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Subscribe to RSSDr. Ashraf Ghani, the chairman of Afghanistan's Transition Coordination Commission, discusses the U.S.-Afghanistan relationship.
KABUL, Afghanistan – The hopes of a whole nation are riding on the shoulders of Dr. Ashraf Ghani.
As chairman of Afghanistan’s Transition Coordination Commission, his mission is to ease his country fully back into Afghan hands as the United States and its allies finish their withdrawal by the end of 2014.
If that sounds like a daunting task, it is. Some have already said that the mission is doomed for failure.
But after listening to a few minutes of Ghani’s plans and vision, it’s hard not to believe that the war-ravaged country will one day rise from the rubble and become a key leader in the region.
Cautioning that the process will take time, Ghani says that Afghanistan will still need the assistance of the United States.
“American diplomacy is going to be indispensable,” he said during a recent interview in his home in Kabul. “The type of diplomatic imagination that created stability in Europe after World War II and then in East Asia … is going to be required. Because our problems are not national, they’re regional and global.”
Preparing for US withdrawal
Ghani, 63, left Afghanistan in 1977 to pursue a master’s degree at New York’s Columbia University. Due to the uncertainty in Afghanistan starting with the war with the Soviet Union in the 1980s and then during the Taliban’s regime, he ended up staying in the U.S. for 24 years, even becoming an American citizen. But after the fall of the Taliban, he returned to Afghanistan in December 2001 to become the chief adviser to President Hamid Karzai.
“[America] is a place where I was educated and taught. So it brings memories and networks of friendship,” he said. “Some of my best years were in the United States.”
Ghani gave up his American citizenship in 2009 to run in Afghanistan’s presidential elections. Although he says he has had the opportunity to reclaim his U.S. citizenship, he says he has declined. “America is not my home; Afghanistan is,” he said.
NBC News speaks with citizens from around the globe, asking the question, 'What Does America Mean to You?'
As the U.S. prepares to withdraw from Afghanistan, Ghani believes that if Washington fails to continue supporting Afghanistan, it will have tragic global consequences.
He says he has a great deal of respect and gratitude for American generosity and sacrifice when it comes to Afghanistan, but believes many mistakes were made and potential lost because of the lack of U.S. understanding of Afghan needs. He also believes that Afghanistan was neglected after the invasion of Iraq, which he calls a conscious decision that took “so much of the oxygen and resources away from the Afghan war.”
Contractors and the private sector have been another major problem, according to Ghani. He blames some of America’s mistakes on the outsourcing of government functions to contractors without proper government oversight and supervision, leading to the loss and misuse of billions of dollars in funding and U.S. taxpayer money.
“Afghanistan of the next two years cannot be treated from the perspective of the Beltway in Washington where private contractors, both civil and military, predominate,” he says.
Afghans are ‘no different from any American’
In addition, he believes there is a disconnect when it comes to the American people’s perception of Afghanistan.
“We are not succeeding in making our case to the American public,” he said. “The majority of Afghans are decent, hard-working and in terms of what they want in life, they’re no different from any American. They want education for their children. They want the ability [to access] … necessities. And they would like to live without violence hanging over them.”
Ghani said that Afghans embraced America “whole-heartedly” in 2001 because they believed the United States would help end violence, poverty and the abuse of power in the bruised nation.
“If dislike has grown [among Afghans] it is because they have seen lack of movement towards the goals that they thought were shared values,” he said
But he believes that most Afghans still know that they need the help of the United States.
“Ordinary people of this country see the partnership with the United States as absolutely indispensable to our future security and in stability,” he said.
This story is part of a series by msnbc.com and NBC News "What the World Thinks of US". The series aims to check the pulse on current perceptions of America's global stature during the election year and ahead of our annual Independence Day.
Share your thoughts about this story and our series on Twitter using #AmericaMeans '
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They are all liars, thieves and murders. Do not beleive anything they say. Let them eat their own excrement and leave them to rot in hell. They derserve nothing less!
ROTFLMAO! You go and take a Dirt Nap Suzuki Takeo. Is that a name? Funny name! Sounds Chinkish. You Chinkish?
yoomama, I can take a lot of ignorance in attacking someone stupid enough to refer to "rednecks" in a perjorative way, but Suzuki Takeo is a Japanese name. The Japanese perpetrated the Rape of Nanjing and other atrocities against the Chinese, though they steadfastly refuse to apologize.
"Afgans are no different than Americans". Answer this simple question: How many Afgans gave up their limbs and lives for Americans?..............You Morons are a JOKE!
WOW. what am enlightened approach. Let me ask you something numb nuts; have you ever been to Afghanistan? Do you know any Afghans? Yea, I thought not. Go away clown!
Well, Mikey, I've been to Afghanistan. They are nearly a century and a half different from us. Go to an Afghani village and try to interview the wives or daughters!
Mikeee, suck the sloppy end.
Century? What an ignorant mistake on my half: a millenium and a half.
Suzuki Takeovia Facebook
F.O.
hey suzuki instead of spending your day on facebook calling people names because you dont agree with them, why dont you look for a job or lose the 40lbs you seem to be carrying on your face?
Only Idiots post with their real name here. Unless they want attention from their boy friends.
Well, I think he's wrong. There's at least one way Afghanistanis are superior to Americans: They don't get on msnbc discussion boards with the sole purpose of hurling excrement.
That's because they prefer the stone age BEFORE computers and other such technologies. Don't worry.. they're gossiping via camel even as we type. =P
Byron, you have the best post on this thread, other then mine.
