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War-maker Obama Nobel Peace Prize means "war is peace"

"Manhattan Madonna" by Gideon Polya

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UN data show that 0.7 million people, including 0.4 million infants, die avoidably in the US Occupied Territories each year under Obama - his Nobel Peace Prize means "war is peace, ignorance is strength, slavery is freedom".

I have illustrated this article about the UNFORGIVABLE US Alliance passive mass murder under Bush I, Clinton, Bush II and Obama of about 4 million Iraqi and Afghan children with my huge painting "Manhattan Madonna" (1.3 x 2.9 meters; for detailed discussion see "Manhattan Madonna & 9/11": http://mwcnews.net/content/view/10766/26/ ).

Consult UNICEF (see: http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/index.html ) and you will discover that 338,000 under-5 year old Occupied Afghan infants die each year, 90% avoidably and due to war criminal non-supply of life-sustaining food and medical requisites unequivocally demanded of Occupiers by Articles 55 and 56 of the Geneva Convention Relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War (see: http://www1.umn.edu/humanrts/instree/y4gcpcp.htm ).

Thus 0.9 x 338,000 = 304,000 under-5 year old Occupied Afghan infants die avoidably each year due to US war crimes under Obama - that's 304,000/365 = 833 per day or 833/day x 262 days = 218,000 avoidable Occupied Afghan under-5 infant deaths in the 262 days in which Obama has been in office.

By this utterly disgusting decision - awarding a Nobel Peace Prize to Obama who has killed over 200,000 innocent infants in Occupied Afghanistan alone (so far, in a mere 262 days) - the Nobel Peace Prize Committee is saying, like Big Brother in George Orwell's "1984", that "War is Peace".

Of course Obama is a relative newcomer to the war criminal US Alliance mass infanticide in Occupied Afghanistan (and in Occupied Iraq, Occupied Palestine, Occupied Haiti, Occupied Somalia, NW Pakistan) – the whale-killing, war crime accessory, Orwellian Norwegians overlooked the lengthier participation of Bush (US), Blair (UK), Brown (UK), Harper (Canada), Merkel (Germany) , Sarkozy (France), Howard (Australia), Rudd (Australia) and their underlings in the mass murder of Muslim Asian children.

Further, the passive mass murder of Occupied Afghan infants is merely PART of Obama's warmongering, war-making, war criminal curriculum vitae that in 10 months has won him the Nobel Peace Prize (aka the Nobel War Prize).

Consulting UNICEF (see: http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/index.html ) we obtain the following estimates of "annual under-5 infant deaths" in the following countries subject to occupation by the US or US-backed surrogates: Occupied Afghanistan (338,000), Occupied Haiti (21,000), Occupied Iraq (41,000)), Occupied Palestinian Territory (4,000), and Occupied Somalia (54,000), for a total of 458,000 per annum and 1,255 per day (note that this analysis ignores Occupied Diego Garcia that has been completely ethnically cleansed, partially occupied countries such as Lebanon and Syria and countries subject to ongoing US-backed wars, notably the US robot-bombed NW Provinces of Pakistan).

About 90% of these under-5 infant deaths are avoidable and accordingly, "avoidable annual under-5 infant deaths" in these countries occupied by the US or by US-backed surrogates are (to the nearest thousand) : Occupied Afghanistan (304,000), Occupied Haiti (19,000), Occupied Iraq (37,000), Occupied Palestinian Territory (4,000), and Occupied Somalia (49,000), for a total of 413,000 "avoidable annual under-5 infant deaths" per year and 1,132 daily.

Accordingly, in the 262 days in office before award of the Nobel Peace Prize (aka the Nobel War Prize) warmonger, war-maker and war criminal Obama has been responsible for 262 days x 1,132 deaths/day = 296,584 or about 0.3 million avoidable under-5 infant deaths in his wars and occupations – and those are just the NON-violent infant deaths from war criminal deprivation imposed by the US Alliance Occupiers.

However for impoverished Third World countries – the sort of countries on whom the cowardly and racist US Establishment makes war - the "annual under-5 infant deaths" are about 0.7 of the non-violent "total annual avoidable deaths" (annual excess deaths, avoidable mortality, excess mortality, deaths that should not have happened) (see "Layperson's guide to counting Iraq deaths": http://mwcnews.net/content/view/5872/26/ ) which accordingly are as follows in these countries occupied by the US or by US-backed surrogates: Occupied Afghanistan (483,000), Occupied Haiti (30,0000), Occupied Iraq (59,000), Occupied Palestinian Territory (6,000), and Occupied Somalia (77,000), for a total of 655,000 non-violent avoidable deaths per year and 1,795 each day.

