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Democracy and Action

Afghanistan’s historic August election was marred by widespread voting inconsistencies, despite efforts by U.S. and Afghan soldiers—and warlords—to keep the peace.

By James Foley

KUNAR PROVINCE, AFGHANISTAN—As gunshots rang out from the mountain tops of the Dewegal Valley in eastern Afghanistan, men voted under the shade of trees next to their village’s mosque. Heads turned upward whenever a heavy shell or particularly loud burst echoed, but the voters appeared in no hurry to leave. This was supposed to be their election, after all. But the… return to article

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    We have a president in Barack Obama who is utterly unprepared for his role as commander-in-chief, at times seemingly disinterested in carrying out the duties entrusted to him.

    We have a festering problem with the war in Afghanistan that has no end in sight, but the Obama administration continues to obsess about domestic issues that are at the core of their far-left agenda, rather than attempt to tackle the issue of what to do about the mess in Afghanistan that is costing this country money we can’t afford, all the while our deepening involvement results in higher casaulty numbers.

    Are we prepared to spend several more years attempting to “win” in Afghanistan? Is the American public cognizant of the money and lives to be spent to attempt to do so?

    I think not.

    A surge in troop levels in Afghanistan might help us to make some temporary gains in various areas of the country, but I see this conflict as an unwinnable one for the U.S.

    With the impending failure of the Democrats’ health care reform legislation, and the overall economy still teetering on the brink of more disaster, let alone what is happening in the Middle East in Afghanistan, Iraq and Iran, one would think that President Obama would have too much on the agenda to go on a taxpayer-funded junket to Denmark to get the 2016 Olympics for Chicago.

    Not so.

    The presidency of Barack Obama is headed nowhere fast, and the Democrats will feel the backlash from the electorate next year in the 2010 mid-term elections.

    Barack Obama just can’t be bothered about the hard decisions concerning Afghanistan.

    It’s just not the same fun as being in permanent campaign mode.

    United States Posted by patrick hattman on Oct 2, 2009 at 1:34 AM

    I haven’t seen enough in Afghanistan to judge how good (or not good) of a job Obama is doing there. I think I at least need to get more information before deciding what to make of Obama’s decisions as commander in Chief.

    United States Posted by CD Rates on Oct 4, 2009 at 11:51 PM
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    Afghanistan's historic August election was marred by widespread voting inconsistencies, despite efforts by U.S. and Afghan soldiers—and warlords—to keep the peace.
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