The rest of these guys must be Catholic or some other religion. Only they would know anything about judging people before meeting them...and throwing stones. Or just judging in general. As they performed even more grotesque acts while 'that' was spreading (R.I.P Indians and witches, btw)..like a disease..WOW, good thing that was a few or couple generations back and no one dares to talk about that!!
Darn, I could use a good lynching..jk. h'yuck. Anyways.
Rachel is about right in her assessment though, the average joe, in Afgan, is living the life of "the old west", with more of a tribal attitude when it comes to religion. It's only marginally better here in some of the red states, don't kid yourselves.
Neli, are you going to provide some cash for those said computers? The average salary of a worker is $1-2/hr in Afghan. You're just ignorant. Food or computer..hmm...which one...huh..Bet you never had to make that decision.
Excel, Do not judge or call names when you know nothing of whom you speak. I infact DO KNOW that most are content with their ways. it isn't that they can't afford "said computers" it's that they do not value that type of technology as they do modern weaponery. We soldiers often know a bit more than most on countries we are at war with/for.
Keep your judgement to yourself. Thanks
how about under educated.
That describes a fair whack of Americans actually.
He also believes that Afghanistan was neglected after the invasion of Iraq, which he calls a conscious decision that took “so much of the oxygen and resources away from the Afghan war.”
I do not understand why they talk about our assistance as if we are obligated to help them. We need to leave them to their own means, and they need to learn how to survive without the assistance of Americans.
but believes many mistakes were made and potential lost because of the lack of U.S. understanding of Afghan needs.
This is rich, isn't it?
My question is: why do they expect help, if they dislike so much the Americans anyway? Why are WE the ones who need to "learn their culture"? We were looking for a criminal that they were hiding. I am not sure why we are still there, wasting resources that are needed here. Osama Bin Laden has been caught. We have NOTHING to do there.
They can continue with their culture. They want help, but are unwilling to change. We are the ones who need to change. Oh Please!
Yeah, those Afgannies really know all about us Americans. You can take that to the bank, or the mosque, or the outhouse....
IRESPOND, you are totally ignorant!
The Afghan people will not even stand up against the terrorists in their own midst but then expect Americans to die to keep them safe - what a joke. Most Afghan civilians turn a willful blind eye to the activities of the terrorists in their country and are completely unwilling to report suspected terrorists or their activities. They hide behind excuses like their fear of reprisal as reasons for not reporting suspected terrorists but then turn around and expect Americans to risk their lives to stop these same terrorists. Until the Afghan civilians are willing to put their own lives on the line to make their country better they have no right to expect anyone else to do so. Allowing the terrorists to hide in their midst and doing nothing about it only serves to ensure that these terrorists will be in a position to seize control once the US military leaves. The Afghan civilians need to start outing these terrorists and denying them places to hide if they really want to improve their country and make it a safe place to live. Until they are willing to do this, the US should not risk another American life or spend another American tax dollar trying to help them. Until they are willing to take on the risks associated with helping themselves, they have no right to ask anyone else to take that risk.
I'm sure Afghanistan's collapse in the 70s and 80s had nothing to do with America's aggressive push against Soviet influence and support of the Mujahideen. Obviously we're totally not responsible at all.
With continued REPUBLICRAP "leadership" WE will become Afghanistan, along with the massive corruption. That is already rampent in ALL of our business and government actions. Afghanistan's people ARE no different that any other human but their practice of RELIGIOUS FANATICISM BY THESE PEOPLE is what keeps them in the 12th century. If we want to join them vote for Mitt and his henchmen, if you want to move FORWARD in every aspect of life, liberty, and justice vote for all progressive democrats. Do this and we ALL WILL PROSPER, and still practice your belief in your "savior" in the sky.
MikeO76, as far as I can tell, you have nothing to add to this thread other than spontaneous name calling and random small minded commentary. If you are so in-sync with the Afgan people and culture, please give us your perspective and enlighten us all. Although I fully support your right to comment on anything...please, at least try to give a perspective. You never know, you may end up actually making (and communicating) a good point.
Ghandi would make a great politician in the U.S. However, trying to compare Afghans to Americans is like trying to sell an Orange for a dad gum Grape.
This was what he says was the Afghans' view of the U.S. in 2001:
This was reported in November 2011 about Karzai's view of the U.S. (bottom line: Karzi's "strategic partnership" is show me the MONEY):
This is how the Afghan police and military NOW respond to U.S.'s help:
Most everyone on the planet wants to be able to adequately provide for their families, be able to send their children to college, and be able to live in PEACE.
ray4ausa
Actually it is the libiot democraps in power now numb nuts!
Reading the comments above, I need to concur with Mr. Ghani's observation that for a whole lot of Americans there is a serious disconnect when it comes to Afghanistan.
Afghans believed that "the United States would help end violence, poverty and the abuse of power in the bruised nation." We've acted like an occupying power, not like a country that wants to help the people of Afghanistan live in peace and prosperity. Mr. Ghani's reference to the need for post - World War II - type policies was not an accident.
Here's what is possibly the most important quote from the article -- it goes beyond Afghanistan or even America and affects people around the globe:
"Contractors and the private sector have been another major problem, according to Ghani. He blames some of America’s mistakes on the outsourcing of government functions to contractors without proper government oversight and supervision, leading to the loss and misuse of billions of dollars in funding and U.S. taxpayer money."
This is happening, over and over again, both here and abroad. We are allowing corporate interests to pocket our tax money. Those corporate interests are determined to keep getting that money, so the situation needs to stay unstable -- and that serves to block any real progress. It is widespread and it is actually pretty terrifying. Economic terrorism is still terrorism. Read The Shock Doctrine by Naomi Klein.
