kick in the teeth

i emailed several people last night about the pbs frontline program on the afghanistan war. the war that is in its eighth year, longer than WWII. the war with no end in sight. the war with no clear understanding or reason. the war that has boys dying half way around the world while trying to win the hearts and minds of the afghan people. really? did we train soldiers or did we train day care teachers? war is frustrating and in most cases unnecessary. this one is both. has this war accomplished anything? the soviets marched in afghanistan and got beat. of course john rambo helped, but still. they got beat and they live right next door. we live across oceans.

foreignpolicy.com says get nasty or go home. i'm not so sure that's not exactly right. i don't think we need to be there. but we are. so we need to accomplish our mission and come home. otherwise, we're lost.

bill black was speaking about james galbraith's book the predator state. he had several good points. you can find them here about midway down the page.

and mish is getting on board with the financial coup d'etat.

geithner's aides seem to be able to still make money. lots of it.

"i believe that banking institutions are more dangerous to our liberties than standing armies. if the american people ever allow private banks to control the issue of their currency, first by inflation, then by deflation, the banks and corporations that will grow up around (the banks) will deprive the people of all property until their children wake-up homeless on the continent their fathers conquered. the issuing power should be taken from the banks and restored to the people, to whom it properly belongs."

- thomas jefferson