost.india is a side kick,which is not only showing its facial cheeks,but elsewhere the cheeks existing in the body.dunno why bofors guns india bought and swindled indians in the bargain,ultimately ordinary folks suffer.

 

[Nara]

Obama's war

Folks,

The U.S. military has been gearing up for a major escalation in Afghanistan. In the next few weeks 30,000 more troops are headed there. Billions will be spent and thousands will die. But, nobody seems to even notice. There was a major election that took place last week and the war was hardly debated.

Why is this so?

Never in the history of mankind so much is asked of from so few as that of the US military, with the vast majority caring a naught. For a an analysis of this by Glenn Greenwald click here.

A summary:

• America's indifference to the wars we are waging is because those wars have virtually no effect on the overwhelming majority of Americans
• ... given the types of wars the U.S. chooses to wage, most Americans who express their "support" for them bear absolutely no perceived cost whatsoever.
• .. many who cheer for our wars enjoy that most intoxicating and distorting reward: cost-free benefits, in the form of vicarious feelings of strength, purpose, nobility and the like, all from a safe distance.
• Americans don't pay attention to things that do not seem to affect them directly -- that's why the failing economy receives so much attention and our various wars do not.
• Both parties are in favor of this war, during the Bush presidency, war debates raged because Democrats were opposed to the Iraq war. But now, America's wars are no longer Republican wars; they're Democratic wars as well.
• ..Obama presidency has embraced Bush/Cheney security policies
• But the most significant factor in understanding this lack of debate is the fact that "war" is not some aberrational, temporary state of affairs for the country, war is basically the permanent American condition: war is who we are and what we do as a nation. We're essentially a war fighting state. We have been at "war" the entire last decade (as well as largley non-stop for the decades which preceded it), and continue now to be at "war" with no end in sight.
• the contrast between "war and "normal times" is totally illusory. For the United States, war is normalcy. The "war" we're fighting has been defined and designed to be virtually endless. Political leaders from both parties have been explicit about that. Obama said in May that war will rage on a year, 5 years, and in all probability 10 years from now.
• In September, 2001 George Bush said basically the same thing: "Now, this war will not be like the war against Iraq a decade ago, but a lengthy campaign unlike any other we have ever seen.

 

[kunjuppu]

yes afghanistan is an bottomless pit, the graveyard of yet another empire.

do these guys not read history?

 

[Nara]

do these guys not read history?

What struck me most was this line, "For the United States, war is normalcy"

No other country in the history of mankind has gone on war more than the U.S. The budget for the defense department next year is more than $700Billion. Bill Cristal, the most vocal and stupid among the neo-cons wants it increased substantially. Well, if you are not with the shining city on the hill, then you must be a terrorist.

Where are the young war protesters, getting MBA?

 

[RVR]

War is no solution to the problems facing mankind.

In the nearby Andhra, naxalites are now controlled to a great extent thanks to the visionary politicies of late Rajasekara Reddi.

No military solutions for Maoism : India : S A Aiyar : TOI Blogs

In a recent article in the Times of India, Swaminathan Aiyar advocates effective development work in naxal hit areas to overcome the naxalite menace.

India is already doing lot of development work in Afghanistan and earning good will of common man. Probably all the international communities should join India in carrying the development work forward. At the same time, the civilian administration should be encouraged to recruit more people in security forces so that menace could be controlled at local level.

If America intervenes in the internal affair of Afghanistan, it will create more problems and there will be no solution in the near future like Iraq.

All the best

 

[anandb]

Folks,

The U.S. military has been gearing up for a major escalation in Afghanistan. In the next few weeks 30,000 more troops are headed there. Billions will be spent and thousands will die. But, nobody seems to even notice. There was a major election that took place last week and the war was hardly debated.

Why is this so?

Never in the history of mankind so much is asked of from so few as that of the US military, with the vast majority caring a naught. For a an analysis of this by Glenn Greenwald click here.