I'm sure Afghanistan's collapse in the 70s and 80s had nothing to do with America's aggressive push against Soviet influence and support of the Mujahideen. Obviously we're totally not responsible at all.
I do not see the Russians very sorry AND PAYING about all the harm that they have inflicted around the world, or the French or the British, etc..
I do not see the Taliban being sorry or repaying any of the victims of 9/11. Do you suppose that WE ARE the only ones that should PAY for eternity to the entire world for things that happened long time ago?
And you're available and ready to tell us how so right? IRESPOND's post was spot on Mike, without proof you're the one who's ignorant.
My question is: why do they expect help, if they dislike so much the Americans anyway? Why are WE the ones who need to "learn their culture"? We were looking for a criminal that they were hiding. I am not sure why we are still there, wasting resources that are needed here. Osama Bin Laden has been caught. We have NOTHING to do there.
They can continue with their culture. They want help, but are unwilling to change. We are the ones who need to change. Oh Please!
Nailed it. Perfectly said.
If we wanted to live like fourth century goonballs I'm sure we'd be flying over there with passports and citizenship applications. And we'd all be eager to wear our laundry on our head and fan belts strapped around our waists; and krapping in caves and sleeping under rocks. But NONE OF US HERE ARE. At least, not to my knowledge.
Any show of hands to disprove me?????
He says that Americas diplomacy will be needed. Diplomacy and compromise are not in the Taliban or warlords vocabulary. There is NOTHING in Afghanistan for us that's even REMOTELY worth the price we've paid so far. Get out now and leave them to their own devises.
Once again it is all about our money, not about how Afgan will help themselves. How interesting that he came for an education and like so many others just stayed. I for one say pull everything and everyone out of the middle east. The oil is not worth the lives and money we have poured into this area of the globe. All of what we have wasted would have paid for alternative energy in our country and put our people to work building the new energy of the globe. The only ones who insist we remain is the "oil boys". Time to wake up and let them fight their own wars and should any inkling of terroist attacks come to light ....well be ready for a full on war and next time no Mr Nice guy Enough is enough-
So you're saying we should treat politics like grade school bickering instead of setting examples?
"But, but, mr. obama, johnny was pissing all over the floor too! It's not fair wahhhaahhh!"
lolfattynerdswhoknew, did I get that right? That's a mouth full. Any way, we don't have to TREAT politics as school yard bickering, our "elected representatives" in Washington have been doing a fine job of SETTING that EXAMPLE for at least the last 20 years. "Of the people, by the people and for the people is a f'n joke anymore. It's more like of the politicians, by the politicians and for the special interest groups. I am fed up with my hard earned tax dollars and American lives being WASTED abroad!! There is absolutely nothing in Afghanistan that is even REMOTELY close to being worth the price we've already paid. "But Mr Obama, Johnny was pissing on the floor too, just like you and your cohorts and Mr Romney and his, are pissing on the American people." Enough's enough, I'll be voting the alternative this time around, (excluding the obligatory communist party candidate) to try and send a message to Washington. If more would do the same, they might even get that message. People, don't forget. Those self righteous a-holes work for US, plain and simple. WE pay their salary. When's the last time a special interest group represented your interests? Enough of this. Time to listen to some smooth jazz and relax. Music does sooth the savage beast. Just remember, never let your guard down.
ps; what exactly is it that the fatty nerds knew?
Why did this double standard typical Afghan, Paki and other hypocrites come to the US in the first place and stay so long?
Did anyone ask them to leave their beloved nations?
He should have stayed back in Afghanistan itself.
He wants US monies even after NATO forces leave.
IRESPOND,
You must be a General huh? Knowing so much about how we were after one guy and now he's dead. Is that what you think needs to happen? You think that the U.S. military should pack up and leave? Is, is that a good idea hmmm? You think those extremists all went back to their day jobs? hmm? How, how you coming on that novel you been workin' on? huh? Got a big ahhhhh, stack a papers there? Gotta, gotta nice little, nice little story you're workin on there? Maybe, maybe a novel you been workin on for three years? huh? Gotta compelling protagonist? ha, hm.... Got an obstacle for him to overcome? hmmm.. little, little story there you been workin on? Workin on that for quite some time huh? Talkin about that three years ago...Been workin on that the whole time? Nice little ehhhh narative? Beginning, middle, and end? Some friends become enemies, some enemies become friends? ehhh? At the end your main character is richer for the experience? ehhh? ehhh? yea? No no you know whats best for the country.
You're both right.
Karzai and Ghani criticize America at every opportunity. But at the end of the day they both realize that their respective life expectancies are 15 minute after we leave.
So many armchair experts on the whole situation.
Things are rarely as simple as people like to believe.
The average Afghan citizen is no different than the average American citizen.
People are people.
That is the point of the article.
critical times hard to deal with, will be here.
"People from the USA are no different from any Eskimo".
Ghani, this guy is so full of BS it is a joke. Stay in Afganistan or the world will suffer, you could have managed your expenses better while fighting for our independence, the people thought in 2001 you would save them but mistrust you now but know they need the US.
You know what else Ghani?? The US is sick of Afganistan and could care less, Forget you and all your terrorist citizens.
How do you feel going through life without a clue?
Just fine Mike, I stated my opinion on an article which is my freedom of speech. I am sorry you can add nothing other than to be critical of others. Sad life for you I guess.......
Add Pakis, Saudis and co to the list!
Just see how many faces, double talks, finger pointings and pleads in one stretch!
Can anyone beat them?
When americans exhibit the same and many times even more amount of HATE than those they spit on, then they really are no different.
