withdrawals...

Today President Obama stood before the American people and outlined his vision for bringing troops home from Afghanistan. As I listened, I was transported back to the days when Vietnam was front and center, and realized we've learned nothing from the lessons of history. I trust no one was excited to learn we're pulling approximately 33,000 troops out by 2012 (which was the original number sent over in the surge to disarm the Taliban).

For those who don't quite understand... Afghanistan is the country that over the course of history has successfully brought other nations to their knees. In ancient times Afghanistan was successfully invaded by Alexander the Great and Genghis Khan. In the modern era, Great Britain spent a fortune occupying Afghanistan, but ultimately, achieving nothing. This landlocked country connecting the Middle East, Central Asia and the Indian subcontinent was also responsible for ultimately destroying the economy of the former Soviet Union.

Why is it we think we'll succeed where othe nations have failed miserably? Might is meaningless in  Afghanistan.

In the Middle East, we've propped up one corrupt regime after another (the Shah in Iran, Saddam Hussein in Iraq), and the latest (Hamid Karzai) is steeped in corruption, making him just another ugly American "puppet."

Unless we're willing to seriously contemplate our existing foreign policy and acknowledge this policy needs a clear realignment, we will fail in Afghanistan, as well as future foreign enterprises. However, we may just run our economy further into the ground before we figure it out.

photo: Pablo Martinez Monsivais, Via Bloomberg / June 23, 2011

memorials

My brother, long passed from this earthly plane is deservedly remembered, being one of a number of young men and women honored on a memorial in Washington, DC.

I remember the day I heard that my brother Steve was dying... even now, it is as though it was yesterday. I was told little, only that he'd been transported to a hospital in San Francisco and wasn't expected to live long... and didn't.

I know my parents rushed out from the east coast, but he'd already died. There was nothing left to do but make arrangements to ship him home... in a box.

I remember the funeral... driving with my family to the grave site at the National Cemetery and thinking, how appropriate that it's raining (as it was...)

I remember the bickering between my parents when they thought no one was listening. The angry voices raised because Steve failed to indicate his religious persuasion (Catholic) on his induction papers. But I understood his hesitation to divulge this information... religion is a very personal thing... besides, he had no intention of dying. He was far too young, and had an entire life to live. Sometimes the best-made plans...

But in writing about my brother, I realize there is an even broader issue -- Vietnam... and perhaps more importantly -- war... in terms of war's effect on humanity.

The ugliness known as Vietnam

Those who came through this skirmish definitely came out a bit worse for wear. Many Vietnam-era vets are living on the streets... in fact, according to statistics, nearly half of all homeless vets served during the Vietnam War.

There are probably a number of reasons why this is the case...

Vietnam was a really ugly war. We Americans lost nearly 58,000 soldiers in the conflict, and at the same time, decimated a country as we dropped "Agent Orange" (Operation Ranch Hand) over wide expanses. Over 20,000,000 gallons fell from the skies in Vietnam, between the years, 1962-1971 in an effort to force Viet Cong from the heavily-forested countryside. This defoliant was later found to contain a highly toxic compound, responsible for multiple deformities found in in-vitro children born in Vietnam and the United States. Drugs smuggled into the United States by vets returning from Vietnam were contaminated by these same defoliants, contaminating even more Americans.

This undeclared "war" created a war within this country, a war in which we refuse to acknowledge the much broader consequences of our actions.

Moving toward Afghanistan

Granted, we're already there. but we can always move next door, into Pakistan... and from there, where next?

Currently we're taking potshots (from drones flying far above the landscape) at vehicles travelling within Pakistani borders... Why do we think this is a legal action? At some point we run the risk of appearing before a tribunal at the Hague to face charges of war crimes.

War solves no problems... never has, never will. Even as the Allies were ridding the world of the warmongering Nazis, a monster known as Joseph Stalln was being created by the very allies attempting to stop Hitler.

Stalin. The name continues to live on in infamy.

What does happen during incursions into other countries is that some contractors make huge fortunes. HUGE!

Halliburton (and former vice-president, Dick Cheney) come to mind as our role in Iraq continues to unfold, both for the theft of money earmarked for rebuilding that country (destroyed by the United States) as well as for the enormous lie told in order to embroil us in Iraq. I know President Obama has taken a position of "hands off" in going after some of the more egregious thieves, but if we choose to ignore this issue, the issue will continue to plague our president, our country, and ourselves.

The real problem: there are still many Americans who continue to believe Saddam Hussain was somehow responsible for the events of 9.11, even though his role was discredited by none other than George W. Bush.