Dear President Obama (An Open Letter on Afghanistan)

There is a way that this idea could be combined with a strengthening grass-roots democracy in Iraq or Afghanistan. Instead of giving the money to an often corrupt central government. Make the money available to local democratically organized councils with lots of accountability to various members to watch the money. New England town hall style. This would reinforce grass roots habits of shared democratic decision making.

The problem is that war is now a way of controlling the money tied up in the military industrial complex for political gain. There is no evidence that the Obama team is immune from this corruption. The average cost of a gallon of gas in Afghanistan or Iraq for the military is 400 dollars.

The problem is not a lack of good ideas. The problem is a lack of will to stop using war and the threat of war as the US first line of international policy. The problem is the lack of will to curb military spending. So far, not a trace of a hint of a scintilla of evidence that Obama has the courage or will or interest to move in this direction.
The wars you despise are now Obama's wars, the mutilated children are his and ours. The Democratic party doesn't care what you think anymore than the Republican party does.

Amen

nice ideas. but we are there fighting the terrorist not afghanistan. You left out all tghe opium farmers. We need to have them produce food at which they will get paid a decent price so they will stop making opium. I think you were against irag war as well I didnt see anything in there on that front which obama said he would be out within 6 months, though hes said a lot of things and not followed up on any of them yet. well except killing babies. Personaly I dont see how you can continue to support a corrupt lieing president. I also am not sure how you can ignore his 20 years in black liberal theology, just the black KKK. I would think if it was the other way around you would be all over this.

I would have to mostly agree. Obama never had this in mind to deal with while running for president. he had an agenda, and this is just in the way, as is finding jobs for americans, the debt etc. he seems to not how to deal with any of these things. we continue to loose jobs, the stimulus that he said would stop unemployment at 8% is now at almost 10%, he is still just like bush spending us into massive debt and wanting us to keeping doing it. So where is the change, I think this is why his approval rating is falling so fast, nobody is seeing the "CHANGE".

"Personaly I dont see how you can continue to support a corrupt lieing president. "

Did you support President Bush?

I suppose thats true. But bush wasnt as bad as he is made to be. The two things that create this idea is the war and his spending. both of which obama is doing the same at. the spending he is doing at unheard of rate. There comes a point where what is promised and never fulfilled has to be considered. BUT I understand your point. But consider the war, those in ocngress(democrates) approved it as well. And the spending they surely didnt stop him did they. and they had control for 4 of those years. Something never talked about now with democrates. Nor do you hear the clamor of his comtinueing in the same path in the wars. I did vote for bush but he did the same thing. he did alright in his first few years but the last few werent so good. And I would say most felt the same seeing how the rebuplicans lost the elections. I also find it interesting the whole black liberal theology(black KKK) indoctrination is just flatly ignored. As I have said if it was the other way around it wouldnt be at all.

All excellent ideas, except for the fundamental problem of security. No amount of investment will ever work without at least a credible force to prevent "dead-enders" from destroying/vandalising what's invested. And it's unrealistic to expect 100% of the Taliban to turn around voluntarily. So, while it might be possible for an Afghan force to do it, someone has to provide security before enduring reconstruction can take plance. And such can't take place without the defeat of the Taliban fanatics first.

NPR did a report today on the debate going on among intelligence experts over Afghanistan. A big part of the debate is whether the Taliban will start providing financial aid to the beleaguered Al quaeda. Some think that it's payback time, where Taliban will provide money from the opium trade in exchange for more fighters to step up the battles. So, to whom shall we thank for a weakened Al Quaeda?

the biggest mistake when they first went in. overestimated there willingness to help and take up arms against them, and not helping the farmers out. I dont understand why they still dont discuss this issue. the opium farming is a big problem now and in the future if they continue to produce it.

I do not believe the Afghan people are currently choosing to side with Al Qaeda because they have no other choice. Do you really think Al Qaeda will seek peace with the Afghan people if we build infrastructure in the country? Al Qaeda will do what it wants to do, and it is driven by an evil philosophy that has completely consumed the spirit and soul of its members.

I do not endorse war, but how long do you turn away and ignore the killing of innocent people? If the church were the church as Jesus intended it to be we could easily take down Al Qaeda through spiritual warfare (i.e., prayer).

Wow. You don't like him, do you?

(You're behind on the polls. His approval rating has climbed back up- for what that's worth.)

So, after the worst President in US history, after spending trillions on wars and devastating the economy and the environment, after stripping us of civil liberties and trying to rewrite the constitution, it is surprising that Obama hasn't fixed all of that in less than a year?

He's not the Messiah, you know.

Actually, it was bin Laden who attacked the world, and the U.S.- not Afghanistan.

Afghanistan is the quagmire of all quagmires. Even the Mongols didn't really control there- and they had the greatest empire the world has ever seen. There is no way to win- not by fighting.

What would work would be a great cost. We're there now, and we can't disengage or unentangle. We can change the entire way we do war. We go over there, without weapons of any sort. We go and help the Afghani people. We go and work for them and serve them, building and doing development, but with no protection. We see hundreds and thousands and tens of thousands and maybe even hundreds of thousands of Americans killed. We keep on loving the Afghani people without killing them. We become martyrs for the sake of love. We do this until even the Taliban realize that we mean business- we will love until we die, for we love that much, and we care for them that much.

This is the only thing that will change the situation on the ground there.

AMEN!

This isn't about Bush, or Clinton, or Reagan. This is about the present, and about Obama dealing with the hand he's been dealt. More troops, more killing, more violence, is NEVER the answer.

I think this letter not only shows sincerity, it proves that at least McLaren is willing to ask hard questions of even his favored politicians. That shows character.