American do not strap themselves with bombs and walk into markets or on buses and kill hundreds of people all in the name of some dark ages religion that teaches hate and murder. Americans do not stone women to death for being raped or simply for flirting and a variety of harmless acts. Americans do not kill people because they changed their religion ro kill women because they want to be rid of abusive husbands. Americans are not much like Afgans or any other Muslim @!$%#hole. We have our problems but we could solve most of them if we weren't trying to help other people solve theirs.
Stating words and actually acting upon them are two totally different items...
Wellstated Dan,
No, Americans do not kill watonly for some cruel,hate filled religious culture. Americans do value education and family life and Afghans do not. Killing innocents,stoning women, a culture that is filled with hate, violence, and killing non believers...Yes...That's Afghanistan and the entire muslim scum culture, but is sure as hellis not America and the USA! Never compare Afghans to hard working, freedom loving, Americans, we will never be the same as those illiterate, lazy, hate filled muslims.
What you say is true,In the 50 & 60 the propaganda was focused on the USSR.
Yap I agree Americans would never beat, rape, steel, stab, shoot, rob, or kill anyone. What effin koolaid are you people drinking. Americans are just as cruel or more so than other countries, they kill for their reasons and Americans kill for their reasons is one really better than the other...
"American do not strap themselves with bombs and walk into markets or on buses and kill hundreds of people"......Can you say Timothy McVeigh
You know...I used to think that we American's were better than most in the world...then I reached my 16th birthday and started paying attention to news coming from Viet Nam because I knew I might have to go. Nothing high and mighty about us...we have our good days....we have our bad days. Just like every other country, race, religion.....human.
Stackdat: You have that right!
So you are comparing one event perpetrated by a nutcase that happened a long time ago to daily suicide bombings that have been going on for years and continue to this day?
You don't even get 2 more pitches, you already struck out.
The average schmuck living in Afghanistan is no different than the average schmuck living in America.
They would no more strap a bomb to themselves than the average American would.
Quit blaming every Afghanistan citizen for the crimes perpetrated by the few.
If I was making $1-2/hr, like the average worker or religious whack job in Afghanistan. Those 79 virgins promised in heaven just for a suicide, would sound pretty darn good. I mean, what else is there?
That's an insult to claim Afghanistans are no different than Americans--they are women abusers, murderers, the scum of the earth that hide behind a cult whose only purpose is to enslave others or kill them.
Not to worry, the Tea Party Republicans will insure that the Americans are women abusers, NRA gun toting murderers, Mafia financial scum of the earth and hide behind the cult of Ayn Rand whose only purpose is to enslave us, or kill us using corporate insurance death panels that deny coverage for pre-existing conditions and drop coverage when we need it most. Yea, TP Taliban.
Well, he's a little off...we don't use our sports stadiums for beheadings and stonings..yet...but there's still hope.
Please, vote Republican so we can be more like Afghanistan and Somalia!!! I'm so jealous of those wonderful times everyone is having in Afghanistan! And having no government in Somalia to interfere with us doing whatever we want sounds like heaven! Let's do it here! Go GOTP!!!
Sorry dls, I think you have it wrong, obama care is the one with death panels
dls... Couldn't help but notice the vile bigotry you exhibit for Conservatives. Your post is so clogged with your mental diarrhea it's really difficult to tell whether you are related to Charles Manson, Mao Tse Tung or Adolf... Why not take a drink of that Kool Aid you've been skipping, or, maybe you need to get back to the welfare office where you can pick up more food stamps... buy some booze this time to lighten your load.
So, in your very narrow mind all Afghans are Taliban? Totally clueless.
Z-man = CLUELESS. Please tell me, oh enlightened one, where the death panels are? Go watch Fox News you clown.
Just the other day my neighbor was lamenting that she wished she had a brother that would give her large sums of money to grow poppy in the empty field between our homes, and sell the heroin she would produce to gun smugglers and the CIA.
I exclaimed, WOW ! you sound like you might be Afghani.
Turns out she was kidding and just wasn't sure her doctorate in civil engineering was going to get her by in today's economy.
I guess they are right... there is no difference.
I still offered her a source to buy a nice camel, but she declined, stating that she would probably get a ticket for parking it in her handicap zone.
Have you actually read the Texas GOP platform for 2012? They officially oppose critical thinking skills.
"Afghans are just like Americans"? What an idiotic comparison and what an ignorant slap to every citizen in the USA. Americans for generations worked unbelievably hard to form a stable government, to build this nation into a great and successful country, to aid virtually every nation in the world who needed help. ( Although with a foolish and overly generous naivete in many, many instances, but because of the deep and inate generosity of the American people. This clown who somehow obtained US citizenship and has now renounced it wants to compare our people to the Afghans? Their backward, illiterate, tribal, cruel and unstable country has done nothing to help the world ever! Now he of course says that they will need the USA to help them...which if he says they are already like Americans, what the hell does he expect us to help them be? Even more like the Americans, this guy is a top aide to Karzai who is nothing more than a corrupt and worthless slime stealing everything he can to enrich himself. Every American should be insulted by this ignorant article and babbling of this Karzai wannabe. Let this hate filled, illiterate, worthless muslim country fend for itself, but never, ever, ever try to compare it's people to Americans!
That is more texass than it is GOP.
And it's a BS lie, just like most things morons spew about Texas.
Wow, nice thing to offer your neighbor. Camels cause cancer! It's printed right on the side of the pack.
