Your Opinion, Please.

[H2O Man]

Earlier this week, I read an interesting OP/thread on this forum, concerning Michael Scheuer. It reminded me of a quote from the introduction of his 2004 book, "Imperial Hubris." I'm curious what DUers think of this:

"We thank God for appeasing us with the dilemma in Iraq after Afghanistan. The Americans are facing a delicate situation in both countries. If they withdraw they will lose everything and if they stay, they will continue to bleed to death." -- Ayman al-Zawahiri, 2003.

I assume that most DUers would agree that the policies of the Bush-Cheney administration in the years since that statement was made have done four things: (1) caused the suffering and deaths of thousands of human beings; (2) damaged our economy; (3) resulted in a deterioration of Constitutional protections in our country; and (4) reduced our standing in the international community.

My question is two-part: What would you like to see the Obama administration and Congress do in an attempt to repair the damage done? And what do you think that you, as a member of the "grass roots," can do in 2009 to help encourage the changes that you would like to see?

Thank you for your consideration.
H2O Man

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

1. Part 1. Leave Iraq and change spending in Afghanistan from military to humanitarian.

Part 2. Beyond getting Dems elected over Pugs, we need to get Dems elected over pseudo-Dems in the primaries.

[patrice]

2. What happens with Iraq should involve the UN.

Obviously we'll have to defend ourselves from overt revenge if we go to the UN, so there must be some understood preconditions about that when the UN addresses this question, but since we broke faith with the World by what we did, that would be a good place to begin. We will also need cooperation with other nations to help us reconstruct Iraq.

[panader0]

3. Unconditional withdrawal from Iraq and Afghanistan to start

Some may say it's just not that easy, but sometimes the simplest way is the best. The US has enough prolems at home without meddling in other countries. I don't think withdrawal would hurt our national security, I think it would boost it, while restoring our international image and saving a fortune. As far as what I can do to help encourage these changes, I'm not sure.

[lonestarnot]

4. That 13 billion a month should do something for joblessness shouldn't it?

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

5. Start with restoring Consitutional rights

That means that first of all Obama doesn't continue the suit to keep that "enemy combatant" incarcerated in the US without rights.

Then he uses executive orders to rescind the executive orders of Bush, and stops warrentless wiretaps.

Biden scales back the powers grabbed by Cheney as VP.

Obama starts quiet talks with Middle Eastern powers, then uses dipolmatic missions to the area to help start working on the problem there. I believe if he visits a Muslim country early on in his administration this will help a lot in restoring our international prestige.

We as citizens can keep on with our phone calls and letter writing to Congress about Constitutional and international issues of interest. We can make sure that our friends and families are informed about the facts, too.

[Redbear]

6. A return to human rights.

Closing Gitmo should be priority one.

I intend to write every politician I can and every paper/magazine I can.

[OHdem10]

7. Osama BinLaden is winning. His goal was to bring US to its

knees financially. Twin Towers was his symbolism for destruction of
economy. He was most clear on this.

How long can we continue to pour billions into other countries while
becoming a third world country ourselves. Just asking.

Our wealth has been our power--this is the target.

[Ignis]

8. Everyone needs to read _Imperial_Hubris_

It can drag a bit in places (damn that boring secondary support!), but it's one of the most eye-opening books I've read in the past few years.

[puebloknot]

9. Repeal the Patriot Act, and the Military Commissions Act, in toto, for starters.

Do less reaching out to fascists and religious nuts in this country, and more reaching out to other countries we have had good relations with in the past, as well as establishing new alliances.

As a member of the grass roots, I can only write letters and make phone calls and maintain the slim hope that anybody is actually listening.

[rosesaylavee]

10. 1. Obama Administration's main responsibility:

Bring the Bush administration's criminals to trial and if found guilty, incarcerate them.

2. My part in this: I continue to write, call, visit, email, write, call, visit, email, etc. my elected officials to support the efforts to bring these criminals to trial.

Without consequences for the many many criminal acts perpetrated against the American and global communities, these past 8 years will be repeated by another crew of criminals with a few remainders from this administration to lead them back into the DC. Cheney, Rumsfield et al were remainders from a former group of criminals who got off scot free.

[grantcart]

11. The situation in Afghanistan requires sustained long term nation building

The ideal situation is to maximize the involvement of educated moderate muslims from other countries who could be hired to assist in education and social welfare positions to build up and hand over.

We should make a long term committment to stay until workable institutions are working across the country but do it in a way that the American footprint is reduced as much as possible.

[eridani]

16. Correct, which is why we should get the hell out ASAP

Leave it to Sweden and Ireland. All we need to do is contribute some money. Why in fawking hell would Afghanistan want to be part of our "global trading system?" They're aleady at the bottom--why enroll them in the race to the bottom?

http://www.alternet.org/audits/119052/?page=entire

There are other peculiar features of American development aid. Nearly half of it (47%) goes to support "technical assistance." Translated, that means overpaid American "experts," often totally unqualified -- somebody's good old college buddies -- are paid handsomely to advise the locals on matters ranging from office procedures to pesticide use, even when the Afghans neither request nor welcome such advice. By contrast, the universally admired aid programs of Sweden and Ireland allocate only 4% and 2% respectively to such technical assistance, and when asked, they send real experts. American technical advisors, like American privateers, are paid by checks -- big ones -- that pass directly from the federal treasury to private accounts in American banks, thus helping to insure that about 86 cents of every dollar designated for U.S. "foreign" aid anywhere in the world never leaves the U.S.A.

American aid that actually makes it abroad arrives with strings attached. At least 70% of it is "tied" to the purchase of American products. A food aid program, for example, might require Afghanistan to purchase American agricultural products in preference to their own, thus putting Afghan farmers out of business or driving even more of them into the poppy trade. (The percentage of aid from Sweden, Ireland, and the United Kingdom that is similarly tied: zero.)

Testifying before a congressional subcommittee on May 8, 2001, Andrew Natsios, then head of USAID, described American aid as "a key foreign policy instrument helps nations prepare for participation in the global trading system and become better markets for U.S. exports." Such so-called aid cuts American business in right from the start. USAID has even developed a system for "preselecting" certain private contractors, then inviting only those preselected companies to apply for contracts the agency wants to issue.

[AntiFascist]

12. I just watched Charlie Wilson's War the other night....

it's interesting that they had no problem raising 1 billion dollars for the mujahadeen to defeat the Soviet Union, but afterwards Charlie Wilson wasn't even able to get 1 million dollars to construct Afghan schools. I think we can right this wrong now, but only with the help of a coalition of other nations most importantly including moderate Muslims. Right now the opium trade rules in Afghanistan, and is likely corrupting our own agenda.

[Me.]

13. Restore The Constitution & Accountability

Habeas Corpus put back as it should be. And criminal trials. The cycle of criminality in the executive branch will never end unless there are, finally, consequences. I do not expect the Obama admin to join the criminal class but who knows who will come next. The neos are flying under the radar, for now, but given a pres with their proclivities they will rise again if given the chance. Also, I agree with Dean and Turley that if we don't do it the international community will. We have no idea how outraged they are over this. I also want the integrity justice department restored.

[dccrossman]

14. Ban security contractors, focus on humanitarian aid

To repair:
Respect the duly elected gov'ts, whether we agree with them or not.
Kick all of the security contractors out. They disrespect the people and have no accountability.
Focus on the humanitarian side, make sure people have food, shelter, ...

What can we do:
This is much more difficult. I don't have any good answers here.

[Blarch]

15. Simple.

Charge, try, convict, and jail the guilty.

This will show the world we are sorry, and that we really are looking to change.