Charlie Wilson's War (2007)

Earlier tonight, Texas Governor Rick Perry argued at the CBS GOP debate that financial aid to every country should be zeroed out and re-evaluated. My guess is that Perry would prefer to permanently leave most of the aid zeroed out. While I agree with his stance, as I shall explain later, I wonder how the Soviet war in Afghanistan (1979-1989) would have ended if Congress had maintained such a stance in the 80s.

To clarify, the Soviet War in Afghanistan was a nine-year conflict wherein the Soviet Union, in an attempt to uphold the Communist government of the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan, waged military warfare on the Afghan Mujahideen. They were ruthless in their pursuit, as they would send heavily shielded helicopters to literally wipe out fields upon fields of innocent, poorly armed Afghani men, women and children.

Enter Charlie Wilson, a Democratic Congressman from Texas who was persuaded by the beautiful albeit somewhat fanatical right-wing socialite Joanne Herring to find a way to significantly increase the United States’ military aid to the Mujahideen via a complicated arms transaction involving Pakistan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and even Israel! Assigned to assist him was the cantankerous CIA officer Gust Avrakotos, as well as the ingenious weapons expert Michael G Vicker.

With the help of Chairmain of the subcommittee on Foreign Operations of the House Appropriations Committee, Doc Long, Charlie managed to secure 40 million in aid. Over the course of the war, the funding quickly blossomed to a whopping 1 billion. The result? In 1998, Afghanistan became the “first country in history to defeat the mighty Soviet Union,” due in no small part to our endeavors.

The aftermath? Not as pretty. Charlie prodded Congress to provide funding for Afghani schools and infrastructure, but nobody gave a shit about schools in Afghanistan. Nobody give a shit period. They wiped their hands clean and walked away, thus allowing a power vacuum to open, and thus providing Osama Bin Laden with everything he needed to rise to power and become the horrendous villain we knew him as prior to his demise.

So why do I agree with Perry? We as a nation are extremely broke, and as someone who knows quite well what it feels like to be broke, I assure you that a broke man’s primary concern cannot be the welfare of others, for every dollar spent on someone else is one less dollar spent on his own well-being. Thus, I am sincerely sorry to all the nations out there who desperately need our help, but we must first get our own affairs in order, lest we too one day fall into darkness.

In conclusion, I wonder whether we really did the right thing. What would have happened if we had let the Soviets prevail? Would things be better or worse now? Would Osama Bin Laden have ever risen to power? I do not know. But I for one am glad for people like Charlie Wilson, because a nation without a heart is a nation within which I never wish to reside.

// Movie Quotes //

Charlie: "Half the population is under the age of 14. Now, think how fu**ing dangerous that is. They're gonna come home and find their families are dead, their villages have been napalmed."

Bob: "And we helped kill the guys who did it."

Charlie: "Yeah, but they don't know that, Bob, 'cause they don't get home delivery of The New York Times. And even if they did, it was covert, remember? This is what we always do. We always go in with our ideals and we change the world and then we leave. We always leave. But that ball, though, it keeps on bouncing."

// Real Quotes //

“These things happened. They were glorious and they changed the world... and then we f**ked up the end game." – Charlie Wilson (RIP)

The Whistleblower (2010) | "Immunity, Not Impunity"

The type of odious life form I most despise in this world is the sex trafficker--that soulless man or woman who profits off the abuse and torture of women. Even sadder though are all the good men and women who remain silent as evil thrives all around them. This movie features the very opposite type of person, as it chronicles an extraordinary woman who courageously stands up for the truth, despite the numerous obstacles in her way.

Enter Kathryn Bolkovac, an American police officer who signs up to be a U.N. International Police Force monitor in Bosnia a couple years after the signing of the Dayton Agreement. The country was in a state of disrepair, and so international forces were required to maintain order and facilitate investigations.

In the film, which portrays a fictional account of Kathryn's struggles, she soon meets Raya, a 15-year-old runaway sex slave who was trafficked into Bosnia from the Ukraine by her aunt's boyfriend. But to her utter shock and dismay, Kathryn discovers that everybody is in on the sex trafficking business, including the Bosnian police, many of her colleagues and even international figures of prominence.

She convinces Raya to testify against the bar owner / pimp who managed her and to identify those UN peacekeepers who paid for sex, but before Raya can speak in court, she is abducted again, and then tortured. Despite diligent attempts to subvert these heinous crimes, Kathryn continually comes up short, blocked at every attempt by members of DynCorp, the private military contractor, aka private corporation, that hired her.

The traffickers subsequently kill Raya, and DynCorp opts to terminate Kathryn from her position after she sends an email to the CEO wherein she explicitly details all that she has heard and witnessed. Thankfully, with the help of British policeman Richard Monk and the head of the UN Human Rights Commission, Madeline Rees, Kathryn is eventually able to expose DynCorp to the general public.

Sadly, in real life, practically nothing happened after the story hit the headline news. DynCorp released those employees accused of participating in the sex trade, but not a single one was prosecuted--even those officers who originated from the United States. To this day, DynCorp continues to receive billions in dollars from our beloved government, despite the fact that the conduct of their employees hasn't changed a single bit.