A summary:

• America's indifference to the wars we are waging is because those wars have virtually no effect on the overwhelming majority of Americans
• ... given the types of wars the U.S. chooses to wage, most Americans who express their "support" for them bear absolutely no perceived cost whatsoever.
• .. many who cheer for our wars enjoy that most intoxicating and distorting reward: cost-free benefits, in the form of vicarious feelings of strength, purpose, nobility and the like, all from a safe distance.
• Americans don't pay attention to things that do not seem to affect them directly -- that's why the failing economy receives so much attention and our various wars do not.
• Both parties are in favor of this war, during the Bush presidency, war debates raged because Democrats were opposed to the Iraq war. But now, America's wars are no longer Republican wars; they're Democratic wars as well.
• ..Obama presidency has embraced Bush/Cheney security policies
• But the most significant factor in understanding this lack of debate is the fact that "war" is not some aberrational, temporary state of affairs for the country, war is basically the permanent American condition: war is who we are and what we do as a nation. We're essentially a war fighting state. We have been at "war" the entire last decade (as well as largley non-stop for the decades which preceded it), and continue now to be at "war" with no end in sight.
• the contrast between "war and "normal times" is totally illusory. For the United States, war is normalcy. The "war" we're fighting has been defined and designed to be virtually endless. Political leaders from both parties have been explicit about that. Obama said in May that war will rage on a year, 5 years, and in all probability 10 years from now.
• In September, 2001 George Bush said basically the same thing: "Now, this war will not be like the war against Iraq a decade ago, but a lengthy campaign unlike any other we have ever seen.

Shri. Nara

One of the few issues where our views converge. To me, USA has started to resemble the Nazi war machine. Another good article on the subject below and a chilling one. The new name for "War on terror" is "Long War" and a "War without borders". The name says it all. The Al-Qaida and the legend of Osama has to live on for USA to carry out its objectives.

"War without Borders": Obama's "Long War"

God save our planet. I know you would not agree with this statement.

 

[Nara]

.... To me, USA has started to resemble the Nazi war machine.

Dear Anand, I understand what you are implying, but the Nazi regime was so vile that any comparison with it will only strengthen the hands of those who wish to discredit any criticism of U.S. foreign policy.

In this regard, one of the most amazing stories ever to break was reported by The Guardian yesterday -- Israel and the apartheid regime of South Africa (ARSA) had a nuclear weapons cooperation up until almost the last days of the regime. If you look at the news media in U.S. you would only find tepid coverage of this. The only article to appear in NYT was one about the office of Shamon Peres issuing a sort of non-denial denial. The unwritten law of US media coverage is do no harm to Israel.

The hypocrisy of the US media and US government is monumental. The shining city on the hill, the beacon of freedom, is the staunchest benefactor of the nation of Israel. But, for Israel, ARSA, one of the most brutal regimes mankind has ever seen, was a closer ally then even U.S.A.

What timing for the US military to announce it is stepping up espionage operations in West Asia, including against Iran, that, NYT reports "might be useful for a future military offensive." This, when the veil of ambiguity of Israel's nuclear weapons is coming off.

The Guardian article was based on the the book "The Unspoken Alliance". The author of the book, Sasha Polakow-Suransky, was interviewed by Amy Goodman in Democracy Now. He lays out the case meticulously. Please take a listen here.

God save our planet. I know you would not agree with this statement.

You are right, not only because of the god part -- you know the planet will be just fine whatever we humans do, all that will happen is the humans will be wiped out and mother earth may let out a huge big sigh of relief. We will take a lot of other species with us, and that is indeed a crime.

Cheers!

 

[anandb]

okay, comparing to the nazis is a bit over the top but my worry is one really does not know if USA is a friend or a foe as they are involved in many overt and covert operations throughout the world. During the World War, one clearly knew the enemy which is not the case now. A Unipolar world is looking more dangerous now as there is no one to counter the US military might. If one looks at the non-mainstream media reports, it is quite worrying. Agreed the Bush administration was hawkish and everyone knew the neo-con agenda, but with the present Obama administration and these veiled terms like "long war" and "war without borders", it sounds worse. I prefer battling with a visible enemy with a known agenda.

