This Blog is created to stress the importance of Peace as an environmental directive. “I never give them hell. I just tell the truth and they think it’s hell.” – Harry Truman
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The "Des Moines Register" is in Iowa. The people are not happy about this political agenda of the Republicans. The people elect representatives believing they have an input to the decisions made in the US Senate.
September 28, 2021
By Hans Isikson
Every few years (click here) it seems that another argument erupts over raising the national debt ceiling. So, let’s explore this oft-misunderstood macroeconomic metric. According to the Treasury Department, the "Debt Limit" (or ceiling) “is the total amount of money that the United States government is authorized to borrow to meet its existing legal obligations, including Social Security and Medicare benefits, military salaries, interest on the national debt, tax refunds, and other payments.”
These “existing legal obligations” were incurred during past administrations of both parties. They were duly enacted by Congress and signed into law by the president at the time. But authorizing an increase in the debt ceiling does not give a green light to whichever political party is in charge to spend taxpayers’ money on whatever their new pet projects happen to be....
“What to do if you start to talk less?” the usually affable college freshman from Clayton typed into a search engine on Nov. 8 and again the day of his death. “What to do if you are losing your personality?”
Two months earlier, Riley had tested positive for COVID-19 during an outbreak that swept campus just a few days into the fall semester. At first, Riley’s case seemed mild — he briefly lost his sense of taste and smell and developed a cough.
But afterward, Kevin and Lisa Christiansen said their son exhibited symptoms of “brain fog” — problems with memory, concentration and sleep, hallmarks of “long-haul” COVID. Beset by short-term memory issues, Riley quit his new job busing tables because he didn’t remember working the night before. In hindsight, his comments to friends and family in the weeks leading up to his death show his increasing distress over changes in his mood and personality.....
year later, that COVID diagnosis has become the focus of questions about Riley’s Nov. 9 suicide. His family’s and friends’ concerns are informed by ongoing research into serious mental health struggles for even those with mild COVID cases.
The “Fry President Biden” Movement including US Senators on the Armed Services Committee is achieving nothing but corrupted politics.
Statements made by President Biden that the USA military would stay until all Americans were given transport out of the country previous to the terrorist attack in Afghanistan by Daesh changed afterward. As a matter of fact, any allies in Afghanistan made an immediate withdrawal of their personnel after the attack. They waited for no one.
It was impossible to say because some Afghans that wanted to leave the country were in hiding and didn’t make an effort to get to the airport.
This US Senate hearing is off the rails due to the dense political content rather than the facts. This hearing is achieving nothing.
Afghanistan as a country dominated by the Taliban is not a threat to the USA or the region. There is absolutely no reason to maintain a military presence in Afghanistan.
I have yet to hear a reason why the Afghan military collapsed and why if the people were so scared of the Taliban support the Taliban during the previous 20 years? I know the answer to that because I pay attention. Not one US Senator is desiring answers about “Why the Taliban?”
This committee hearing is all politically motivated and no one is getting the business of the people fine.
“Don’t Americanize the war.” Well said.
It was never a priority to stand up an Afghan military and government. It was the job of the USA military to find and kill or capture Osama bin Laden. The war dragged on because the USA military continued the assessment that al Qaeda was still alive and doing well in Afghanistan. A generation went by and even after bin Laden was dead they continued to JUSTIFY the USA presence.
If the USA military cannot end a war as soon as possible but insist on a forever war there is something very wrong. In the USA Homeland the FEAR directive in the politics bolstered the idea the USA was still under threat. It is all nonsense.
Our troops died for no real reason at all. The death of Osama bin Laden took place in Pakistan with the very able Seal Team. There was no reason to be in Afghanistan. NO REASON.
The conflict in Afghanistan was and is a civil war and nothing was achieved that could stabilize a Western friendly government. The people of Afghanistan never stood behind any Western presence except it was NICE to have money to spend and additional freedoms for women and girls.
“They miss us now that we are gone. Gee whiz, we have a military fan club.”
Iowa’s US Senator is playing simpleton politics. We aren’t in the country so diplomacy is not possible. Ernst needs to talk to THE SWISS. She is either an idiot or a jerk . Not sure which. Maybe both.
Afghanistan is not the 51st state.
North Carolina's Senator lied and PLAYED THE PART with the general for the benefit of fear politics in the USA Homeland.
Driving the news:The U.S. is in control of Kabul's airport but plans to end its operation by Aug. 31, which the Talibanconsiders a red line, and needs time to evacuate its troops.Thursday's attackat the airport will only increase the urgency. In the meantime, allies including Canada, Germany and Poland have already ended their evacuations.
The big picture:U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson said in astatementcondemning the attack at the Kabul airport Thursday that the U.K. is approaching "the very end" of its evacuation operation....
The Republicans are completely out of context in their questions and badgering the panel. But, then the nation's fear since September 11th is not within the definition of reality. If one is a Republican and trapped in "the fear culture" in order to win elections, why not continue an unnecessary war, the Republicans don't have to pay for it. Their millions in their war chest are theirs to keep.
Fear is a strong and necessary emotion. It is more or less a spontaneous emotion that creates a feeling of vulnerability. If a political party can capture the emotion and use it to relate the idea they are the best to protect the country, it is an easy vote for everyone.
The USA has fought two unnecessary wars in the region and has managed to spend enormous amounts of money on their "wars of image."
The military did their jobs and did it well. Their mission was never clear. How do you tell military leaders they are fighting a war that is politically advantageous?
That was cute, the General now has an order from a US Senator to read the books that contain his comments. Amazing. What has that to do with Afghanistan?
I think the STUDY GROUP needs to be established to bring a clear view of the invasion into Afghanistan. It is a chapter of USA history that should tell the truth.
Josh Hawley is shameful as a US Senator. He is a treasonist. Just that simple. There is no reason to take him seriously about anything. Americans in Afghanistan by choice, not circumstances. Spouses not having passports or background checks are not the fault of the USA military.
General Milley is telling the truth about China. His responsibility includes maintaining working relationships with other countries' military leadership and not just China. We live in a nuclear world. Mistakes happen. It is why non-proliferation is important.
I think my point was made in that all the generals stated THE REMNANTS of al Qaeda were still in Afghanistan. There is nothing that we can do about that. There was no reason to remain. These extremist Islamists are here to stay. Keeping a chronic war only reinforces the mission of those REMNANTS. No one ever states the war in Iraq resulted in Daesh. There is always a worse scenario that results when the current authority is disrupted and war ensues. There can be a good result where a war is met with appreciation by the people.
A current-day war that resulted in a heroic appreciation of the USA military force is the USA attack into the Balkans. The USA was hailed by the people as heroes to their well-being and preservation of their countries. There is a place for the USA in the world with its enormous and very competent military. It is NOT in prolonged generational and/or forever wars. Forever wars harden those that oppose the presence of the USA. I think the world understood the attack on Afghanistan by the USA in 2001, what doesn't go well is prolonged occupations in attempts of national building. The military's purpose is never to include nation-building. Ever!
The filibuster vs USA democracy
There is nothing else to say. A return to a 51 vote majority in the US Senate is paramount to protecting the USA democracy.