Thank you, Brian. Kudos and amen!

I resonate with McLaren's comments, but they seem to make a lot of assumptions about how things work in Afganistan that may not be true. I fear that McLaren and all of us may not appreciate the extreme complexity of Afganistan, Pakistan, and the region. This is part of our problem. We Americans do not understand. (And we are unaware of our own worldview and assumptions.) As Gen. McChrystal said in his speech, 10/1/09, things are not always what they seem in Afganistan. You can dig a well for a village with the best of intentions, but in the process upset power relationships and cause enormous problems. When we don't understand what is actually going on and how things work in that culture, in that place, in that village, in that valley, etc., our development efforts can be just as clumsy and stupid as making war, if not as deadly.

A shift toward aide and "development" may be good, but the aide work we do must be done wisely. It has to align with Afgani culture, worldview, customs, values, and ways - not ours. Therefore, I suggest that both the military and the aide agencies working in Afganistan need carefully trained language/cross-cultural specialists (a lot of them) who can make contact with the Afgan people in their own language, in their villages and homes, in order to try to understand them and the extreme complexities of local situations and relationships. We need these specialists for every ethnic/language/regional group in Afganistan. We need to carefully study the history, social structures, politics, religion, and cultures of the area. Our leaders need to do this. We need to do a lot of watching and listening.

Development work and, I suggest, military work in a place like Afganistan is cross-cultural work. Cross-cultural work is very difficult to do in way that is effective. Some people can do it; others can't. A major part of this is understanding our own American culture and worldview - much of which functions below the level of consciousness. Languag-learning and cross-cultural work are very difficult. They are not just intellectual/physical challenges but also moral spiritual challenges. I can only imagine that military cross-cultural work would be even more difficult. You have to recognize that we are as much a part of the problem as the Afghans are. We need to address our own assumptions and culture (our rationalism, individualism,& materialism for starters).

Development work in Afganistan will probably take many many years. If we really want to see it through, we need to realize that. Then, perhaps we can get down to the tough language-learning, study, watching, listening, and cross-cultural work required and eventually leave the country in peace. But it will be extremely difficult.

Good letter, but I'm still mystified at your support of one of the War Parties in last year's election. Was reading in Everything Must Change last night where you eloquently call for people to reject the prevailing framing story and live Jesus' one instead. This is not compatible with working for a candidate who strongly believes in the prevailing framing story and is well trained and funded to defend it, like Obama.

Obama has been doing mostly what he said he would in his campaign. What puzzles me is people like you who didn't believe in what he stood for (like escalation in Afghanistan, increasing the size of the military budget, increasing the size of the armed forces, etc.) but supported him and now act like he betrayed you by doing just what he said he would do.

Brian, you have done the first stage of creating the conceptual framework of what we need to do. I know you come from a very conventional background, but maybe it is time to ease off on all the preaching and to really spend time thinking about the implications of all the truths which you have articulated.

Do you really grasp that you voted and worked for escalation in Afghanistan? Will you still support an Obama or another War Party candidate in another election?

Is it time to rethink the idea of continuous War, what about some gentle economic persuasion?

For a start, is it time to buy the entire opium crop and stop financing the opposition with the failed war on drugs? Be very much cheaper. One would only need to pay the going rate + 15-25% initially. Sure one will have some product, use it in the pharmaceutical trade, and or burn it.

This would also put monies into the local economy with out it being subject to the control of the drug traffickers. The locals will be lsee inclined not allow outsiders to take the crop if there is a good profit not to do so.

The blowback from the 'war on drugs' is now some what over the top, and it is now time to consider going back to business as normal pre 1900 when such drugs were available and of a reasonably consistent quality. (See the junk email going about with images of opium and cocaine products, including wine, as used in the Vatican, available at your local shop.)

There would be some monies from the industry for demand reduction programs.

Having worked in a legal poppy industry, it is a nice crop to grow, but the best processing systems are not the traditional systems, but is to collect the top 18" of the crop when ripe and extract the many different types of opiates present from the stubble and capsule. Requires some infrastructure, which again is part of a developmental process. Poppies also fit well into a good crop rotation system which will improve the productivity of the system.

However 'pigs may fly' and until the drug cartels destroy Mexico and openly start to destabilize and invade the US, little will be done. Too much money in prisons, and law enforcement, etc.

reasonable concern - in addition to building schools and clinics, not in lieu of.

I am not surprised that he hasn't fixed the Bush mess, I'm surprised that he hasn't tried, but instead seems intent on completing the Bush mission with a different style. I actually do like him as a person but I despise his policies .
It was not Bush I object to but the criminal violation of the Geneva accords and illegitimate invasion and occupation of countries not at war with us.

seeing how most of what you say is over stated. Well its not a good start double the spending, not create any knew jobs while spending a trillion to make jobs, continue in the war just the same as bush, totally ignore the constitution, and try to pass a environment bill that would litteral kill many poor americans and destroy small business and create a heavy burden on every american especially the poor in apying for the increase in gas and energy bills passed to us, all the while the big evil corporations make more money. This cap and tax wont hurt the biggest companies amd it will not at all make the environment better. SO no I do not like him. I have that right do I not. Of course obama would rasther I shut up and get out of the way. But again that isnt going to happen.

again we are not at with afghanistan. We are there looking for the terrorist. We are helping in reconstruction there just like we did in irag. Except the more they kill the more they are inspired, thats why they are terrorist, body count is rather a good thing for them.

perhaps. or perhaps tis the regret of one who sold their birthright for a bowl of stew and is just now experiencing dawning realization of it.

some trust in chariots, some in horses, some in the kingdoms of man (whether political left or right)...