Thom's blog - Thursday January 6th, 2011

You need to know this. President Obama pledged to start withdrawing troops from Afghanistan in the middle of this year – however the Wall Street Journal is reporting today that an additional 1,400 troops are quietly being deployed later this month to boost combat forces in Southern Afghanistan. There are now nearly 100,000 US troops in Afghanistan. And this new surge makes you wonder if things are as rosy as the President suggested in the war strategy review last month. Or – if things are actually deteriorating like other onlookers such as the Red Cross and a slew of NGO’s and security analysts have claimed. Either way – since the American media refuses to devote more than 4% of its news coverage to this ongoing conflict – now the longest war in American history – the truth about Afghanistan will still be unknown to the American people.

Comments

Jeanie's picture
Jeanie 12 years 21 weeks ago
#1

Anti-healthcare people always bring up MRIs and CAT scans and how easy it is to get one here and how you have to wait in Canada. What they never bring up is that MRIs are a cash cow industry here; we have WAY too many per capita, and it's probably because they're always covered by insurance. There are companies that exist that show doctors how to increase their wealth by simply getting an MRI machine. It's not a fair comparison. People would also have to wait here if there were a more reasonable number of MRI machines. And if they didn't get reimbursed so easily, doctors wouldn't be so quick to prescribe the scans.

LeMoyne's picture
LeMoyne 12 years 21 weeks ago
#2

In the news break during the radio show Thom adds that there is "an equal number of contractors" in Afghanistan.

From the bill of particulars against King George in the Declaration of Independence ...

For Quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:
For protecting them, by a mock Trial, from punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States:

He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat the works of death, desolation and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty and Perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation.

So the US now commits the most heinous violations that spurred the British colonists to revolt and create the United States... Is it any wonder that peace is not produced from the occupations in the Middle East? I am sure that both the special rules to exempt the US occupiers from all local law and the fact that nearly a hundred thousand mercenaries are used in the occupation will not generate peace and prosperity for the Afghanis or for US. No surprise at all that the armed insurrection continues.

DRichards's picture
DRichards 12 years 21 weeks ago
#3

LeMoyne

I'm sure our founding fathers are rolling over in their graves.

DRichards's picture
DRichards 12 years 21 weeks ago
#4

Re:

Obama chooses JPMorgan exec. William Daley as new chief of staff

Hmmm... Is it still considered cronyism when it is done by a "democrat"?

mikeichi's picture
mikeichi 12 years 21 weeks ago
#5

Thom, what Internet Service Provider do you recommend? I'd like to be done with Comcast.

making progress's picture
making progress 12 years 21 weeks ago
#6

Privatizing Social Security Again?

by Helen Thomas
http://www.commondreams.org/print/64149

"Let the Jews who claim to be the chosen race prove their title by choosing the way of non-violence for vindicating their position on earth. Every country is their home including Palestine, not by aggression but by loving service." - Mohandas K. Gandhi November 20, 1938

making progress's picture
making progress 12 years 21 weeks ago
#7

A group of children attacked a man in the D.C. Metro, and no one did a thing to intervene. But the video is narrated and on the web.

http://www.tbd.com/blogs/tbd-on-foot/2011/01/man-attacked-by-kids-at-l-enfant-metro----bystanders-watch-film-6880.html

leighmf's picture
leighmf 12 years 21 weeks ago
#8

General Dynamics is running the war, that's why they're called GD. Gulf & Western is C-B-S, so they can be called GW.

Arrgy's picture
Arrgy 12 years 21 weeks ago
#9

How do we get Bernie Sanders to run in 2012 and get every Democrat out to vote every time?

delster's picture
delster 12 years 21 weeks ago
#10

In his strategy or someone's strategy this war is essential. The fact that news broadcasts are avoiding our brave young victims deaths is not particularly in support of our troops. As we dilly dally our x-box,

cable TV, life away our future is being divided up as war spoils. President Obama was the brightest light during the election and now is a dismal failure. So what happened ? How did the majority of Americans hope and dreams for the future get ignored. Many of those who supported Obama slipped over into the Tea Potty desperately seeking an answer to something. America is not the shinning light of democracy. In fact quite the opposite. The change that has to come will have to come from the bottom up and It may get ugly. It is clear to me that regardless of democrat or republican holding office it is only a minor degree of difficulty for the elite royalty to get what they want. The elite extortion technique worked like a charm. Tax breaks for the wealthy or no job creation or end to the conflicts.

They have had ample time with tax breaks to show their stuff,

DAN 1's picture
DAN 1 12 years 21 weeks ago
#11

The surge is a very wrong thing Thom. I am for bringing All of Our Soldiers and Sailors Home. Stop being Empire and take Our Defense Stand here.

Maybe limited operations for those of Us who like to fight and kill, can be designed and implemented. But most of Us need to stay here in America.

Jason Neumann-Grable 12 years 21 weeks ago
#12

God, we LOVE to throw our money around, don't we? When, oh WHEN are we going to stop propping up these corrupt regimes? We've got enough corruption to clean up right here at home.

cadawa's picture
cadawa 12 years 21 weeks ago
#13
cadsuch's picture
cadsuch 12 years 21 weeks ago
#14

I think the "surge" is an oligarch media event that makes Obama wrong regardless what he says or does. Obama is scaring everyone. He is the type of guy that can go to a meeting expecting a couple of dozen people and 3 million people show up. This scares everyone. His ploitical opponent says their only goal is to stop Obama. Nothing else matters. The citizens can go to hell. The oligarch media just picks a fight between everyone and the citizens are helpless. His political opponents are threatening to repeal medical reform. They insisted that certain provisions must be in the reform and are now going to repeal it because they are in the reform. The surge? The military are demanding it and will soon begin bashing Obama for it.

fatfax's picture
fatfax 12 years 21 weeks ago
#15

Chinese govt. must think " what a bunch of sick a-holes we loan them billions and billions of dollars they spend it on foolish imperial occupations and wars ".

schlots's picture
schlots 12 years 21 weeks ago
#16

NEW TROOPS TO AFAGANISTAN

TOM, many americans are against this war,period. The president continually keeps increasing the troop levels and continuing the war.

What can we do,we have been voiceing our displeasure for years and it hasn't gained us one thing. That's why we voted for Obama, he promised us a change.

Avid listener to your morning show. Great work.

Thom's Blog Is On the Move

Hello All

Thom's blog in this space and moving to a new home.

Please follow us across to hartmannreport.com - this will be the only place going forward to read Thom's blog posts and articles.

From Screwed:
"The powers that be are running roughshod over the powers that OUGHT to be. Hartmann tells us what went wrong — and what you and I can do to help set American right again."
Jim Hightower, National Radio Commentator, Writer, Public Speaker, and author of the bestselling Thieves in High Places
From The Thom Hartmann Reader:
"Thom Hartmann is a literary descendent of Ben Franklin and Tom Paine. His unflinching observations and deep passion inspire us to explore contemporary culture, politics, and economics; challenge us to face the facts of the societies we are creating; and empower us to demand a better world for our children and grandchildren."
John Perkins, author of the New York Times bestselling book Confessions of an Economic Hit Man
From The Thom Hartmann Reader:
"With the ever-growing influence of corporate CEOs and their right-wing allies in all aspects of American life, Hartmann’s work is more relevant than ever. Throughout his career, Hartmann has spoken compellingly about the value of people-centered democracy and the challenges that millions of ordinary Americans face today as a result of a dogma dedicated to putting profit above all else. This collection is a rousing call for Americans to work together and put people first again."
Richard Trumka, President, AFL-CIO