Here's a comment from someone on the Al Jazeera English Asia Blog........with my reply.
Ms W:
So, let’s see. . . The U. S. and other western nations are spending trillions to keep Afghans and other Muslims from slaughtering each other, to get them into the 21st century, to give them development and a decent life, but—they are seen as “occupiers” and “exploiters”?
What SPECIFICALLY is the U. S. and its allies getting out of this miserable folly? It is costing blood and treasure that the west does not have!
Odd too that no-one ever dumps on China for exploiting the riches of Africa, Iraq, Afghanistan and countless other nations.
Many say the west should leave and close the door behind them. Let these people duke it out until there is only one man left standing. Perhaps then there will be peace, but I sincerely doubt it since this appears to be the regional motto:
"Me against my brother, my brother and I against our father, our father and us against our tribe, our tribe against the world".
Protoprotestant:
I think that might be a little naive. Despite what is presented in the media, U.S. motivations are hardly altruistic. It's a big chess game and sadly rather than having 8 pawns on the board....the teams have millions of people. It's not about development and nation building, that's part of the strategy to gain stability.....stability so the U.S. can have bases and bring in the business and grow the American Empire, a complex of corporations, political proxies and military presence. Everyone is drooling now over the new mineral assessment of Afghanistan. It could be a blessing for the country, but in the end will probably be their biggest curse.
This about overlapping relationships on the geopolitical scene. The U.S. wanted to go into Afghanistan before 9/11...I remember watching the news iin 1999 and 2000 seeing how the Taliban was being set up. You could see it coming. This is about Iran. This about the Central Asian Republics and the ongoing U.S. policy toward Russia. Central Asia is huge in this big nexus between China-Russia-and Iran. The U.S. wants to set the board. Kyrgyzstan is the latest move by Russia to get the Queen of Central Asia....Uzbekistan.
No one in the U.S. thinks about it but since the USSR fell, the United States has been nothing less than outrageous in zipping here and there trying to gobble up everything on Russia's doorstep. If any other country was bouncing around Central America or the Canadian Provinces, trying to get them into military alliances, build bases, weapon systems, and starting wars.........America would go nuts and would have acted much more aggressively than Russia has. But the perception here is...America is innocent and wants to help people and our media (with the exception of a few like AJE) plays right along and makes sure all the 'bad' guys look real bad. The American media coverage of the South Ossetia conflict was a joke. Russia Today was doing better reporting and that's pretty bad.
It's about resources, it's about keeping China from them. It's about the crazy interpenetration of policies and motives in dealing with Pakistan as both an enemy and friend, keeping India from making other friends and keeping Chinese influence out of the subcontinent. The movie Syriana though fiction is a movie I wish people would see. It's a masterful presentation of all the overlapping forces, the scheming, the games, the power. But I can't get anyone to watch it, and I find most people unless I sit with them, with the remote control stopping to explain every few minutes...they can't even understand it. America doesn't have to suppress information. The Soviets and today the Chinese don't get it. The American model is keep you people fat and happy and caring about things like spoiled brat basketball players and no one will care. There are books in the local library that if people would read them...there would be blood in the streets. But no one cares and the government can do whatever it wants. But in China and places like that, the people don't trust their goverment, the suppression of information makes them curious and leery. America has a powerful propaganda system, I don't see how to break it. When people are chasing after things like Sarah Palin it just shows you how far gone it is....
For Bush, Iraq was also about Israel and at the time there were was the undamaged US-Israel-Turkey axis and the Russia-Iran-Syria axis.....throw in the American split policy concerning Kurds in Iraq v. Kurds in Turkey....add in Azerbaijan v. Armenia and the Turco-Persian overlaps and issues there....it gets real confusing.
It's a big game. But you're right as an American to ask the question...what specifically are the US and its allies getting? Well, the plutocratic elements which back the governments...they get rich. The generals get to play. The political idealists get to play geopolitical chess. The civilians die, and the American people and especially the American solider get duped and then have to deal with the consequences....
Think about it. I'm glad you're asking questions. Keep telling people about AJE! It's hands down the best English news channel out there.
John A.