The Bloodshed Continues In Iraq

Over 250 Iraqi's have been killed in Iraq by bombings in just the last week.  More is expected to come and the withdrawal of American troops from the cities by June 30 is being used by some as an explanation for the killings.

 

There are those in America who still want the war to continue and are saying our troops should not be withdrawn by June 30.  Our military leaders and Iraqi government officials say the agreement will be honored and that Iraq can handle the situation.  Those in America who want to undermine the treaty forget there was much more killing in Iraq when our troops were in full combat mode.  What is happening now does not compare to the horrific killings in the past. 

 

President Obama and our military should see that the treaty plays out as planned.  It is past time for Iraq to handle their own security and affairs.  Keeping U.S. troops in Iraq will not stop the killing.  We have found that out already.  The invasion and occupation of Iraq started a chain reaction and no one can say for sure how it will all end.  The price of this unnecessary war has been steep, especially for our men and women in uniform and their families.  Our troops have been in Iraq for over 6 years and most have seen multiple deployments.  It will get worse for some because they will be going to Afghanistan, the forgotten war on terror.

 

The picture of this unnecessary war could be seen long ago.  The war will not go away quietly even after all our troops are long gone.  The past has always been a mirror image of the future.  The middle east is not America and too many of our leaders have not learned from the past.

Louisiana Legislature And Their Pork

Louisiana lost 3700 non-farm jobs in May and the unemployment rate jumped to 6.6% from 4.1% in May 2008.  AT the same time gasoline prices are still rising at the pump despite  an over supply and despite the fact that gasoline usage is still down.

 

The Louisiana legislature closed its session the other day but not before providing millions of dollars of tax breaks to businesses as they have been doing on a regular basis for years.  The people are told it is necessary to create jobs but unemployment is going up not down.  The jobs are not being created when they are needed the most, in an economic downturn. 

 

Mr. Benson and his Saints made out like bandits again thanks to our elected officials.  It pays to have money in this state.  The Saints play in the dome no more than 11 days a year and for that Mr. Benson is paid millions of dollars in cash and other goodies. 

 

The Louisiana economy will turn around and create jobs when the national economy does so.  Business welfare does not create and sustain jobs.  Those industries who receive those hand outs prove that over and over.  The people would do well to remember the Investment Tax Credit that congress passed over 20 years ago.  It was done at the urging of CEO's of big business.  They said it was necessary to buy new plant and equipment to make them more competitive and have the latest technology which would make them more efficient and more profitable and plow those profits back into their plants and keep them competitive.  Well instead of plowing those profits back into their businesses they went to bonuses for their CEO's and executives.  That's what a study by congress found out.

 

With all of the tax breaks and corporate welfare given to American businesses for the past 50 years one would think we should have a lasting economy and job creation. Politicians who benefit from lobbyist campaign cash are just as bad ad the bosses of American businesses.  Louisiana has a governor who is AWOL concerning those things that really matter and make a difference for the average citizen.  Once again it was business who came out on top this session of the legislature and the governor led the way.  

President Obama, Israel and The Palestinians

President Obama in Cairo, Egypt on June 4th in a speech to the world had some blunt words for Israel.  He expressed sympathy for the Palestinians and what he called the "daily humiliations, large and small, that come with occupation."  He also described the Palestinians plight as "intolerable" after 60 years of statelessness reported the New York Times and several T.V. stations.  The President also said the United States does not accept the legitimacy of continued Israeli settlements. 

 

Obama's speech was a clear break from the previous administration and signaled he does not support or desire to continue the status quo on the subject.  His speech was also a direct piece of diplomacy to let Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu know that the U.S. policy is no new and or expansion of settlements into Palestinians territory and that the two state solution is the only solution.  Netanyahu has recently slipped away from those two conditions.

 

It is about time an American President faces the real problem concerning Israel and the Palestinian problem.  President Obama needs to hang tough and continue to be blunt in his pursuit of a lasting peace.  It will take tough dialog between all parties concerned because there will be factions on both sides that will try and wreck the peace process.  If President Obama follows through on his courageous speech it will make a difference and a lasting peace will have an opportunity to evolve. 

Afghanistran: A Troubled Foreign Policy

The United States and a few allies have been in Afghanistan since late 2001, almost 8 years, yet the Taliban is as strong as ever, the Afghan government is still unstable, corruption still rampant according to the latest reports and their poppi trade still flourishing and still being used to support the Taliban.  Meanwhile Americans are still being killed and our own military leaders tell us it will get worse.

 

The border area's with Pakistan we are told are still a haven for Al Queda and the Taliban despite the million's of dollars given Pakistan to clean up those area's.  Much of the Afghan population still support the Taliban.  The Taliban also know how to fight an occupation thanks to their war with the Soviet Union and the help of the U.S. in that war.  So what should the U.S. do different since there has been no real progress in almost 8 years of war and occupation.

