The Strategic Slaying of the Good American

Am I the only pundit who thinks the murder of those doctors in Afghanistan was a calculated move on the part of the Taliban? These folks had been in the country for decades in some cases. They had solid, trusted reputations. They knew the language, the culture, and more importantly would teach other aid workers the ropes. I bet they even advised the military at some points. Their murder was a blow to our efforts to rebuild that country and their knowledge simply cannot be replaced. At least that is what the Taliban are hoping.

You know what I am hoping? I am hoping that the Afghan people see this for the assassination. This country has one of highest infant mortality rates in the world. People die there of diseases that would make the poorest person in Haiti scratch his head. I have no problem with a community that wants to hold to the orthodoxy of its faith. Freedom of religion and all . . . But cling to it while women die unnecessarily in childbirth and babies routinely don't reach their 2nd birthdays is unacceptable and inexcusable. Should there be no outcry from the Afghan people themselves in reaction to this . . .if they fail to put their own bodies on the line for their own . . .should the only folks affronted by the appalling behavior be us, I am going to have to side with the growing crowd in Congress and demand that Obama pull my countries "babies" out of there. I am all for helping other people, after all I am a psychologist in the 'hood. But if I give you boots and boot straps then show you how to use them and you don't put things together, I have the right to pick up my bat and ball to go home. We could use that military personnel to fight wars within our own borders. How about they start in Detroit and the Southside of Chicago?

A solution to terrorism-send in the Japanese

The Japanese need something to do. Obviously, this "peaceful living" thing imposed by General George MacArthur at the end of the Second World War in response to the horrific wartime antics of the Japanese dating as far back as their invasion of China isn't working. Case in point, the so-called "rape video" (see the 3/30 CNN story - http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/tech/2010/03/30/ctw.lah.japan.video.game.rape.cnn?iref=allsearch) that has come out in Japan and drawn outrage around the world. Forget the arguments about whether or not to allow it in the States. Trust me, those who want it already had it weeks and maybe even months before CNN or other major news entity woke up in the morning. The question also isn't why this society, by example of the porn and manga we knew about on 3/29, produces such violent, public spaces in the areas of entertainment (ever see those humiliating games shows they produce?). The question is why aren't we harnessing this energy and targeting it toward promising activities like the elimination of the Taliban?

Let's face it. Us Westerners like life too much to really do what has to be done to fight terrorism. We are only willing to go so far when it comes to war. That is why this war has gone on so long and the U.S. government was so willing to consider using a nuclear bomb they knew ahead of time would cause tremendous damage and loss of life at the end of WWII. If this Iraqi/Afghanistan war had a real draft attached to it, particularly one that took the sons and daughters of the rich, this war would have been over in 2008. If we really want to eliminate the Taliban and all the other terrorist groups worldwide, we need to send in the Japanese who obviously need some more productive and less destructive release for their hideous, violent tendencies. I know it sounds very racist but it just may work. Remember the kamikazes? A few of those would shut bin Laden right up and have Hamas shaking in their boots. And if not, it certainly would kill enough of them to make terrorism seem more like some bygone plague than a constant threat (and maybe I can get through an airport without being nearly strip searched and my bags raided for 2 hours).

And while we are at it, we should consider sending a few Germans in along with them.