The Candidate Speaks

In the New York Times this morning, Paul Krugman opined that although "Iraq is a lost cause . . . we might still be able to save Afghanistan."

Save Afghanistan? From what? From itself, apparently. As Mr. Krugman explains, "the commander of NATO forces in Afghanistan says that most of the population will switch its allegiance to a resurgent Taliban unless things get better by this time next year."

And how might we save it? By transferring American troops there from Iraq. "If we stopped trying to do the impossible in Iraq, both we and the British would be able to put more troops in a place where they might still do some good."

Holy shit! Have we learned nothing? Isn't it perfectly clear that we have no right to save Afghanistan from anything, much less an indigenous political movement to which many Afghanis have already given their allegiance? And isn't it perfectly clear that the one sure way not to save Afghanistan - or anyplace else - is to send more American troops there?

Mr. Krugman's views would not be so surprising were he some right wing psycho and not a professed liberal. That he holds such views illustrates an important truth about our current politics: the choice between Democrats and Republicans is no choice at all. Neither party has a clue.

What America needs now is a new and independent political movement. Like, for example, the one led by me, George LeChat! You want to know what to do with Iraq and Afghanistan? Here's my simple four-step plan:

1. Apologize.

2. Get out.

3. Pay reparations.

As for the Taliban, let's first defeat our own Taliban before they figure out how much they have in common with those guys in Afghanistan.

(Uh, my "handler" tells me that's only three steps. Okay, well, here's a fourth: Try to learn something from our mistakes. That goes for you, too, Mr. Krugman.)