Accordingly, in the 262 days in office before award of the Nobel Peace Prize (aka the Nobel War Prize) Obama was responsible for 262 days x 1,795 deaths/day = 470,290 or about 0.5 million avoidable deaths in his wars and occupations – and those are just the NON-violent deaths from war criminal deprivation imposed by the US Alliance Occupiers.

Since about 50% of the population of these impoverished, war -torn, US- or US-surrogate-occupied countries are Children, we can estimate that there are about 900 non-violent avoidable Child deaths every day in the Overseas American Empire. This is consonant with the above estimate of about 1,100 under-5 infant deaths daily i.e. about 1,000 kids die avoidably every day in the Overseas American Empire due to Occupier war crimes (see "Hey, hey, USA, how many kids did you kill today? Answer 1,000": http://bellaciao.org/en/spip.php?article18750 ).

The fundamental bottom line in any comparative analysis of violent wrongdoing is consequential death. The current "annual death rate" for Occupied Afghan under-5 year old infants under the US Alliance is 7% - as compared to that of 4% (for Poles under the Nazis in WW2), 5% (French Jews under the Nazis and the Nazi-collaborator Vichy régime in WW2), 13% (Australian POWs of the Japanese in WW2) and 19% (Jews in Nazi-occupied Europe) (see "Polish Holocaust (1939-1945) & Afghan Holocaust (2001- )": http://gpolya.newsvine.com/_news/2009/09/02/3218030-polish-holocaust-1939-1945-afghan-holocaust-2001- ).

Of course the bigger picture is even worse. About 0.4 million infants die avoidably each year in the US Occupied Territories under Obama, 9.5 million infants die avoidably world-wide annually from deprivation under Obama and 60 million infants will die annually on average this century through Obama- and First World-imposed climate genocide (for details and documentation see "School war crimes tribunals. Can children save the world's children?": http://mwcnews.net/content/view/33643/42/ ).

About 0.7 million people die avoidably from deprivation each year in the Obama-led US Alliance Occupied Territories; 16 million people die avoidably each year on Spaceship Earth with Obama in charge of the flight deck; and 100 million people are predicted to die avoidably on average each year this century due to First World-imposed climate genocide (with Obama US a major contributor with 5% of the World's population and consuming 25% of the resources).

However the holocaust-complicit and holocaust–ignoring Mainstream media and the Nobel Peace Prize Committee choose to ignore these horrendous realities.

How many countries do you have to occupy and devastate and how many people do you have to kill to win the Nobel Peace Prize?

In the Occupied Palestinian, Iraqi and Afghan Territories post-invasion non-violent excess deaths total 0.3 million, 1.0 million and 3.2 million, respectively; post-invasion violent deaths total about 11,000, 1.3 million and up to 4 million, respectively; post-invasion violent and non-violent excess deaths total 0.3 million, 2.3 million and 3-4 million, respectively; post-invasion under-5 infant deaths total 0.2 million, 0.6 million and 2.3 million, respectively; and refugees total 7 million, 5-6 million and 3-4 million, respectively, plus a further 2.5 million Pashtun refugees generated in NW Pakistan under Obama. Excess deaths and under-5 infant deaths in Iraq under Sanctions totalled 1.7 million and 1.2 million, respectively (see "Pro-Zionist Western genocide denial": http://mwcnews.net/content/view/29844/26/ ). .

This constitutes a Palestinian Holocaust, an Iraqi Holocaust and an Afghan Holocaust; a Palestinian Genocide, Iraqi Genocide and Afghan Genocide as defined by Article 2 of the UN Genocide Convention; and egregious, Obama-complicit war crimes due in part to Occupier war criminal non-supply of life-sustaining food and medical requisites demanded unequivocally by Articles 55 and 56 of the Geneva Convention Relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War – thus the Gaza Concentration Camp has been under US-backed Israeli blockade for 2 years and according to WHO the "total annual per capita medical expenditure" permitted by the Occupiers in Occupied Iraq and Occupied Afghanistan is US$124 and US$29, respectively, as compared to US$6,714 for the US (see "Pro-Zionist Western genocide denial": http://mwcnews.net/content/view/29844/26/ ).