I would not agree with the "scum of the earth" part, but human/womens' rights violations, Taliban are supporting of terrorist organizations of course, corrupt (but the USA is arguably corrupt as well, just hidden behind lobbyists and not so open as a bribe of cash in a sack or suitcase), little or no freedom of speech, no freedom of religion as the Taliban have harsh degrees of Islam they force on the whole country. So no, Afghans and their society and tribal practices are not the same as America and need to mature much more before a claim can even be close to that statement.
Except it's actually in the platform, you just don't want your illusions about Texas shattered. You can see for yourself. s3.amazonaws.com/texasgop_pre/assets/original/2012-Platform-Final.pdf
Knowledge-Based Education – We oppose the teaching of Higher Order Thinking Skills (HOTS) (values clarification), critical thinking skills and similar programs that are simply a relabeling of Outcome-Based Education (OBE) (mastery learning) which focus on behavior modification and have the purpose of challenging the student’s fixed beliefs and undermining parental authority.
I was an usher once for the Performing Arts in town and one night I was to do a show for Afghanistani music. I was expecting drums and old men, with kids doing folk dances. But it was the youth with very modern music with all the computerized accomplishments of lighting and sound systems. They were even more professional than American kids. I was astounded. I had heard they were all so backward. Not at all. However, some of the old men who talked to me called them harlots and scandolus and complained all the kids were way to modern. They weren't like Americans (tho all were dressed like Americans) but not at all uneducated or backward.
What a surprise for me. I know they were partially destroyed by the Soviets. I know American has been in there too, much longer than the American public knows...with all our Corporate enterprises...Cokecola, Banks, Computer Co., Oil companys, mining and Chace Morgan even bought a very large Gold Mine. Child labor by American bosses has been going on for many,many years. America wants bases in the Middle East and to hook everyone in the world into their Capitalist Market Place. They have good reason to be very peeved with USA. Our system of Capitalism is bad for the world. Our Imperialistic Government is bad for the world and US citizens. Their Religious Government is bad for their people. Their corruption is bad for their people. Our corrupt Government, contractors and Corporations are bad for US people. Both the US and others there run sex traffic Business which is bad for everyone. The mining business are polluting. All the crap chemicals from guns and drones have given Afghanistan the highest rate of birth defects anywhere...kids born without limbs, without eyes in their heads..really weird things. We never should have been their, ever. The 9/11 never would have happened!!!! Corporations should stay home, become more self-sufficient and maybe be content with Billions in profits instead of Trillions. The Military should get home immediately and so should the Corporations and Contractors! The Military has been guarding Corporate, you know. Try telling them to get the heck out.
I agree!
What bothers me is that we jump on as directed Saudis and co in Iraq, Syria, Iran!
They are all the same bunch!
He's correct on that point... they have the Taliban, we have the Tea Party and Republicans. Everyone else just wants to live their lives and be treated fairly.
Let me see, I am a Republican and a Tea Party member, and all I want is to be treated fairly with less Govt interference
Yeah... sure... "Fair" to a Republican Tea Partier means they can treat women as second-class citizens and dictate how to manage their bodies, tell everyone what religion they have to be, only those who can afford it can have health care, and everyone else gets to breath polluted air and drink poisoned water... "Fair" to a Republican Tea Partier means no responsibility and everyone else can f-off as long as the Republican Tea Partier gets to do whatever they want while collecting the benefits they would deny others. Sounds like the Taliban to me.
Show me I'm wrong. Show me that you believe in equality and fairness to all and not just yourself and I will change my opinion.
That's right z-man Tea party Republicans only want the government to interfere in telling people who they can marry, what access women should have to health care, whether we should teach science rather that superstition in schools.... not trivial stuff like making sure the rich pay their fair share of taxes, protecting the environment, maintaining our national infrastructure, protecting the hard earned wealth of the middle class from wall street thieves..
Me too.. and a chance to keep more of my own money if I work harder at earning it. After all.. I'm not getting any more benefit from the government if I work twice as hard, now am I? And I really don't believe in socialism or communism. I believe in helping people that I know who don't want to be poor and down and out. I would rather give to them than to the government to redistribute to folks whose morality (or lack thereof) may be objectionable to me.
OK David, get ready to change your opinion. I am a Tea Party member and (shock) I am a woman. And no, I'm not barefoot with three teeth and ignorant - I actually have a doctorate and an IQ of 160. I have never treated any other women as if they were second class citizens and have never had my body dictated to by any of my Republican/Tea Party friends or colleagues, but have regularly been treated as second class by liberals and democrats. In fact, I once was told by an uber-Democrat liberal boss that I and all of the other women professionals in my office needed to no longer have direct contact with our clients because he felt the clients had an expectation of dealing with men in our firm, so we were to just remain out of sight when clients were in our office. While I have faith in my Christian religion, my very close friends (including one of my best friends) who I love and respect have many different religions - Jewish, Muslim, and Hindu (most beautiful wedding I ever went to was an Indian Hindu one). I actively volunteer to help less fortunate in my community, donate considerable amounts of money and time to local charities, and work at the food bank to help feed families who are having a tough time in my community. Also, it was not Tea Party members who called Deneen Borelli a Token Flip and Aunt Tomesetta when she was named by the Tea Party to head a division of the Tea Party's FreedomWorks - it was the liberals who attacked her and called her every name in the book. The rest of your babble is just mindless nonsense. So perhaps after you change your opinion (because you said you would) you can explain how you become so misguided about who are actual members of the Tea Party. Or are you just so angry at yourself that you have to lash out at everyone else and make up falsehoods to detract from your own failings.
coleslaw, I thought you had an IQ of 160? That, to me would mean that you are capable of critical thought.
Your post screams otherwise.
I call shenanigans!