God bless governments and private corporations, aye?

Recommented Reading: "Jack Kennedy, Elusive Hero"

MSNBC political analyst Chris Matthew's new book, Jack Kennedy, Elusive Hero, provides an almost haunting glimpse into the former's president's life. Did you know, for instance, that the 35th president's mother, Rose, never really loved him? Rather, she preferred the luxuries that came with her position as the spouse of a prominent political figure, Joseph "Joe" Kennedy. Never once did she visit her son while he was in hospital as a child, which, to our horror, we discover was almost always. Mind you, time away offered him the opportunity to become an avid reader of the likes of Sir Walter Scott and the New York Times.

If you would like to know more about the elusive Jack Kennedy's lonely childhood and subsequent rise to power, check out the book HERE.

Principles Of 21st-Century Conservatism: Bigotry And Ignorance

Liberal Americans represent the last bastions of intolerance and bigotry in modern, 21-century America, or so conservatives frequently tout. Yet, conservatives continually prove otherwise -- that they themselves are the true harbingers of ignorance in America.

Take for instance the recent scandal surrounding Herman Cain. The right-leaning news organization Politico uncovered evidence suggesting that Cain sexually harassed two colleagues back in the '80s. Conservative mouthpiece and all-around congenial personality Ann Coulter refuted the allegations by claiming they were part of a "high-tech lynching" being orchestrated by Democrats who are "terrified of strong, conservative black men." She went on to state that "our [conservative] blacks are so much better than their [liberal] blacks," as if Herman Cain and other black notables in the conservative party are merely pieces of property.

Meanwhile, the most sensitive man on the planet, Rush Limbaugh, decried the "hit job" on Herman Cain, arguing that it was an "unconscionable, racially stereotypical attack," though the only ones to have mentioned race thus far were the brilliant conservative minds attempting to defend Martin Luther Herman Cain, Jr. Scout the 3rd. And oh, Rush asked the following thought-provoking question: "What's next, folks? A cartoon on MSNBC showing Herman Cain with huge lips eating a watermelon?"

The irony is that both Coulter and Limbaugh thrive on waging "racially stereotypical attack(s)" on anyone whom they dislike. For instance, after Halle Berry became the first African-American to win the Academy Award for Best Actress in 2002, Coulter proceeded to mock the momentous occasion with what else than a "racially stereotypical attack":

"Large-breasted, slightly cocoa women with idealized Caucasian features finally have a chance in Hollywood! They will, however, still be required to display their large breasts for the camera and to discuss their large breasts at some length with reporters."

As for Limbaugh, the French phrase 'faux pas' practically defines his very existence, as he revels in claiming that most criminals look like Jesse Jackson; stating that Obama would be a "tour guide" if he "weren't black": mocking public figures like Chinese president Hu Jintao; arguing that black people are irrelevant because they represent only 12 percent of the population; and accussing President Obama of promoting an economic program based entirely on "reparations."

Am I insinuating that all conservatives harbor racist and intolerant sentiment merely because two of their own kind do? Certainly not. However, a quick analysis of recent news stories clearly reveals a scary trend toward bigotry that fits perfectly alongside the rhetoric of both Ann Coulter and Rush Limbaugh:

• Herman Cain himself has an extensive track record for making outrageous statements. This past year alone, he said "African Americans" are "brainwashed" complainers, and that Muslim citizens must "prove their loyalty to the U.S. Constitution."
  
  
• Texas gun safety instructor Crockett Keller banned "socialist liberal[s]" who voted for Obama and those American citizens who practice Islam from participating in his class on the basis that neither are "true American[s]."
  
  
• A month ago, Boward County, Florida resident Nezar Hamze sought membership in the Broward Republican Executive Committee, only to be publicly taunted with chants of "terrorist" and "you're in Al-Qaeda." His application was denied.
  
  
• The "terrorist watchdog group" Americans Against Hate attempted to remove Rep. Keith Ellison (D-MN) from the Congressional Task Force on Anti-Semitism because he purportedly has "associations" with groups that are "connected" to terrorism. Plus, allowing him to remain would apparently be an "offense to those who [have] fell victim to anti-Semitism."
  
  
• The founder of Americans Against Hate, Joe Kaufman, argued on Fox & Friends that the decision by Six Flags to host a Muslim Family Day on September 12 was "insensitive." Furthermore, he claimed the Muslim group that organized the event was involved with the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
  
  
• Tea Party members in Orange County crowded around Muslims preparing to attend a fundraising dinner and chanted "go home," "no Sharia law" and "Muhammad is a pervert." One of the protesters later said, "I know quite a few Marines who would be very happy to help these terrorists to an early meeting in paradise." Included among the Muslims were little children.
  
  
• Back in February, Montana GOP Rep. Kristen Hansen introduced HB516, a bill that would have repealed all statewide ordinances that protect LBGT citizens from discrimination. The bill thankfully failed to pass, but during During a House Judiciary Commitee hearing, the Republican majority purposefully limited opponents from speaking, though they had no qualms with allowing Pastor Harris Himes argue that homosexuality is a "sin worthy of death."
  