You know the US media better than me but I am not surprised as media all over the world is increasingly controlled more by cut throat corporates than real media people. Media, government and corporates are all hand in glove with each other and "money" is the only common language they speak. This situation is only going to get worse in future so instead of relying on news channels and mainstream news, we should probably do our own independent analysis and arrive at conclusions.

Apart from Israel, US hypocrisy shines through with its support of Saudi Arabia, the hotbed of Wahabi terrorism (mainly exported to India), as well.

I am not too sure about the planet doing well in spite of human actions. Just looking at the recent BP oil spill and the monumental cover up and how the marine life has been affected not to speak of the threat to the livelihood of the fishing industry. Probably needs to be discussed in a separate thread.

Thanks

 

[Nara]

Folks,

in the last two days Amy Goodman of Democracy Now had two particularly interesting interviews. I urge those interested in US foreign policy and the present state of world affairs to find the time to watch them in full, you won't regret it, time well spent.

Johan Galtung:
"I Love The US Republic, And I Hate The US Empire": Johan Galtung on the War in Afghanistan and How to Get Out (24 minutes)


Steven Kinzer of NY Times:
Stephen Kinzer on the History of BP/British Petroleum and Its Role in the 1953 Iran Coup (24 minutes)
Stephen Kinzer: "Reset: Iran, Turkey, and America's Future" (31 minutes)

 

[sangom]

No military solutions for Maoism : India : S A Aiyar : TOI Blogs

In a recent article in the Times of India, Swaminathan Aiyar advocates effective development work in naxal hit areas to overcome the naxalite menace.

To the best of my knowledge the so-called development works of Govt. have increased the already existing exploitation of the tribals by the trading class (which is a long-standing evil) and also seriously affected the tribal set up. The Baniyas did not interfere with the customs, beliefs and social mores of the tribals whereas the Govt. people (Police, Block Development Officials, Collector and his officials, etc.) try to bring the tribals within our modern life style, in the name of emancipating them, and this is at the root of their distrust of the Govt.

 

[nachi naga]

Folks,

in the last two days Amy Goodman of Democracy Now had two particularly interesting interviews. I urge those interested in US foreign policy and the present state of world affairs to find the time to watch them in full, you won't regret it, time well spent.

Johan Galtung:
"I Love The US Republic, And I Hate The US Empire": Johan Galtung on the War in Afghanistan and How to Get Out (24 minutes)


Steven Kinzer of NY Times:
Stephen Kinzer on the History of BP/British Petroleum and Its Role in the 1953 Iran Coup (24 minutes)
Stephen Kinzer: "Reset: Iran, Turkey, and America's Future" (31 minutes)

love galtung sounds like achtung

 

[Nara]

General says ...

Ann Telnaes - General says Afghanistan operation needs more time

 

[nachi naga]

Ann Telnaes - General says Afghanistan operation needs more time

it's so upsetting me,what has been done from 2000-2008,we now expect president obama,magically do away within his first term.if he does all the job now,what will he do in the next 4 year term?

bp oil is a conspiracy to buy cheap oil from gulf countries.as usual uk based bp or is bp american corporate :loco: its all to make americans look bad in the world,and soon china will be the undisputed king or superpower of the world:tsk:

 

[nachi naga]

Troops will be withdrawn depending upon the ground situation in Afghanistan by July 2011.The funding simply needs to be stopped in a phased manner so that no jeopardistaion of troops come in harms way.Alternatively,as Republicans planned,have the base in Afghanistan and make it a reality which will serve twin objectives of american interest in the long run.Without capturing Osama bin laden or taliban being routed,the mission is failed,but at least we have american lives,afghanistan lives,pakistani lives,indian lives will be spared and above all money will be saved for american infrastructure.I say bring back the troops,let afghanistan deal its problems independently and let India be the watch dog in south asia for saarc countries and let not american hatred get rubbed off to indians.jai hind.