Afghanistan, Pakistan, and many other nations in that part of the world are today's tinderboxes. Their enlightened leaders know that bringing education, jobs, health, and a democratic lifestyle to their citizens will not be a quick or easy process. Such accomplishments generally take several generations.
JFK recognized this need for long-term foundation building a couple generations ago, when he tried to brand the U.S. as the nation who would most help struggling nations build solid foundations by sending them his fledgling Peace Corps.
After our stealth $1 billion was smuggled through Pakistan and elsewhere to give Afghans the guns and missiles to win the Afghan Russian 1979-89 war, even Charlie Wilson tried acting like JFK.
After the last Soviet troops left Afghanistan in 1989, Charlie was invited to a celebration at CIA headquarters, where on the auditorium's giant screen a huge quotation from Pakistan's President, General Mohammad Zia ul-Haq read: "Charlie did it."
Shortly thereafter in a congressional subcommittee meeting Charlie, Congress' $1 billion Afghan Rhett Butler gun runner, pleaded for $1 million in foreign aid, or a .001 (1/1000th) gun-running kickback, to rebuild schools in Afghanistan.
Before congressional reps, he pleaded, "Let's spend one million for school reconstruction. One-half of their population is under 14, under 14... Think how dangerous that is."
His counterparts wanted to move on to other subjects. Charlie pushed, "We always do this. We come in with our ideals. We go in and change the world, and then we leave. We always leave. We spent billions. Let's spend $1 million on HR118."
A congressman interjected, "Charlie, no one gives a sh*t about a school in Pakistan."
Congressman Wilson, futilely and quietly corrected him, "Afghanistan."
(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).
2
2