PJ, can you explain your premise? I give you a simple and true factual statement and you claim I am incapable of critical thinking because ... why? Do you have some specific example of where I have treated other women as second class citizens? Do you have some specific example of where I had my body "dictated to" by my Tea Party friends and colleagues? Please provide them, because I can assure you I have had neither situation ever happen. But please note the specific example (one of many) I did provide of the opposite occurring in connection with a liberal democrat.
Repeating the same falsehood ten times in a row does not make it more true, it just makes you sound more obtuse. The Tea Party does not, and never has, engaged in some mythical "war on women". That has been completely fabricated by liberals like you who do so to promote fear and ignorance in order to try to keep power over others. Sound familiar...?
coleslaw, Well said.
pj, you are exactly the type of hateful liberal that cannot say anything positive about a conservative because your head is too far up your ass for you to see when you are wrong. What a joke.
ok coleslaw1... first, I have a hard time believing you have the same IQ as Einstein, so your credibility is questionable. Second, don't think for a moment you can analyze who I am. I am quite successful (top 10% of income earners) and I've spent a significant part of my life living and working in other countries, including the Middle East. I'm not a liberal or a conservative, but I do believe "any society, any nation, is judged on the basis of how it treats its weakest members -- the last, the least, the littlest" (I hope you are familiar with who made this quote).
So far, the only thing you've shown me is your arrogance and your psychological projection. You've done nothing to indicate that the Republicans and Tea Partiers want to see everyone in this country have clean water, air, and food and access to health care regardless of their social standing and to not be financially raped by corporations.
This election is a choice between two visions for the future of America: One vision is for continuation of the progressive vision of a balance between equality and freedom as the moral foundation of justice, and a more recent conservative vision of an entitlement due the wealthy and the equivalence of corporations to the rights and protections of natural persons under the Constitution.
A progressive future is one in which government is a custodian of the public trust and advocates for justice; where justice is a balance between equality and freedom. Government as a custodian of the public trust means that everyone plays by the same rules and that everyone is equal before the law. Public trust means the rights of the people to preserve and protect the common property of the United States is not severable to the interests of privatization. Public trust means that a corporation has no rights except those given to it by law and does not have equal standing with a natural born person under the Constitution.
The conservative future is one of a hostile corporate takeover with privatization of government functions. The corporate takeover means that having wealth is an effective barrier to others participating in the process of government. It means that government would no longer serve the interests of the community but collaborate with the wealthy corporate owners to establish a separate set of laws that entitle them to preferential treatment while creating barriers to competition by eliminating opportunities for others.
The free market is a myth: if it isn't regulated by government to prevent fraud, it is regulated by the corporate oligarchy to prevent competition. Free means not having to go to jail for fraud and theft.
This election is a moral choice between affiliation or aggression, empathy or egotism, service or selfishness, cooperation or competitiveness.
The tale of two visions is the difference between a government of the people, by the people and for the people, and a government run by a plutocracy of corporate power.
So...... should I vote for the giant douche? .... or the turd sandwich?
Take off the rose colored glasses. Obama is twice as bad as Bush. Bush would never have dared to execute an American citizen without benefit of trial in a foreign country we are not at war with. Your vision of America is with King Obama sitting in judgment over us all with his hand on the button of a drone deciding who lives and dies. Guantanamo is still open, renditions still happen, he has quadrupled the drone war, taken us to war in Libya and wants to do something in Syria. Obama extended the Patriot act and wants to turn off our internet. Big Brother is here and he occupies the white house.
Two corrupt political parties trying to sell their rose colored glasses to the masses..... No thanks. We cannot have any sort of progress when our people are dividing along these party lines. It makes no sense.
Well put.
English is the only language where two positives can make a negative, "Yeah, right." Seriously, if we have learned nothing from the Afghanis and the Pakistanis, it is they are nothing but liars, cheats and thieves. Take this article in that perspective and leave it at that. We have none of the same values, efforts, work ethics, or pragmatism (to name a few.)
Ghani does not know American culture, even after spending decades in the US, therefore he can not equate properly; OR, he has become so out of touch with both sides that he is just plying his line for some profit; OR, he does know some of American culture and is trying to look for the soft touches that he can milk for whatever he can. I'm somewhat of a hardass about the whole situation, so he's out of luck trying to get me on his side.
Take all that is being said with the multitude of grains of salt. (Of course, some of our politicians will buy his lines, but we can fix that stupidity by voting them out. "Why do US politicians try to look out for and support other nationalities other than their own?" she rhetorically asks.
Talk about clueless... This reporter is out there. I don't know what he's been smoking but it causes hallucinations.
Except they still live in the Stone Age.
I used to think that, (about the stone age) but all of them don't, I was surpised to discover. Mainly thats just in the villages. But what the author means is that they have the same Human feelings. They want family life, for the children to be educated and do better, for everyone to be safe without bombings everyday...they want us out. But they also don't want Tribal Wars or Religious Police or corruption....just like Americans don't want these things.
If our Corporations never would have moved into those countries there would have been NO 9/11.
World Trade was the target because it is not helping the people of this world....just like here. Its hurting us and its hurting them. Only Corporate and foriegn Governments get rich. Tell Corporate to get home and their Military guardians will follow.
As long as the Taliban exist and for that matter Islam in general there will be chaos not only in Afghanistan but in every country. They consider anyone that doesn't follow their beliefs to be infidels and death is their answer to those of us who don't agree. Every country that has Islam as their base of religious belief lives in the Stone Age and they treat their people accordingly. While some areas are definitely modern in appearance their philosophy towards women and others beliefs are surely not considered modern. But hey, this a free country (at least for now) so go ahead and believe what you want.
Meanwhile back in the opium den.........
