Keith Olbermann: This Hole in the Ground
Crooks and Liars has the video of Keith Olbermann's special commentary on Countdown. Olbermann, one of the best writers on television, goes to the heart of the last five years in politics -- the exploitation of 9/11 by the president -- and reminds us afresh of how dispicable that is.
Warning: you may find yourself cheering afterward.
posted by Eric 3.0 @ 11:02 AM
2 Comments:
Thanks for the link Eric. Pathetic and sad. Did you read the Ann Arbor News report this week on the resurgence of the Taliban, rebellious backlash, and opium production in Afghanistan? Pathetic and sad.
Yes, I have. In fact, Al Franken interviewed Sarah Chayes yesterday for most of his second hour. As a former NPR correspondent who started a NGO in Afghanistan, she had some amazing things to say about how we handled and should have handled Afghanistan after toppling the Taliban.
For example, the violence has been escalating for years, thanks to the US strategy of inattention. Each surge of violence was followed by a lull and then another, greater surge, until we reach the level that the violence is worth reporting (apparently.)
Another important point is that the US has never rebuilt the transportation system. Afghanistan's economy is historically based on trade, thanks to its location. Without repaired roads, trade is difficult, and the warlords make it nearly impossible.
Lastly, the US hasn't been able to provide basic services -- just as in Iraq. Residents are openly saying, "Hey, the Taliban were pretty brutal, but at least they kept the lights on."
Chayes and Franken speculated on how different life in Afghanistan would be if the US had devoted a fraction of its Iraq-directed resources to a sort of Marshall Plan in Afghanistan. Would there be as much violence if basic needs were met and commerce were repaired? Gotta wonder.
I'm thinking about getting Chayes's book, The Punishment of Virtue: Inside Afghanistan After the Taliban. You want a copy, or should I just borrow yours? :-)
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