3,000 people died on 9-11 (an atrocity involving explosive demolition of the WTC buildings and hence US and very likely Israeli complicity, according to the latest scientific evidence, "Scientific Facts on 9/11 Point at US. Obama accessory after the fact of 9-11": http://mwcnews.net/content/view/33114/26/ ). Yet the US response to 9-11 has involved the avoidable deaths of 9-11 million people throughout the world (see " 9-11 Excuse for US Global Genocide. The real 9-11 atrocity: Millions [9-11 million] Dead in Bush [now Obama] Wars [1990-2009]": http://mwcnews.net/content/view/25184/42/ ).

Reality has now grossly exceeded satire and in the world under Emperor Obama the injunctions of Big Brother in George Orwell's novel "1984" have become the horrible Newspeak reality of the New World Order: " War is peace, slavery is freedom, ignorance is strength and 2 plus 2 does not equal 4".

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4.2
{"commentId":10015970,"authorDomain":"gpolya"}

Of course this Nobel Peace Prize award to war-maker Obama not only declares that "War is peace, slavery is freedom , ignorance is strength and 2 plus 2 does not equal 4" - it also grossly violates the fundamental injunction "thou shalt not kill children" (see "Children of Lesser God. MWC News & Gideon Polya World #1 for "thou shalt not kill children " : Children of Lesser God. MWC News & Gideon Polya World #1 for "thou shalt not kill children ).

{"commentId":10015970,"threadId":"698925","contentId":"3372002","authorDomain":"gpolya"}
  • 2 votes
Reply#1 - Sun Oct 11, 2009 6:38 PM EDT
{"commentId":10017169,"authorDomain":"JoeBpsplk"}

I've seen some fanatics this year. There have been the tea-baggers, the town hall shouters, and far-fetched bogus claims by conservative talk show entertainers. But you really take the cake. This is the most bizarre, the wildest and most far-fetched conspiracy theory I have ever seen. The SPIN, for gosh sakes, the SPIN is so extreme, devoid of perspective, reality, and is so self-serving that a rational person cannot laugh at this. It's past that. Disgust and pity is more appropriate.

Have you lost all sense of decency? You're sick. Please get help.

{"commentId":10017169,"threadId":"698925","contentId":"3372002","authorDomain":"JoeBpsplk"}
  • 5 votes
#1.1 - Sun Oct 11, 2009 8:20 PM EDT
{"commentId":10017497,"authorDomain":"lisztfan35"}
lisztfan35Deleted
{"commentId":10019007,"authorDomain":"jsunshine122"}

Looks like someone's going out of their way to get banned.

{"commentId":10019007,"threadId":"698925","contentId":"3372002","authorDomain":"jsunshine122"}
  • 5 votes
#1.3 - Sun Oct 11, 2009 11:17 PM EDT
{"commentId":10019977,"authorDomain":"gpolya"}

Disturbing comments above from the outright offensive racist ( I was compelled to press the delete button) to ad hominem abuse.

No sensible comment offered as to whether it is OK for Nobel Peace Laureate Obama to passively murder 1,000 children every day through non-supply of life-sustaining requisites unequivocally demanded of Occupiers by the Geneva Convention (decent folks say no) .

This is what outstanding anti-racist, humanitarian, conservative US writer, academic, writer and economist Dr Paul Craig Roberts (Father of Reaganomics) thinks of the Obama Nobel Peace Prize in an article entitled: "Warmonger Wins Peace Prize": Dr Paul Craig Roberts: Warmonger Wins Peace Prize ).:

" It took 25 years longer than George Orwell thought for the slogans of 1984 to become reality. "War is Peace," "Freedom is Slavery," "Ignorance is Strength." I would add, "Lie is Truth." The Nobel Committee has awarded the 2009 Peace Prize to President Obama, the person who started a new war in Pakistan, upped the war in Afghanistan, and continues to threaten Iran with attack unless Iran does what the US government demands and relinquishes its rights as a signatory to the non-proliferation treaty."
{"commentId":10019977,"threadId":"698925","contentId":"3372002","authorDomain":"gpolya"}
    #1.4 - Mon Oct 12, 2009 1:22 AM EDT
    {"commentId":10020938,"authorDomain":"TR966"}

    Which wars / conflicts / military actions did President Obama start?¿?

