An Obama nightmare
By
Saul Landau Read Spanish Version
My
wish for Obama’s New Year’s resolutions: Lose the empire! Stop
giving military aid and special treatment to Israel; demand Israel
behave responsibly under international laws; get out of Iraq and
Afghanistan — quickly.
Yes,
Obama has repeatedly pledged to expand the U.S. role in Afghanistan
after more than eight years of failure. But in light of the facts, he
could disavow his pledges. In the Fall of 2001, Bush and allies
invaded Afghanistan. The so-called Northern Alliance, supported by
U.S. air and ground forces, took Kabul; the infamous Taliban
disappeared — probably into Pakistan. Hooray!!!
Then,
a sour smell began to seep from Bush’s victory. Even before
football hero Pat Tillman got whacked in 2004 by members of his own
unit — “friendly fire”? — rebel forces within that fractious
Muslim nation had sent their message: Get Out!
Bush’s
war has now endured eight plus years, almost double U.S. involvement
in World War II. The military hoo hahs have not yet seen light at the
end of Khyber tunnel.
So,
why should Obama stake his reputation on winning, no less rebuilding
that country while the United States undergoes the worst economic
downturn since the 1930s?
Obama
recounts one of his nightmares to a trusted associate. It begins with
President Bush receiving an award for giving democracy a bad name.
William Randolph Hearst presents the certificate citing Bush’s
contribution to massive death, destruction, torture and lying.
Pat
Buchanan emerges to advise Obama. “You can save yourself and the
country. Liquidate the Empire,” he whispers (echoing words from his
October 13 syndicated column).
“The
American Empire has become a vast extravagance,” he cajoles. “With
U.S. markets crashing and wealth vanishing, what are we doing with
750 bases and troops in over 100 countries?” “The Cold War
strategy faded away two decades ago,” he barks, “but military
inventors continue to fashion zany programs like a vast new missile
defense in Europe against possible Iranian attacks at some future
date and planes, ships, and upscale nuclear weapons that have as much
relevance to U.S. defense as moats and drawbridges.”
“Instead
of playing with expensive and dangerous toys, why not assign the
Pentagon R&D staff (which should be reduced by 95% along with a
general 50% reduction of the whole Pentagon) to read history,” Pat
continues. The researchers could teach lessons from the experiences
of 19th
Century British imperial forces who invaded Afghanistan and invented
a puppet ruler, like Bush’s Hamid Karzai who controls several
blocks in Kabul today. Afghan mobs assaulted His Majesty’s
remaining subjects. The Union Jack retreated to India. Britain lost
some 16,000 English soldiers to the insurgents. Like the Washington
elite, the geniuses also learn slowly, if at all. Pat finishes his
dream sermon.
He
morphs into Tony
Blair, who is dressed like a cheerleader. “We will kill Osama Bin
Laden and conquer the Taliban, yes we can, yes we can.” Obama asks
Blair about the whereabouts of Bin Laden and why the Taliban have
returned to control large parts of the country, and even reap rewards
from bumper opium crops. The Taliban, a muted Blair now counsels, no
longer need to train terrorists. Indeed, terrorists find
training
grounds in English cities, and on the web. They can buy explosive
ingredients from hardware or agricultural stores — lest anyone
forget where the Christian Oklahoma City bombers (pre 9/11) got their
explosives.
Timothy
McVeigh appears in the dream. “But you were executed for your role
in the 1995 Oklahoma City federal building bombing,” Obama objects.
McVeigh chuckles and whispers. “Mr. President elect, you didn’t
undergo basic Army training in Fort Benning, Georgia, where they
teach you all about explosives. I am a ‘survivalist.’ Some call
us terrorists, but we understand weapons as necessary to keep food
and other needs from reckless vandals as the U.S. economy goes south.
I despise the government for its massacre policies at Waco (against
the religious nuts) and at Ruby Ridge (killing fellow survivalists).
There are many more like me out there. My comrades bought huge
amounts of ammonium nitrate at
the
Mid-Kansas Coop in McPherson, Kansas. That’s fertilizer that
explodes under proper conditions. A few blasting caps and some liquid
to set off the fertilizer and poof, there went the federal building.
Watch out for the Aryan Republican Army,” warns McVeigh. “They
also plan revenge against the Government. And remember, I did it for
less than $10,000 without training in Afghanistan.”
The
dream shifts to Afghanistan, where Soviet soldiers die at the hands
of people determined to resist. (Approximately 15,000 Red Army
soldiers died from 1979 until 1988 when the Soviets withdrew. The
humiliation speeded the implosion of the Soviet Union.)
In
the dream Obama screams at the intelligence services for telling him
less than he already knows. “We have failed thus far in
Afghanistan,” he bleats. “Why have I repeatedly vowed to increase
U.S. presence in that quicksand? Why can’t I learn?” Korea,
Vietnam, Iraq — lost wars that veterans cannot explain with facts or
logic to their kids.
U.S.
troops in the dream kill the Taliban, who reemerge like zombies. “You
cannot win,” they chant. “You cannot understand us and never
will. We shall remain here and you shall leave — if not now, then in
a year, two, ten or twenty. No matter. Your B-52 will fly away. We
shall remain.”
General
Petraeus tells the sleeping Obama that he will need more than the
54,000 troops he now has, plus those of the allies, as devout Taliban
members use the drug profits to buy weapons to kill the Americans.
Militarily, he informs Obama, the Taliban have grown stronger than
they were in 2001. They now plague half the country and have
sanctuaries in Pakistan.
“Air
strikes,” advises an old Bush neo con who appears in the dream.
“Wait,” shouts Buchanan. “U.S. air strikes have already killed
so many Afghan civilians that even puppet President Karzai has had to
condemn the raids. By trying to bomb the Taliban, our pilots have
made enemies of the people in Afghan villages and in Pakistan. Even
our supply lines have grown insecure. We read this in our press.”
Generals
appear with Defense Secretary Gates. “Give us four more years!”
they confidently plead, “and we’ll have an Afghan force we can
rely on.”
Taliban
zombies answer them. “Yes, stay here four more years and surely our
people will magically change their minds, forget their history and
fall in love with your wonderful democratic capitalism that serves
your people so well.” They shriek with laughter.
Obama
recalls some lines from Rudyard Kipling’s poem, “The Young
British Soldier,” which he learned in high school:
“When
you’re wounded and left on Afghanistan’s plains,
And
the women come out to cut up what remains,
Jest
roll to your rifle and blow out your brains
An’
go to your Gawd like a soldier.”
The
President elect awakens. His associate asks him how he will interpret
his dream. Will he withdraw U.S. troops or ignore the words and
images and escalate?
Obama’s
choice will have impact around the world. From villages and cities in
Pakistan, the loosely knit al-Qaida militants await a U.S. troop
escalation. It will increase recruitment. Let the foreign devils
come, they chant, and we shall change the intelligent Obama into a
version of stupid Bush. Yes, he promised change. We shall see.
Saul
Landau’s films are available on DVD from roundworldproductions.com.
