Article published March 09, 2009
Sending out more troops is ominous
The impending deployment of 17,000 fresh U.S. troops to Afghanistan sounds ominous. It would serve well if our commander in chief would pay attention to Zamir Kabulov, the Russian ambassador to Afghanistan.
He surmises that Western governments are ignoring the lessons of the utter failure of the Soviet invasion 30 years ago. After all, he was in the thick of the 1979 Soviet invasion as a young diplomat. Twenty years after the last Soviet tank left Afghanistan, neither the ruggedness of its terrains nor the unruffled defiance of its people has shown any sign of weakness in the face of the renewed invasion, albeit by an international coalition.
Without the 24/7 presence of the overhead Predator drones, our forces in Afghanistan are isolated and regularly ambushed by the guerrilla fighters. The innocent civilians who become victims of the Western error are summarily labeled as “suspected Taliban.”
Afghanistan, once portrayed as our poster child of success in the war on terror, is rapidly becoming the biggest nightmare. Roadside attacks, suicide bombings, and civilian deaths are steadily on the rise. More than 2000 civilians were killed in 2008, a 40 percent increase from 2007.
The Soviets took a tough military approach in Afghanistan and failed. It took eight years and 14,427 dead Russian soldiers. We are in the eighth year of our invasion and still impervious to that realization.
Sept. 11 and the retaliatory response to it are two great tragedies of our time. Had we employed a justice strategy rather than the warfare strategy, and a principled American doctrine rather than the infamous Bush doctrine, we would have prevailed. That alone would have bonded us with the rest of the world as did the event itself. The global echo of solidarity would never have faded.
Abdul-Majeed Azad
PerrysburgFire ’em all, then plant more flowers
Mayor Finkbeiner received an acknowledgement from the federal government that there are more people living in Toledo than the previous census indicates. This will enable Toledo to receive more of our tax dollars from the government so that services can be provided to these people.
At the same time, this mayor is telling us that even though our population is increased, we don’t need as many firefighters and police officers. He actually said that by eliminating a firetruck we can lay off firefighters and save money and overtime. If that’s the secret, imagine how much money we could save if we eliminate all the firetrucks. We could also eliminate fire hoses, fire stations, and fire hydrants. We could also save a bundle by eliminating police cars.
When we’re all done saving this money, we will have enough to hire more consultants to help us complete the Marina District, Southwyck, the Steam Plant, the police tow lot, the Erie Street Market, flowers, the arts district, the sewer replacement project, Wi-Fi the entire city, and hire even more personal staff for our mayor so he can have a “dedicated” walker for Scout.
William Poznanski
Melvin DriveForget Bush’s ruinous policies
If you are in a boat that is sinking because it has a hole in it, no amount of bailing will prevent you from going under unless you first patch that hole.
Our economy is the same. Bailouts won’t work unless you first plug the holes. The gaping hole that is currently drowning our economy comes from the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy. Because of them, the wealthiest Americans now enjoy the highest percentage of national income since 1928 — just before the start of the Great Depression!
All of our current economic woes began when Republicans began lowering taxes for the wealthy. Amazingly, even after creating the worst economic disaster in history, most Republicans today still want to make those ill-conceived tax cuts permanent.
President Obama and the Democrats in Congress should abandon any further attempts to solicit Republican support for legislation to fix the economy, and repeal the Bush tax cuts now before it is too late.
Last November America voted for change. There is no reason to continue President Bush’s ruinous policies.
Ken Close
Orchard Tree LaneAmerica is not nation of cowards
I take great umbrage at Attorney General Eric Holder’s declaration that “Americans are a nation of cowards” on the subject of race.
In his speech to Justice Department employees marking Black History Month, he said “the work force is largely integrated but Americans still self-segregate on the weekends and in their private lives.”
It is true the workplace is largely integrated as are most of our neighborhoods, schools (public and parochial), and churches.
But let’s get back to the workplace. I don’t know about anyone else’s workplace, but mine is the most diversified you can get and we all talk to each other about many subjects. And, yes, race does come up every now and then.
Self-segregated on weekends? Well, most of the work force also have families that need attention on the weekends. We don’t self-segregate; we take care of our family obligations. And as far as our private lives are concerned if the attorney general has attended any church service, he would find people putting aside their differences and coming together to solve the problems that we all face.
A nation of cowards? Anything but. We have been and always will be a nation of the most courageous people that have graced this earth. I question whether President Obama picked the right man to be attorney general of the United States.
Thomas E. Rawlins
Glenbrook DriveIs hunger even more humane?
To the writer who complained that President Obama is doing away with former President Bush’s ban on aiding foreign nations if they perform abortions, let me say, “You are wrong, lady.”
Abortion is legal in our country. Why should we not give needy nations necessary financial aid if they perform, according to our own Constitution, legal abortions?
If these nations are impoverished, why must we ignore their dire straits, deny them food, medication, and aid for education because of an act that is not illegal? Is abolishing aid better than allowing their population to grow, worsening their hunger and pestilence? Is it more humane?
Adele Federman
Mockingbird LaneJohanek should work for the DNC
After spending the past eight years tearing down the prior administration during times of economic uncertainty and war, Marilou Johanek is now calling for confidence. What timing.
Her column would be laughable if the issue was not so critical. Perhaps she should have taken her own advice years ago. Talk about a self-fulfilling prophecy.
While The Blade’s editorial page is a suitable setting for Ms. Johanek’s ideas, I think an even better fit would be working for the Democratic National Committee.
Andy Walko
Marblehead, OhioTalk radio has quite a following
The majority of political talk radio programs exist because they have cultivated an audience interested in listening to inflammatory rhetoric and extreme points of view.
It’s the “I heard it on the radio, I saw it on the Internet — it must be true” audience.
These views are delivered, of course, by people who aspire to represent everyone in their party. The fact that these programs enjoy so much success on just one end of the political spectrum speaks volumes.
Bryce Clark
Sylvania
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