    {"commentId":10020938,"threadId":"698925","contentId":"3372002","authorDomain":"TR966"}
    • 2 votes
    #1.5 - Mon Oct 12, 2009 6:26 AM EDT
    {"commentId":10020987,"authorDomain":"gpolya"}

    Obama has hugely EXPANDED the war in Pakistan (as adumbrated before his election) - 2.5 million Pashtun refugees were generated under Obama from NW Pakistan (see "66 Taliban Fighters Killed by Pakistani Army, 2.5 Million Refugees Still Paying the War Price ": 66 Taliban Fighters Killed by Pakistani Army, 2.5 Million Refugees Still Paying the War Price ).

    VP Biden adumbrated US war in the Sudan - now realized partly with the recent Israeli air attack on the Sudan.

    Obama is CONTINUING the US or US surrogate violent occupations of Occupied Haiti, Occupied Somalia, Occupied Palestine, Occupied Syria, Occupied Iraq, Occupied Diego Garcia, and Occupied Afghanistan.

    Pro-war Obama has greatly EXPANDED the war in Afghanistan - the big question now is will his Nobel Peace (War) Prize and American public opposition to this evil war encourage him NOT to pour in a further 40,000 US soldieers?.

    {"commentId":10020987,"threadId":"698925","contentId":"3372002","authorDomain":"gpolya"}
    • 1 vote
    #1.6 - Mon Oct 12, 2009 6:41 AM EDT
    {"commentId":10021065,"authorDomain":"TR966"}

    "EXPANDED, CONTINUING, EXPANDED"

    So did not START anything (which was my question) he is just not doing what you would like, nor ending things Mr. Bush started quick enough. That is what I was wondering, I thought I had missed something. Otherwise thanks for the links, some interesting information.

    {"commentId":10021065,"threadId":"698925","contentId":"3372002","authorDomain":"TR966"}
    • 2 votes
    #1.7 - Mon Oct 12, 2009 7:12 AM EDT
    {"commentId":10027848,"authorDomain":"tyler"}

    Gideon Polya, this is getting reported as miscategorized - should be News Type: Opinion.

    Chosen news types and tags should be accurate and informative.

    Change it.

    ...

    Disturbing comments above from the outright offensive racist ( I was compelled to press the delete button) to ad hominem abuse.

    They're banned.

    ...

    Nice piece. I wonder if there are any previous winners who led a country at war?

    {"commentId":10027848,"threadId":"698925","contentId":"3372002","authorDomain":"tyler"}
    • 4 votes
    #1.8 - Mon Oct 12, 2009 2:34 PM EDT
    {"commentId":10030538,"authorDomain":"gpolya"}

    Tyler,

    As posted below (#2.3) I have changed the news type to news opinion as you have requested.

    In answer to your question, I am currently completing a detailed article about previous US Administration Nobel Peace Prize winners and the short answer in relation to US Presidents [war, invaded countries in brackets] makes a very sad story.

    Theodor Roosevelt, Nobel Peace Prize 1906 [as Assistant Secretary for the Navy helped gear US up for the Spanish-American war and took part personally in the invasion of Cuba to crush independent Cuba; occupation of Cuba, colonial war in Philippines that killed 1 million Filipinos].

    Woodrow Wilson, Nobel Peace Prize 1919 [took US into WW1; invaded Haiti, Nicaragua, Panama, Russia].

    Jimmy Carter, Nobel Peace Prize 2002 [Iran invaded; US backing of Iraq invasion of Iran and the Iran-Iraq War (1.5 million Iranians killed); initiation of 30 years of war in Afghanistan by overthrow of pro-woman socialist government and backing of warlords and fundamentalist religious mujaheddin; backed horrendous rightist military violence in El Salvador, Nicaragua and Guatemala].

    Barack Obama, Nobel Peace Prize 2009 [US or US-backed forces currently violently occupying territory of Haiti, Somalia, Diego Garcia; Palestine, Jordan, Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan; expanded war in NW Pakistan with 2.5 million refugees, expanded war Occupied Afghanistan; continual threats against Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty-signatory Iran; Biden threats against Sudan partly realized with Israel air strike on Sudan].

    As American mathematician and brilliant musical satirist Tom Lehrer said in another context (The Bomb) "who's next?" i.e. for invasion and occupation by the US Alliance or for a Nobel Peace Prize for war-makers.

    {"commentId":10030538,"threadId":"698925","contentId":"3372002","authorDomain":"gpolya"}
    • 1 vote
    #1.9 - Mon Oct 12, 2009 4:30 PM EDT
    Reply
    {"commentId":10020111,"authorDomain":"aringland"}

    this is not correctly categorized. It should not be a News: Event. It should be News: Opinion.

    I would suggest changing it.

