Afghanistan...

As US sponsored candidates vie for election in Afghanistan, the Afghani people walk away disinterested in foreigners re-designing parts of Kabul just to disguise the abject failure of US foreign policy and any form of democracy ever taking hold. Yeah, hand-picked President Karzai... hopes pinned on a man who fled his country and only returned to sit on a throne in Kabul backed by US special interests.

The Obama administration seems to have taken pages from the Bush/Cheney playbook, re-invent the wheel, ignore historic local culture, make millions off their big shiny war machine. Never mind the sacrifice in lives of Afghan civilians and NATO soldiers... Good grief, I can still hear Dick Cheney's voice... "they're all volunteers, who cares."

Time for change, the change we were promised.


Kandahar Airstrip - Afghanistan

Stranded on sweltering tarmac
long tan lines standing on asphalt
scorched occupied landscapes
worn parade of dug in boots
scuffed souls ready for transport.

Journalists on melting tarmac
noncombatants snap photographs
shattered spinning landscapes
sandstorms seek viewfinders
Pulitzer prize ready for transport.

Aircraft on smoldering tarmac
red hot waves of engines wind up
slipstreams sweep landscapes
resolute warriors turn away
gritty statues ready for transport.

Unloaded on miserable tarmac
flag draped stretchers end conflict
final journeys join landscapes
pain consumes dug in boots
duty remains; ready for transport.




Inspired by reports from
Helmand Provence on 8/14/09
by Lara Logan of CBS News.