Page 6
'ri,c |JariIanh (Dbsmivr
July 14, 2010
Opinion articles do not necessarily represent the views o f the
Portland Observer. We welcome reader essays, photos and
story ideas. Submit to news@portlandobserver.com.
New Prices
Effective
May 1,2010
Martin
Cleaning
Service
A fghanistan
str a teg y
Carpet & Upholstery
Cleaning
Residential &
Commercial Services
Minimum Service CHG
$45.00
A sm all distance/travel charge
m ay be applied
CARPET CLEANING
2 Cleaning Areas or
more $30.00 Each Area
Pre-Spray Traffic Areas
(Includes: 1 sm all H allway)
1 Cleaning Area (only)
$40.00
Includes Pre-Spray Traffic Area
(Hallway Extra)
Stairs (12-16 stairs - With
Other Services): $25.00
Area/Oriental Rugs:
$25.00 Minimum
Area/Oriental Rugs (Wool):
$40.00 Minimum
Heavily Soiled Area:
Additional $10.00 each area
(RequiringExtensive Pre-Spraying)
UPHOLSTERY
CLEANING
Sofa: $69.00
Loveseat: $49.00
Sectional: $ 109 - $ 139
Chair or Recliner
$25 - $49
th *
Throw Pillows (With
Other Services) : $ 5.00
%
ADDITIONAL
SER VICES
• Area & Oriental Rug
Cleaning
• Auto/Boat/RV Cleaning
• Deodorizing & Pet -x
Odor Treatment
• Spot & Stain
Removal Service
• Scotchguard Protection
• Minor Water Damage
Services
SEE CURRENT FLYER
FOR ADDITIONAL
PRICES & SERVICES
Call for Appointment
(503) 281-3949
We've Got to Get out of There
Like Vietnam,
Afghanistan
will end badly
by
D onald K ahl
P r e tty m u c h
e v e ry o n e th in k s
President B arack
O b a m a d id th e
right thing in fir
ing his A fg h an i
stan c o m m a n d e r, G en . S ta n le y
M cC hrystal. U nfortunately, he did
it for the w rong reasons.
M cC h ry sta l g o t fired fo r s h o o t
in g h is m o u th o f f a b o u t his d is
d ain fo r o u r p re sid e n t, h is c iv ilia n
staff, an d o u r a llie s w ith in e a rsh o t
o f a R olling Stone reporter. O b am a
had to g e t rid o f th e g u y lest he,
O b a m a, b e lab eled a w im p an d
lo se h is a lre a d y slip p e ry sta n d in g
w ith the m ilita ry and o u r allies. H e
im m ed iately w on points, ho w ev er,
fo r n a m in g G en . D av id P e tra e u s
as M c C h ry sta l's su cc e sso r.
T h is, O b a m a a ssu re d us, w o u ld
m e an a s e a m le ss c o n tin u a tio n o f
th e stra te g y w e 'v e b een fo llo w in g
in A fg h a n is ta n . Y ou k n o w tim e s
are h ard w h en k e e p in g o u r A f
g h a n ista n W ar s tra te g y is c o n
sid e re d g o o d n ew s.
I d o n 't k n o w i f y o u 'v e n o tic e d
b u t w e 're n o t w in n in g th e w a r in
A fg h a n ista n ; w e 're n o t ev en ty
ing. T h e s tra te g y , w h a te v e r it is,
isn 't w o rk in g .
There's a reason for this: Strat
egies that d ep en d on invading
a n d p a c if y in g A f g h a n is ta n ,
thereby bending it to the invader's
w ill, never w ork. N ever,
j
It d id n ’t w o rk fo r A le x a n d e r
the G re at, fo r th e M o n g o ls, for
the B ritish E m p ire o r fo r th e S oviet
U n io n , all o f w h ic h c o n sid e re d
th e m se lv e s e x p e rts at in v a d in g
an d p a c ify in g . T h e y all c a m e into
th e c o u n try w ith fla g s fly in g , and
all left sa d d e r b u t w is e r—m o stly
s a d d e r. It's w h a t A f g h a n is ta n
d o e s to in v ad ers.