    {"commentId":10020111,"threadId":"698925","contentId":"3372002","authorDomain":"aringland"}
    • 2 votes
    Reply#2 - Mon Oct 12, 2009 1:43 AM EDT
    {"commentId":10020543,"authorDomain":"gpolya"}

    The data of the UN Population Division, WHO and UNICEF and the estimates (based on 2 plus 2 equals 4) of how may people are dying avoidably in the US Occupied Territories due to US war crimes - utterly ignored by the racist, holocaust-complicit, holocaust-ignoring Mainstream media - is NEWS if anything is News and is certainly NOT opinion.

    When UNICEF reports that 338,000 under-5 year old Occupied Afghan infants die each year in Obama US-occupied Occupied Afghanistan that is not just simply NEWS but is NEWS with serious implications - under US Federal law anyone violating International Conventions like the Geneva Convention to which the US is a signatory and causing death is liable to the death penalty if found guilty of war crimes under US Law.

    Of course stating that Nobel Peace Laureate Obama's passive mass murder of 0.4 million non-European under-5 year old infants in the US Occupied Territories each year is jess fine an' dandy - well that sure is OPINION, y'all.

    {"commentId":10020543,"threadId":"698925","contentId":"3372002","authorDomain":"gpolya"}
      #2.1 - Mon Oct 12, 2009 3:25 AM EDT
      {"commentId":10024207,"authorDomain":"aringland"}

      It is opinion.

      Yes, you are using data within your article, but you have decided to interpret the data on your own, and add your own take on the background and who should bear the responsibility for it.

      That is opinion.

      And apparently, you are advertising your painting.

      {"commentId":10024207,"threadId":"698925","contentId":"3372002","authorDomain":"aringland"}
      • 3 votes
      #2.2 - Mon Oct 12, 2009 11:42 AM EDT
      {"commentId":10029515,"authorDomain":"gpolya"}

      The news type has been changed to "news opinion".

      My painting "Manhattan Madonna" is not for sale. I am not advertising my painting - my painting was created to draw attention to human rights issues (and in particular the mass murder of children by democratic imperialism) and not vice versa.

      {"commentId":10029515,"threadId":"698925","contentId":"3372002","authorDomain":"gpolya"}
      • 1 vote
      #2.3 - Mon Oct 12, 2009 3:44 PM EDT
      Reply
      {"commentId":10036325,"authorDomain":"jodye"}

      Gideon,

      Not many people would disagree with you that it is totally ridiculous that Obama was awarded a Nobel peace prize when he's done nothing as of yet to warrant it.

      The information you present about all the deaths of children in "occupied territories" on the other hand leaves much to be discussed. Your obvious hatred of the US government seems to cloud your judgement in looking at the overall big picture of the world around you. For instance why do you fail to see that many of these as you put it "preventable deaths" would occur regardless of whether or not there was any occupation by any nation.

      You seem to also conveniently overlook the vast amount of good the US does worldwide in humanitarian assistance. What about the hundreds of thousands of tons of food provided to these refugees? What about all the Army hospitals, doctors, engineers, teachers, construction brigades, etc. that operate in these areas? How many lives are saved by the aid given from these specialized military units? What about all the villages that are getting running water, sewage systems, hospitals, schools, roads, electricity, and so forth through the efforts of these troops?

      In war there are always civilian casualties no sane person would deny that. But the US goes out of it's way to minimize civilian deaths as a result of our military operations. I think if you were to focus solely on just areas under dirsect US control instead of lumping them into every conflict spot on earth as one you'd see a different picture.

      {"commentId":10036325,"threadId":"698925","contentId":"3372002","authorDomain":"jodye"}
      • 1 vote
      Reply#3 - Mon Oct 12, 2009 9:48 PM EDT
      {"commentId":10037635,"authorDomain":"gpolya"}

      I try not to hate anyone and the present US Administration is vastly better than its predecessor.

      I am simply reporting a continuing catastrophe in the US Occupied Territories as is the duty of any decent person..

      Articles 55 and 56 of the Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War simply demand that an Occupier provides life -sustaining food and medical requisites of "the fullest extent of means available to it" ; the principal Occupier of the US Occupied Territories of Iraq and Afghanistan is the US; the total annual per capita health expenditure permitted by the US Alliance in Occupied Afghanistan is $29 as compared to $6,714 for Metropolitan USA; each year 338,000 infants die annually in Occupied Afghanistan (population 26 million) verus 2,000 in Occupier Australia (population 21 million) (for references see article).