  
• After Dr. Mila Means stepped up as a potential abortion doctor for Wichita, Kansas -- which lacks an abortion doctor because the previous one, Dr. George R. Tiller, was murdered in 2009 -- anti-abortion conservative extremists began sending her death threats, publicizing her personal history and showing up at her home and business. Former Kansas Attorney General Phill Kline responded by ignoring the harassment and instead launching what what many described as an "inquisition" against her.
  
  
• The Director of Issues Analysis for the American Family Association (AFA), Bryan Fischer, has repeatedly accused homosexuals of having "as many as 300 to 1,000 sexual partners over the course of a lifetime." He also believes that devout Muslims are a threat to national security, that Muslims should be banned from the military and that homosexuality caused the rise of Adolph Hitler.
  
  
• Hardcore conservative Pat Buchanan wrote in his latest book, Suicide of a Superpower: Will America Survive to 2025?, that multiculturalism, or the acceptance and promotion of multiple cultures, amounts to "an across-the-board assault" on the "Anglo-American heritage" that, if left unchecked, will lead to America's demise. His reasoning included the assertion that immigrants lack "the academic or professional skills of European-Americans" and will therefore "suck the government dry."
  

Need I go on? I can if you would like. In fact, let me include one final story right out of today's headlines. While speaking to volunteers in Brockton, Massachusetts yesterday evening, consumer advocate Elizabeth Warren came under fire from an unemployed Tea Party supporter who accused the president of being a "foreign-born" national and then called Miss Warren a "socialist whore." Charming.

You know, conservatives pride themselves on their "open-mindedness," and yet, their actions have and continue to prove otherwise, for who is it that jumps on the backs of minority groups seeking rights? Who is it that blames the victims while letting the perpetrators run free? And who is it that espouses views that are wholly anathema to every fiber of true tolerance? More often than not, it is the conservative.

But, to associate all conservatives with such ignorance would be ignorant and hypocritical itself. Thus, I assert this and only this -- that some conservatives practice intolerance and bigotry, and that these conservatives, if left unchecked, could potentially destroy this nation, as a country whose people so heavily invest in intolerance, bigotry and ignorance will never find true success in the modern age.

House To Vote On Reaffirming National Motto; Meanwhile, Millions Of Americans Remain Unemployed

As Americans ponder their futures this November 1, the House is slated to vote on a proposition by Congressman Randy Forbes (R-VA) that would reaffirm the national motto, "In God We Trust," and encourage it to be displayed on government buildings and public schools.

Apparently, Forbes feels that confronting "efforts to remove God from the public domain" deserves more attention than other, less pressing issues like unemployment and the economy. Democrats disagree:

"Instead of working to help American families keep a roof over their heads and food on their tables, we are debating whether or not to affirm and proliferate a motto that was adopted in 1956 and that is not imperiled in any respect."

Silly democrats. Don't they realize that without God, there would be no roofs, tables, food or heads?

Paul Ryan Ripped To Pieces By Medicare / Social Security Recipient At Townhall Meeting

Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) came face to face with the potential consequences of his outrageous entitlement privatization plan last Friday when, during a town hall meeting in Kenosha, Washington, he was heckled by audience members demanding "jobs, not cuts." One of these individuals, a 53-year-old Medicare and Social Security recipient named David Drath, argued that he "could not survive on the proposals" in Ryan's plan, and that enacting the bill would be equivalent to putting a gun to his head.

Ryan countered by noting that Mr. Drath would be exempt from the new program. However, ThinkProgress reports that Ryan deviously sidestepped the fact that, according to the Congressional Budget Office, his proposal would still result in increased fees for older gentlemen like Mr. Drath:

“[A] typical beneficiary would spend more for health care…[because] private plans would cost more than traditional Medicare. [T]he government’s contribution would grow more slowly than health care costs, leaving more for beneficiaries to pay."

Nice try, Mr. Ryan, but in the words of Reverend Al Sharpton, "We got you!"

Firm Mocks Foreclosure Victims For Halloween

Last Friday, the largest "foreclosure mill" in New York, the Steven J. Baum firm, celebrated Halloween by mocking the millions of "down-on-their-luck fellow human beings being thrown out of their homes and onto the street."


The story hit the New York Times a day later, after one of the more human employees emailed columnist Joe Nocera with snapshots that she felt "showed an appalling lack of compassion toward the homeowners that the Baum firm had brought foreclosure proceedings against."


In addition, this one lone angel, who obviously has opted to remain anonymous as per her own safety, provided the following assessment of her firm's behavior:

"There is this really cavalier attitude. It doesn’t matter that people are going to lose their homes."

It appears, in fact, that the only principle Steven J. Baum values is the procurement of profit at any and all costs, as the firm has a track record for filing misleading pleadings, affidavits and mortgage assignments on behalf of its lender clients, as well as pursuing questionable foreclosures against families who were eligible for mortgage modifications.



I would continue, but I am speechless, for not even in the most morbid horror film have I ever encountered such inhuman depravity. Admittedly, it is a picture perfect portrait of all that is wrong with corporate America and the fools who blindly follow them.