N o w it's o u r tu rn .
W h e n e v e r c ritic s o f th e w ar
b rin g up its p a ra lle ls to the V ie t
n am F o lly , su p p o rte rs ste rn ly a d
m o n ish th em w ith : " A fg h a n ista n
is n o t V ie tn am ."
R ea lly ? L et's rev iew :
W e're try in g to su p p re ss an
in d ig e n o u s in s u r g e n c y —a lb e it
one au g m en ted w ith tro o p s, w e ap
o n s a n d s u p p o rt fro m o u ts id e
s o u r c e s —in a fa ra w a y la n d o f
w h ich w e k n o w little.
W e're b o m b in g th e h ell o u t o f
th em , usin g $ 5 0 0 ,0 0 0 m issiles and
m u lti-m illio n -d o lla r d ro n e s to d e
stro y m u d h u ts, an d in th e p ro
c ess k illin g in n o c e n t p e o p le an d
c o n v e rtin g in d iffe re n t b y s ta n d e rs
into an g ry , h a te -fille d m ilita n ts. It
is a p o lic y o f d e stro y in g v illa g e s
in o rd e r to sav e th em .
In th is e ffo rt, w h ic h is in c re a s
in g ly o u rs a lo n e, w e 're d e p e n d e n t
fo r le g itim a c y on a c o rru p t, fe c k
less A fg h an g o v e rn m e n t th at lacks
the su p p o rt o f its p e o p le.
A n d , la stly , o u r su c c e ss d e
p e n d s a lm o st to ta lly n o t m e re ly
o n b e in g ab le to re fo rm th a t g o v
ern m en t, but on o u r ab ility to tra n s
fo rm its la rg e ly u n m o tiv a te d and
illiterate arm y into a m o d e m fig h t
in g fo rce so th at w e can tu rn th in g s
o v e r to th em an d d e se rt th e b a ttle
fie ld w ith o u t see m in g to.
S o u n d s lik e V ie tn am to m e.
A nd, like V ietnam , it w ill end badly.
H am id K a rza i, A fg h a n ista n 's
president, know s that. T hat w ily
m an is already negotiating With the
T aliban and its Pakistani sponsors.
H e know s w e're not long for this
war.
T h e R e p u b lic a n s w o u ld h av e it
o th e rw ise . L ed b y m ilita ry g e
n iu ses like Jo h n M cC ain an d D ick
C h e n e y , th e y 'r e in c e n s e d th a t
O b a m a h as set 2011 as th e se ll-b y
d a te o f th is w a r. A p p a r e n tly ,
th e y 're w illin g to k eep fig h tin g it
fo rev er.
A nd w hen w e do leave, they'll
blam e the D em ocrats for "losing A f
ghanistan," m uch as they used to
blam e D em ocrats for losing China.
W e're no t going to lose A fg h an i
stan, for the sam e reason w e didn't
lose C hina. W e n ev er ow ned it.
T h e B u sh -C h e n e y b u n c h h ad
th e ir sh o t at ta m in g A fg h a n ista n .
T h e y d id n 't d o it. W h a te v e r th e ir
stra te g y , it d id n 't w o rk . I f th e y g et
a n o th e r try at it, it w o n 't w o rk
a g ain .
A T a lib a n s p o k e sm a n re c e n tly
sa id th is o f h is c o u n try : "B e fo re
G en . M c C h ry sta l, m a n y stro n g
m ilita ry g e n e ra ls su ffe re d d e fe at.
T h e A m e ric a n s k n o w th a t A f
g h a n is ta n is th e G ra v e y a rd o f
E m p ire s b u t ev en so, th e y in v a d ed
th is c o u n try ."
T he reporter w as rem inded o f a
T aliban saying:
" T h e A m e r ic a n s h a v e th e
w atches, but w e've got the tim e."
O therW ords colum nist D onald
K aul lives in A nn A rbor, M ich.