I knew this article would be a big draw to the "all Muslims should die" crowd, not that everyone that has posted here is one of them, but if you are you know who I am talking about. It just further hits home that we need more world history education in our country. You cannot fear that which you know.
Many things you have to learn about the Arab culture to understand it are not taught until college, which is why there are a certain number of Americans that do not understand the culture. Perhaps all they know is what they have read online or have been told by their local "Muslim historian". It is not their fault though, ignorance is a common enemy for all Humans and will always be unless full education (K-12 + college) becomes a mandate world-wide.
As far as the article goes it is correct. If you forget about the religion and the ancient traditions that are engrained in the society, Arabs are exactly the same as Americans. They live their lives within their culture trying to better themselves and their families. They want to live their lives however they can under the existing laws, many are as apathetic as many Americans and do not try to change the laws they feel unfit with.
Their leaders also conditioned them to be this way. While here in America we are conditioned to watch crap like American Idol while our Government is half-way across the world covering up killing civilians Arab Governments are conditioned to follow very strict laws and practice ancient rituals that were once part of the Muslim religion but became a part of their culture and are still practiced even though those religious practices are no longer upheld. They are conditioned to accept that this is the way it should be.
However there have been movements within both the Arab world and the Us that show this method of brainwashing is not going to last forever. The Arab spring, Occupy Wall Street, Anonymous, even more and more American's getting politically active all point to those methods of control breaking down as people wake up and realize what their Governments have been doing to them.
Sadly it was the stresses of the economic collapse of 2008 that brought it about. Usually when things are going good people are mentally stupid. They do not pay attention to things and are more then happy to let someone else deal with the seemingly small issues. When things go bad they look for someone to blame and then they see what was happening under their noses and become angry and work to fix those problems. The problem is once they are fixed it is back to American Idol land.
Not all Arabs try to "better their families" by murdering their daughters to preserve the family honor...but SOME do.
Some do but almost all protect the ones who do. How many have you seen pushing for laws/law-enforcement to punish them? Arabs who murder their daughters--or wives--are "home free" if they escape our borders to an Arab state.
Even in the Emirates a wife or daughter is her husband/father's material possession.
Cassandra,
I am not condoning the practice either I am just stating the truth. It is a cultural difference that has been forced onto them for centuries by tyrants who mix their politics with their Religious ideology and it has become a normal and acceptable practice. America could become the same way if any religion becomes too much of a focal point in our Government.
The fact of the matter is that while some do abuse women and others do not no one has the will to change their society because they have been conditioned to do as their rulers tell them. As I mentioned this has changed a bit over the past couple of years but they still have a long way to go before they can begin to root out these uncivilized practices. It starts with removing the old guard and casting away the radicalized elements of their society. Once those pure, and radicalized, Islam pushers are gone the people can start to reshape their culture.
Geowil,
Couldn't disagree more. The difference in Afghanistan and the US is that we are not a theocracy but a democracy and have freedoms that your quasi religion/political/legal system doesn't have. You are mandated to do certain things and we have no mandates. Your religion tells you to lie to further your religion ours does not. No takia here muslims. You are mandated to kill the infidel, that would be the majority of us here in the US, we don't have that dictum. So if you think your anything like us, think again.
William,
First I am an Atheist and second I live in the USA. Thirdly not all Muslims want to kill infidels. They may be mandated to but those that live their lives like the rest of us, that do not practice their religion in a radicalized fashion, do not. If they did our troops would be being killed by civilians, which is far removed from the truth.
The problem you have with Islam is that you have been trained by whatever person or organization you discussed Islam with to focus only on the radical aspects and practitioners. A majority of Muslims are not Islamists (the radicalized sect of Islam), they practice their religion like many Americans practice Christianity. They live by the tenants that they find most helpful to their personal lives and the rest is kicked to the curb.
The majority of anyone in a religion do not follow their holy books word for word and those that do, including the parts that demand you use violence, we call radicals. I have studied many religions: Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Buddhism, and Hinduism.
You will probably call me a lier if I told you that the Qur'an actually teaches tolerance and many of the same tenants as the Bible does. The reason your perception is different is because of the fact that, just like groups like NOM and the West-borough Baptist Church here in America, many of the radicalized sects do not follow these tenants, they only focus on ones such as the commandment to kill infidels and to wage Jihads.
For example the Golden Rule is present in the Qur'an:
There are also different variations of the religion. The final verse quoted above actually comes from the Shia denomination.
Nearly all religions have a similar version of the golden rule as Christianity does because nearly all religions are based off of the musings of Socrates and Plato in the realm of moral law.
I really appreciate the way you write back without getting angry at the ignorance like I do. (and I'm a born in the Usa all White Country Valley California citizen.) I always wish I could keep my cool and try to educate but maybe I've been her too long. Thankyou.
I get angry at the ignorance too.
"Americans good."
"Afghans bad".
People with simple minds tend to see everything as simple as this.
No use trying to use reason when it comes to this subject.
I am going to stop reading as of now.
Mr. Ghani, you are an opportunist that leverages the sacrifices of every American- service member AND contractor -that has given their life for the dream you want for your people. You are an opportunist because you ran away from your problems in Afghanistan and became an American citizen only to throw that back into the face of America and denounce your citizenship after we came and liberated Afghanistan.
Mr. Ghani, you fail to recognize the blood money (in the millions) that we gave to your tribal warlords to get them to stop the violence to include the IEDs they place on the roads killing our service members. Those warlords then fed us misinformation/bad intelligence to have the U.S. Military do their bidding of going after the Warlords' enemies. Then after all that, those same Warlords that took our money STILL sided with the Taliban after we secured the region. If you like, we can also talk about the corruption at the 'federal' level of your country's government. They have fleeced your own country by the millions if not billions this the United States has given you over the past eleven years.