      Obama is grossly violating the Geneva Convention and should be tried as a war criminal - noting that under US Federal law anyone violating International Conventions like the Geneva Convention to which the US is a signatory and causing death is liable to the death penalty if found guilty of war crimes under US Law (see Cornell University Law School, US Federal Law on War Crimes: Cornell University Law School, US Federal Law on War Crimes ).

      {"commentId":10037635,"threadId":"698925","contentId":"3372002","authorDomain":"gpolya"}
      • 1 vote
      #3.1 - Mon Oct 12, 2009 11:19 PM EDT
      {"commentId":10038349,"authorDomain":"jodye"}
      each year 338,000 infants die annually in Occupied Afghanistan (population 26 million) verus 2,000 in Occupier Australia (population 21 million) (for references see article).

      I haven't really done any research into this matter but looking at the Unicef site it would seem that while still high the under 5 mortality rate has steadily declined since the US occupation. That was what I was trying to get at is how many of these deaths would be occurring even if the US was not in the country. Is there any relevant data you could point out on what the difference is in the overall numbers before and after occupation? It would appear from what I have seen so far that even though things are bad they would have been worse if the US was not involved and making a humanitarian effort to help the civilian population.

      {"commentId":10038349,"threadId":"698925","contentId":"3372002","authorDomain":"jodye"}
      • 1 vote
      #3.2 - Tue Oct 13, 2009 12:17 AM EDT
      {"commentId":10039453,"authorDomain":"gpolya"}

      1. The Geneva Convention says nothing about what the infant mortality rate should be, rather it simply states that the Occupier must provide food and medicine "to the fullest extent of the means available to it" - something that the US, and the other countries of the war criminal US Alliance are grievously failing to do i.e. Obama is committing an egregious war crime in violation of the Geneva Convention and causing 0.3 million infant deaths (punishable by death under US Federal Law - see post#3.1).

      2. Continual war does not help infant mortality.

      3. Under-5 infant mortality (deaths per 1,000 live births) was 256 (1995-2000), 252 (2000-2005), 235 (2005-2010; 92% of the 1995-2000 value) in Occupied Afghanistan i.e. catastrophically high and very little change under brutal , war criminal US occupation (data source: UN Population Division: UN Population Division ).

      4. By way of comparison, in only partially occupied Syria, subject to US and Israel bombing, Israeli ethnic cleansing of the Golan Heights and needing to look after about 1 million Iraqi refugees from US destruction of Occupied Iraq: under-5 infant mortality (deaths per 1,000 live births) was 28 (1995-2000), 22 (2000-2005),18 (2005-2010; 64% of the 1995-2000 value) - i.e. relative peace and relative absence of genocidal foreign occupiers CAN make a huge difference to infant mortality.

      {"commentId":10039453,"threadId":"698925","contentId":"3372002","authorDomain":"gpolya"}
      • 2 votes
      #3.3 - Tue Oct 13, 2009 2:42 AM EDT
      {"commentId":10039613,"authorDomain":"jodye"}

      Investing In People: Health and Education
      Under the Taliban, only 900,000 boys and no girls were enrolled in schools. Today, as a result of efforts by the Afghan government, the United States, and other donors, over 6 million children are in school, and one-third of enrolled students are girls. By the end of Taliban rule, 80 percent of schools were severely damaged or destroyed. To improve the situation, USAID constructed or refurbished over 680 schools and distributed more than 60 million textbooks. USAID created an accelerated learning program that enrolled over 170,000 students, more than half of whom were girls.

      The health status of Afghans is among the worst in the world; one out of every five Afghan children dies before the age of five. As a result of the work of USAID and other donors, over 80 percent of the population has access to some form of health care, up from 8 percent in 2002. In addition, the infant mortality rate has dropped by 22 percent. Afghanistan is one of just four countries in the world where polio remains endemic. However, as a result of U.S. assistance since 2002, over 90 percent of children under five years old have been vaccinated against the disease.

      This is quoted from http://www.usaid.gov/locations/asia/countries/afghanistan/

      That is a listing of just some of the non military aid programs going on in Afghanistan. I don't believe that when looking at what's been accomplished it can be said that the US is not making a positive impact especially on the children.

      Could we do more? Probably so, but in that respect you would be 100% correct to properly blame Obama for a lack of action. Aid and development programs can't function in areas where there is no security and violence is rampant. US generals have stated how many soldiers they need to secure the whole country and maintain peace for these efforts. The leadership of the US government has so far failed to provide the needed men and equipment for this task.