 

The U.S. and its allies must convince Pakistan to clean up the safe havens in border regions and deny Al Queda and the Taliban a base to operate from.  Since Obama took office it seems that Pakistan is making a serious effort to do so.  Time will tell.  It is better if Pakistan assumes the responsibility to do this because that will send the real message to AlQueda and the Taliban. 

 

The U.S. should step up its use of unmanned drones which we are told is being very successful.  The U.S. should also work to get a U.N. security force into Afghanistan to take over security.  The U.S. presence could and should be lessoned if the border regions are cleaned up by Pakistan and Afghanistan.  It is really their war and their countries that are being threatened. 

 

If the U.S. implements a foreign policy of sending more Americans into Afghanistan as the war in Iraq winds down that will only bring the same deployment problems to Afghanistan that he U.S. suffered from in Iraq and our troops will once again pay the price of those multiple deployments.  If Afghanistan is handled like Iraq the U.S. will be in Afghanistan another 10 years and the problem will still not be solved.  This writer still does not know what the U.S. game plan is for Afghanistan from what I have seen so far.  Maybe there is some secret diplomacy going on between the parties that will end this sad situation.  Our men and women in uniform deserve better and the American people need to know what the end game is and how the U.S. will accomplish it.

Iraq: Front and Center Once Again

Bad news again for America and its men and women in uniform concerning Iraq.  On a day when 3 more Americans were killed in Iraq the Associated Press reported the Pentagon is prepared to have U.S. troops stay in Iraq for a decade despite the agreement between the U.S. and Iraq to withdraw all U.S. troops from that country by 2012.

 

General George Casey, the army chief of staff said "global trends are pushing in the wrong direction, and that the world remains dangerous and unpredictable."  Not much information there to explain the U.S. presence in Iraq for another 10 years.  It seems some in the military want another Viet Nam.  President Obama should immediately announce no such thing will happen and that the U.S.-Iraq agreement will be honored in full.

 

This unnecessary war has been a major recruitment tool for creating more terrorists.  Our men and women in uniform do not need 10 more years of dying in Iraq or being rotated in and out of Iraq for seven or eight times.  They have already been there and done that.  Another 10 years in Iraq will guarantee the U.S. will be in a unnecessary perpetual war with terrorists.

 

The world will always be  dangerous and unpredictable like it was during the "cold war" and like it was on 9/11.  It was dangerous when Iraq invaded Kuwait and President Bush 41 responded.  Bush had the wisdom to withdraw from Iraq after the defeat of Saddam Hussein's military and ejection from Kuwait.  Many of the people who supported the present war in Iraq was not happy with Bush's 41 decision not to occupy Iraq or go after Saddam.  Some of them now want another 10 years to occupy Iraq.  Those people care nothing about our men and women in uniform and would use any excuse to occupy middle east lands.

 

The war in Iraq over WMD that did not exist is in its 7th year.  It was never about terrorism, but it created people to join terrorists organizations and wage war against our men and women in uniform.  If President Obama agrees to occupy Iraq for another 10 years the 21st century will be devastating to our country and to our men and women in uniform.  President Obama should reject this thinking immediately.

Smoking Ban For Louisiana Casinos And Bars

The Louisiana senate on May 28 voted to expand Louisiana's smoking ban to include bars and casinos.  The bill now goes to the house for action.  It is an undisputed fact that second hand smoke is a danger to people's health and should have been banned in the 2006 legislation but the casino lobby prevailed at that time. There is also no question that casino smoke dangers more people because more people are exposed in a casino and are so tightly together. 

 

Four senators who represent the New Orleans metro area voted against the bill.  Alario, Duplessis, Heitmeier and Murray.  Alario attempted to exempt casinos from the ban but it was turned back.  Their no vote fell in line with the casino lobby.  It will be interested to see how those four senators vote on Jindal's plan to cut health care in the proposed budget.  Members of the legislature continue to put the demands of the lobby industry ahead of the people's needs.

 

On another vote that favors common sense, the house shot down a bill that would allow qualified college faculty and students 21 years or older to carry fire arms on campuses.  The vote was overwhelming 86-18.  The sponsor of the bill Ernest Wooton said he may bring it back next year.  Mr. Wooton, a republican blamed the lost support for the bill on politics.  Sadly, the bill was about republican politics and their support of everything the NRA wants.

 

Lobbying in Louisiana should be given the cold shoulder to those that care nothing about the needs and safety of our citizens.  Lets see if the full house and senate carry through with its vote to finally ban smoking in casinos.  It should have been done a long time ago.  The people of Louisiana will have an opportunity to see how the members of the legislature cast their final vote on the subject.