Obama: SLN and Nobel in One Week

Last Saturday I watched Saturday Night Live with my teenage son. I was sort of shocked to see a skit where Obama sits in the White House Oval Office and essential denies doing anything wrong because in fact he has done nothing - that was the focus of the humor, how little he has accomplished in office so far.  As an Obama supporter I was taken aback, but also I realized that maybe there was some truth in the skit, as there always seem to be on SNL.  I was disappointed in myself for not being "ready" for the blast he got, for not being more aware of what hasn't been done maybe.  I haven't been following domestic issues in part because I got tired of the prolonged health care debate.  Poor excuse I know. So my task now is to be more aware and objective.

On to the "good news" (at least for me!) - Obama has been selected for the Nobel Peace Prize.  I lived in Alfred Nobel's house in Oslo as a teenager in the '70's.  It was a beautiful home and  as the Nobel Peace Prize was awarded in Oslo every year I was privileged to even attended the event when Henry Kissenger was awarded the prize. I feel a deep connection to the prize and it's meaning. The consideration of the hope and inspiration Obama has given the world is what is being considered here I believe, not that he has ended a war or significantly effected change in the form of peace in a given country.  I do think he deserves it because, like Martin Luther King, he symbolizes hope and change. I just hope he continues to really effect change so that SLN doesn't have material for the next 3 years.  We shall see.

Afghanistan, What Next?

We have spent the better part of the last 7 years fighting against the Taliban in Afghanistan, where they have been for much longer then us.  We have known that this was a key place for Osama Bin Ladin to train his terrorist yet our numbers and full out effort haven't been placed there.  In my opinion the American focus on Iraq has burned out our energy and commitment to fighting the true terrorist, the Taliban. I believe our time there can be compared to going on a diet, sticking to it all day, but eating chocolate in quantity every night. Doesn't really make sense does it?  

I understand the U.S. military's  need to win over the "hearts and minds" of the Afghan people  in order to gain confidence and collaboration from them.  The Taliban is so entrenched that unless people view the U.S. as a true ally the average Afghan can't be expected to befriend the American's, risking their lives by making the Taliban angry. We need the village warlords and elders who can choose to cooperate with the Taliban to see the U.S. as an asset to their people. From my vantage point however, it is going to take a lot more soldiers in Afghanistan to manage the violence of the Taliban while similtaneously  winning the hearts and minds of the people.  We have the dual responsibility of protecting people from the Taliban's destruction of the roads, hospitals, schools, jobs and other necessities for those in both rural areas and cities.

What is the point in deploying less then the necessary amount of troops, and loosing more young soldiers then any one family can bare?  If we are going to fight the Taliban and "restore order and democracy" then we should have started in Afghanistan where we knew the terrorist were definitely training, not Iraq. What a waste of lives and resources.  Ironically, I'm not an advocate of war, really, but if you are going to be involved in one, give it your best shot so that those out there aren't sitting ducks.