So long as you are able to oppress your women and prevent them from attending school (what- you didn't think we would find out about you guys killing the girls (kids mind you) that attended school? Their one 'crime' was that they wanted was an education.), right? Your 'Sharia' law continues to hold your people back when you are able to legally kill your sister, daughter, wife for being raped. That makes sense: Kill the victim...You are far from being an American, hence the reason you turned your back on this country; you found out that it is illegal to have sex with your camel here in America.
Those that stay here in America and choose the American way of life embrace America "whole-heartedly" and they don't call themselves "Afghan" they call themselves "Persian."
Before you start blaming the United States for the your backward country, blame yourselves for continued wearing of Afghan military uniforms and shooting American and NATO troops. All we want to do is complete our mission and get the Hell out of your country. Your problem is you still call us infidels because we worship a different God. Your religion does not allow you to practice tolerance. You can justify any death sentence/murder you carry out as "God's Will" without even so much a as a trial and jury of their peers let alone innocent until proven guilty. Mr. Ghani you are an amazing work of art. I long for the day that every American citizen is no longer stealing your oxygen in your filthy country. Once we do depart, you can fall backwards in time and become another Somalia.
Or, you could become part of the solution and not part of the problem. Tell your 'minions' to quit being corrupt, work with the ISAF (that means the U.S. Military as well), treat everyone with equity, quit cutting everyone's heads off for any infraction that "is against the Quran" and work with us so we can get the @!$%# out of your country sooner rather than later.
>:-/
Unfortunately, the Taliban are still a major force in Afghanistan. After the US pulls out, they'll be back. Maybe they won't have total control, but they'll most likely control large portions of the country.
America’s mistakes on the outsourcing of government functions to contractors without proper government oversight and supervision, leading to the loss and misuse of billions of dollars in funding and U.S. taxpayer money.
And the reichwingers in America cry and scream about a mother of four in the inner city receiving welfare. I guess if she lost and misused billions of dollars into the pockets of the military cronies it would be OK.
Can't have four wives if you're an American. Can't marry 9 yr. olds when you're in your 60s. Can't rape, beat, mutilate your wife and get away with it. Rejoice in Amreeka leaving!
I take back what I said if:
1. He only has one wife. An adult one. He lets her have the career she wishes and he doesn't beat her.
2. He stands for the rights, including education, for ALL Afghanis--male, female, different ethnicities and religions. And not just Islamic education. He's grateful for the education he got in America (highly subsidized by the American people) and the sacrifices our servicemen made freeing his basically God-forsaken poverty-stricken country from the murderous Taliban, as far as we did it.
EXCUSE me while i throw-up listening to another politician.
THEY THOUGHT THEIR COUNTRY WAS GOING TO BE HANDED BACK TO THEM ALL BRIGHT, SHINY AND STAINED WITH AMERICANS BLOOD
So I see America has their puppet in place. Now all they need to do is help get him elected by eliminating his enemies for him and bingo....Same old story just a new place
“America is not my home; Afghanistan is,” he said.
Good! Now stay there and keep all your terrorist buddies there with you.
I almost feel sorry for guys like this Dr Ghani. Nothing like having a bullseye painted on your head for coming forward to help.
A lot of Stupid here! Everybody knows that according to basic math, one Legal American is worth !00 Afgans or 20 Illegal Mexicans here. Deal with it!
You forgot your sarcasm tag yoomama, or at least I hope so.
“The type of diplomatic imagination that created stability in Europe after World War II and then in East Asia … is going to be required.
This will prove to be a major problem as our "leaders" of today wouldn't make a pimple on the ass of the men who were leading our country at that time. If he's expecting help from the bunch in power now I think he is SOL, much like we are!
I agree with the "Pimple on the Ass" comment but also they had populations willing to change: educated, non-Muslim therefore not stuck in the 7th Century.
I have a news flash for the rest of the world - No one in American gives a donkey's ass what you think about us as a people or nation. Especially, the Palestinian @$$wipes that were dancing in the streets when they saw the Twin Towers fall in New York.
Maybe it's because the Afghans need to grow a new set of balls and stop selling out to the Taliban there would be some progress. Every time you listen to the news you hear more American, NATO and other allied forces are being killed by Afghan soldiers and rogue police packing bombs on themselves and blowing up our troops and innocent civilians. That's not including the acid attacks the local 7th Century dogs are doing on little girls who are trying to get an education.
No sheet! But what about the turncoat problem among your security forces. We don't trust you; our troops damn sure don't trust you; and Allied forces don't trust you. Let me equate for you what I mean. It would be like the Russians handing our secrets and troops over to the Germans for disposal during WWII. Which by the way, we are now learning that the Soviet bastards did keep some of our soldiers after the war - never to hear from them again.
As for the Palestinian dogs, they have been kicked out of Lebanon, Jordan, and Tunisia. Why did that happen you ask, because Palestinians are famous for turning on their benefactors every time. They try to overthrow the governments of the host nations. Look what they did in Kuwait, they turned on them and helped the Iraqi's torture Kuwaiti citizens. After the war, Kuwait kicked them all out of the country, which makes it four countries they've been kicked out of. They are the gypsies of the Middle East. No one wants these bastards in their country because they always stir up trouble. Yet the liberal idiots around the world scream at the horrible treatment they are getting from the West and Israel. That they should be given a homeland. Let's see, would you give Hitler and the Nazi's a homeland next door to you, I don't think so!