      4. By way of comparison, in only partially occupied Syria, subject to US and Israel bombing, Israeli ethnic cleansing of the Golan Heights and needing to look after about 1 million Iraqi refugees from US destruction of Occupied Iraq:

      This is where you tend to lose much of the sympathy and support people would otherwise have for what your advocating. When has the US bombed Syria? Lumping nations together in their individual actions over simplifies a larger problem and serves no purpose. The US is allied to Israel but has no direct or indirect control over what Israel does.

      You've overlooked another very relevant point here as well. Syria even with the refugees has a much more advanced system of government and medical care than has ever existed in Afghanistan. No amount of relief supplies in the way of medicine or food will compensate for lack of basic items like clean water, shelter, and sanitation. The US government has been working steadily toward building this infrastructure in Afghanistan while simultaneously fighting the Taliban and Al Queda and delivering food, clothes, and medical supplies.

      Trust me when I say I have no care at all for Obama, but I don't believe the UN is going to find much if any fault in the way the US has handled the humanitarian aspect of Afghanistan. The thing the current and former president is most guilty of is not providing enough manpower to secure the country and allow the aid to be more effectively distributed.

      {"commentId":10039613,"threadId":"698925","contentId":"3372002","authorDomain":"jodye"}
      • 1 vote
      #3.4 - Tue Oct 13, 2009 3:27 AM EDT
      {"commentId":10041912,"authorDomain":"gpolya"}

      It isn't a matter of "could we do more" than the genocidal $29 per person per year of health expenditure permitted Occupied Afghans by their war criminal American captors - the Geneva Convention states that an Occupier MUST provide life-sustaining food and medicine to its conquered subjects "to the fullest extent of the means available to it" and anything LESS is a war crime.

      The current "annual death rate" for (A) Occupied Afghan under-5 year old infants under the US Alliance is 7% - as compared to that of (B) 4% (for Poles under the Nazis in WW2), (C) 5% (French Jews under the Nazis and the Nazi-collaborator Vichy régime in WW2), (D) 13% (Australian POWs of the Japanese in WW2) and (E) 19% (Jews in Nazi-occupied Europe).

      Some of those responsible for B, C, D and E - for the mass murder of Jews Poles and Australian POWs - were arrested, arraigned, tried and hanged.

      Obama should be arraigned before the International Criminal Court for (A).

      {"commentId":10041912,"threadId":"698925","contentId":"3372002","authorDomain":"gpolya"}
      • 1 vote
      #3.5 - Tue Oct 13, 2009 9:41 AM EDT
      Reply
      {"commentId":10056174,"authorDomain":"jodye"}
      It isn't a matter of "could we do more" than the genocidal $29 per person per year of health expenditure permitted Occupied Afghans by their war criminal American captors - the Geneva Convention states that an Occupier MUST provide life-sustaining food and medicine to its conquered subjects "to the fullest extent of the means available to it" and anything LESS is a war crime.

      I think this is where we have the only real separation of opinion here. The US is not in control of Afghanistan and the people of that country are not "conquered subjects" of the US. The US forces are operating jointly with the Afghan government and NATO aligned forces to fight the Taliban and Al Queda insurgents there. When you make the comparison to say German occupied areas in WWII the Germans were in complete and total control of those areas. The US is not in control of Afghanistan and is not the government making the all the decisions on what's being done where in the country.

      I would also point out that the dollar figure is actually irrelevant in the context of things because of the exchange rates and what can be purchased in various areas with differing currencies. I just ran a quick check and see that $29 in US currency converts to $1434.63 in Afghan currency. $29 won't even buy a visit to see a doctor in the US but it will buy $1434.63 worth of food and services in Afghanistan.

      {"commentId":10056174,"threadId":"698925","contentId":"3372002","authorDomain":"jodye"}
      • 1 vote
      Reply#4 - Tue Oct 13, 2009 3:14 PM EDT
      {"commentId":10062680,"authorDomain":"gpolya"}

      The US Alliahce has occupied Occupied Afghanistan and is attempting to secure total control (as they attempted in Korea, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Palestine, Somalia etc etc ) .

      Those who violate International Law are criminals and those Americans (like Obama) who violate US-ratified International Law causing death are subject to the death penalty under US Federal law.

      This is what International Law says in Articles 55 and 56 of the Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War:

      "Article 55

      To the fullest extent of the means available to it the Occupying Power has the duty of ensuring the food and medical supplies of the population; it should, in particular, bring in the necessary foodstuffs, medical stores and other articles if the resources of the occupied territory are inadequate.

