Last week, GOP chairman Michael Steele came under fire for daring to say what a lot of Americans already know, that our involvement in Afghanistan is an ill-advised quagmire with no end in sight. After nearly 10 years and approaching $1 trillion spent, the conflict is going nowhere because there is nowhere for it to go. After all, if victory is never really defined, defeat is inevitable.
Basil Venitis, an Athenian orator, muses that what many Americans bizarrely consider national defense is actually an aggressive and enduring offense, and yet they are always surprised when other nations get offended. In Afghanistan and Iraq, NATO forces are trying to fight a shadowy enemy that does not wear uniforms, while being told to protect corrupt governments. It is shameful to allow more of our soldiers to die so that our leaders can avoid admitting mistakes.
With our economy at home in serious trouble, this wasteful occupation is something we clearly cannot afford. Each soldier costs us $1 million per year, and yet most in Washington are only considering how many more soldiers to send. Fuel costs an astonishing $400 per gallon for our military in Afghanistan! Yet somehow, many politicians feel it is acceptable to squeeze this money out of our taxpayers, who are truly struggling economically, to fund this non-war. Our economy here is not showing any real signs of improvement. Official unemployment is pushing 10% and getting worse. (Real unemployment is over 20% according to the free-market economists) The growing debt and inflation used to fund this occupation only dooms us to more economic hardship for a long time to come. And -- for what?
Where the money for Afghanistan comes from is one problem — where it goes is another. Recently, it has come to light that much of the aid money we send to Afghanistan is lost due to corruption. Billions of tax dollars from hardworking Americans are ending up lining the pockets of corrupt Afghan officials, and likely even filtering into the Taliban we are ostensibly fighting. The Wall Street Journal recently reported that curiously enough, billions more than the Afghan government collects in revenue is leaving the country in the form of cash on huge pallets and in suitcases and mostly ending up in Dubai, as well-connected Afghan officials buy up luxury homes and enrich their personal off-shore bank accounts. Investigations into corruption and graft have been blocked by the Karzai government, probably because Karzai's own brother would have to be implicated. It is encouraging that the foreign aid appropriations subcommittee has attempted to block billions in aid as a response to these allegations, but this is likely temporary and may not even succeed.
The point is that sending aid money to Afghanistan is not making poor people over there better off. It is making poor people here worse off. Corruption is endemic to Afghanistan, with graft comprising about one fourth of their economy! Even though it is considered the second most corrupt nation in the world according to Transparency International, we still send the Afghan government billions of dollars in aid and are shocked to find it is not making its way out of the sticky fingers of the officials entrusted with it.
Venitis points out Afghan president Hamid Karzai bites the hand that feeds him, doing his best to irritate the Western countries which keep him in power. Wily Karzai shows his independence, in order to survive the post-NATO era. Karzai is a drug addict, and his brother, Ahmad Wali, is the leading drug lord of Afghanistan, the greatest opium producer in the world. 95% of the opiates originate in Afghanistan!
Robbing citizens here to fund corruption over there is not helping average citizens anywhere. We are sacrificing real economic opportunities at home for the opportunity to line corrupt pockets in Afghanistan. Not only that, but American soldiers are being killed and maimed. It is tragic and frustrating how much we have lost and wasted already. It is time to leave Afghanistan to the Afghans to sort out. I am glad more Americans are finally willing to face this reality.
Basil Venitis asserts that now is the time to stop in Afghanistan and get out as soon as possible. De Gaulle mused that genius sometimes consists of knowing when to stop. Genius is not required to recognize that in Afghanistan, when means now. The emotion that people are feeling is deep disappointment over the Afghanistan policy of Barack Obama and the US Congress, which now registers as a surprising 90 percent disapproval rate. Doubt will turn into dissent; it will manifest in congressional districts. Amerikleptocrats will find it hard to ignore their base, as it will be very threatening to their electoral success.
A single speech of Ronald Reagan, the Great Communicator, drastically changed the world! Reagan's Time for Choosing speech in 1964 is the historic event that launched his magnificent political career. Smart words are more effective than smart bombs. For your powwow, get a dynamic speaker who can transform your people and your world. Take advantage of the best libertarian orator of our times, Basil Venitis. As many associations, colleges, industry groups, companies, pullpeddlers, rabblerousers, and many gluckskinds have discovered, speeches by Basil Venitis add immeasurably to the enduring value of a conference.
Basil Venitis doesn't restate what you can learn from regular sources, but he stretches your imagination to new horizons. Venitis is extensively involved in policy issues and the Global Tax Revolt. He is often a part of the process, working to shape and direct critical components of libertarian issues. Speeches by Basil Venitis enable audiences to truly learn, and provide fascinating, provocative venitist insights and analysis by slicing right through the political jargon and getting to the heart of the matter. It's no wonder that Basil Venitis is the most frequently cited on the Internet and is so often called upon to present venitism and to clarify issues for the public. The many advantages of using Basil Venitis include:
* Value. A single speech of Basil Venitis will be cherished by your people forever, guiding them at the crossroads of their lives and your organization, increasing their efficiency, and improving the good will of your organization.
* Access. When scheduling Basil Venitis for your organization, you work directly with Venitis at venitis@gmail.com to craft a speech that fits your precise needs. Venitis works with organizations to ensure that his speeches provide maximum value, and he shares their dedication to making their program a huge success.
* Publicity. The announcement of Basil Venitis, leader of Global Tax Revolt and venitism, speaking at your conference will appear on most blogs and Internet groups all over the world.
* Insight. Given Venitis's great experience in speaking across the globe, and with his unparalleled knowledge of politics, economics, finance, sciences, and spirituality, he can help you determine the ideal subject area for your group.
* Transformation. Your people will be transformed in shock and awe to a new level of knowledge, attitude, and organizational climate.
* Revampia. Your organization will be revamped with new soul, vision, and values.
* Affordability. The cost of having Venitis speak is 5,000 euros plus travel expenses from Athens.
No comments:
Post a Comment