Growing the Empire

The American empire continues to expand. Here's The Washington Post report on the dollar costs of our adventures in creating allies, or "nation-building" in Afghanistan: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/08/08/AR2009080802283.html?hpid=topnews

Mr. Obama's candidacy was generally regarded as the "stop the wars/peace" faction. Yet his expansion plans for the attempt to finally subjugate Afghanistan were plainly spelled out in his website campaign site/platform. In the times I saw him on television during 2008, he always confirmed that stance. The majority of American voters elected the "peace" president: who promised more killing, more long term deployments, more dollars for weapons.

Some congressman fret that Afghanistan has proven chronically unmanageable and a sinkhole for other "liberators" in the past century. But most of Congress have enthusiastically voted for ever-expanding military budgets and seem prepared to run this foreign government overhaul like a business - but with an improved model.

Private contractors are getting hired, although there is one "help wanted" ad according to The Post. The government is looking for a company "to bring together Afghan economic, social, legal and political groups to help build the country's infrastructure." The kind of stuff State Departments used to do. Yes, capitalism is alive and well - but it still needs the government to supply the troops riding patrols, engaging in remote firefights, getting blown up by mines, dying.

Afghanistan must be crossed by oil/gas pipelines. And those pipelines belong to companies who are not interested in a future where an unfriendly government could nationalize the business. So if it takes decades to guarantee business safety, so be it. At least - until the subjugation of Afghanistan is complete - there will be lots of friendly guns around.