      The Occupying Power may not requisition foodstuffs, articles or medical supplies available in the occupied territory, except for use by the occupation forces and administration personnel, and then only if the requirements of the civilian population have been taken into account. Subject to the provisions of other international Conventions, the Occupying Power shall make arrangements to ensure that fair value is paid for any requisitioned goods.

      The Protecting Power shall, at any time, be at liberty to verify the state of the food and medical supplies in occupied territories, except where temporary restrictions are made necessary by imperative military requirements.
      Article 56

      To the fullest extent of the means available to it, the Occupying Power has the duty of ensuring and maintaining, with the cooperation of national and local authorities, the medical and hospital establishments and services, public health and hygiene in the occupied territory, with particular reference to the adoption and application of the prophylactic and preventive measures necessary to combat the spread of contagious diseases and epidemics. Medical personnel of all categories shall be allowed to carry out their duties.

      If new hospitals are set up in occupied territory and if the competent organs of the occupied State are not operating there, the occupying authorities shall, if necessary, grant them the recognition provided for in Article 18. In similar circumstances, the occupying authorities shall also grant recognition to hospital personnel and transport vehicles under the provisions of Articles 20 and 21.

      In adopting measures of health and hygiene and in their implementation, the Occupying Power shall take into consideration the moral and ethical susceptibilities of the population of the occupied territory. "

      {"commentId":10062680,"threadId":"698925","contentId":"3372002","authorDomain":"gpolya"}
        #4.1 - Tue Oct 13, 2009 6:07 PM EDT
        {"commentId":10062894,"authorDomain":"gpolya"}

        Obama's mass murder of non-European infants (about 0.4 million per year) is the ultimate in racism.

        Reductio ad absurdum of Obama's one rule for Europeans and another rule for subjugated non-Europeans - an American passenger jet having 100 European-origin passengers and 100 Afghan prisoners makes a forced landing and help is weeks away; it is decided by the pilot (whose name happens to be Obama) that 95% of the food, drink and medicine must be reserved for the European passengers (who are "used to" a high standard of living) and the 100 Afghan prisoners are essentially left to die (because that's what they are "used to").

        {"commentId":10062894,"threadId":"698925","contentId":"3372002","authorDomain":"gpolya"}
        • 1 vote
        #4.2 - Tue Oct 13, 2009 6:18 PM EDT
        {"commentId":10063341,"authorDomain":"jodye"}
        The US Alliahce has occupied Occupied Afghanistan and is attempting to secure total control

        That's the key part right there. We are not yet in total control of the security and therefore cannot effectively deal with proper assistance in aid giving. This is where I agree with you about Obama. The US could exert full control and ensure that adequate supplies were available to the civilian population if Obama would authorize the troops and supplies required to do the job.

        If we had full control of the country our forces would be free to work on building infrastructure, distributing supplies, and assisting local governments with helping their own people and creating a lasting stabilization. Regrettably we don't and will not have full control until Obama authorizes the forces requested by US generals to get the job done.

        I think that US forces are doing all that they can do in the given circumstances because the civilian government is not allocating enough resources. I do believe we agree on the aspect that US leaders in government are responsible for that situation.

        I wouldn't include Palestine in anything regarding the US though as far as occupation or control. The Palestinian situation is internal to Israel and the US has no direct control or input into what occurs there. Also keep in mind that the vast majority of food, medical supplies, and other humanitarian aid going to that region comes from the US. The same thing could be said for much of the continent of Africa. The greatest majority of food and other aid going to Africa originates in the US.

        {"commentId":10063341,"threadId":"698925","contentId":"3372002","authorDomain":"jodye"}
        • 1 vote
        #4.3 - Tue Oct 13, 2009 6:45 PM EDT
        Reply
        {"commentId":10066855,"authorDomain":"gpolya"}

        Denial of clear US complicity in the Afghan Holocaust (3-7 million post-invasion excess deaths, 3 million from deprivation) are in the same moral ball park as denying clear German responsibility for the WW2 Jewish Holocaust (5-6 million killed, 1 in 6 dying from deprivation), the latter attracting 10 years in prison in Austria and lengthy prison terms elsewhere in Europe.

        {"commentId":10066855,"threadId":"698925","contentId":"3372002","authorDomain":"gpolya"}
          Reply#5 - Tue Oct 13, 2009 9:42 PM EDT
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