Twenty years ago, stories were common about drunken USSR conscript soldiers in Afghanistan prior to their defeat. Afghanistan has a long history of defeating armies from far off lands on long and ill defined missions.  In 2001 a popular movie in Kabul which played to packed crowds was a tale about the mojahedin fighters defeating drunken Russian soldiers in the mountains of the Panjshir valley.

History doesn’t repeat itself but it does have a tendency to rhyme. All courses can be altered and nothing is certain, to state the obvious, but the war in Afghanistan  is rhyming historically as it enters in eighth year and a most deadly spell for US and NATO forces. In Afghanistan now as in Vietnam we are supporting a government lead by a president with questionable support from the population that controls only the Capitol and small patches of the country. US and NATO troops on a long mission with no clear end point are surrounded by a potentially hostile populace and suffer the stress.James Galloway in an article recalling the Powell doctrine writes

the national treasure we’ve invested in that effort, has propped up an ineffective and corrupt Kabul regime. Its only economic success has been the restoration of the opium trade. Afghanistan is now the world’s leading producer of opium and heroin, whereas under the Taliban government that was a death penalty offense.

In early September after a bombing raid (a precision raid) by NATO forces killed 125 civilians it was reported that ….

The head of the international forces in Afghanistan has banned alcohol at its headquarters after troops were found to be too drunk or hung-over to respond quickly to news of a deadly air strike.

A group of Macedonian guards were sent home this year because they were discovered drunk on duty, while protecting the back gate.

The problem became so acute that military police started breathalysing drivers and pedestrians around the base.

Vermont National Guard will soon deploy approximately 1,500 troops to Afghanistan on a mission that has evolved from training and mentoring into potentially broader security tasks. Maj. Gen. Michael Dubie, head of the Vermont National Guard said clarity on what the troops will be doing “hasn’t improved much in the last couple days.” “It’s still changing. The reorganization of some structures in Afghanistan is still being worked out,”Also this past Thursday the president of Macedonia was in Vermont to announce joint training of 80 troops with the Vermont National Guard.

http://www.timesargus.com/arti…

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/new…

http://www.guardian.co.uk/worl…

http://original.antiwar.com/ga…

Coke’s CEO said recently of what he called  governments efforts to tell people what to eat and drink . “If it worked, the Soviet Union would still be around.”  

First they came for our soda pop.US Legislators have floated an idea which has bubbled to the surface to mitigate health care costs with a possible tax on soft drinks. First the alleged death panels now  they want  to tax our bubbly sugar water . Is Obama going too far, attempting too much, over reach? He even went so far as to suggest that perhaps the tax should be explored and that people may be drinking too much soda. ”I actually think it’s an idea that we should be exploring,” Obama said in an interview with Men’s Health magazine going on sale this week. “There’s no doubt that our kids drink way too much soda.”

No doubt also part of the long term socialistic-communistic-liberalistic plan to destroy the Pepsi Generation ™   the New York City health  dept. has unveiled a subway bill board ad campaign  that feature images of globs of  fat  flowing out of what appears to be coke  poured out over ice .

The beverage industry released a statement claiming that the NYC health dept. ad campaign   singling out  sugary soft drinks runs the danger of minimized obesity .

Like most foods, soft drinks and other sugar-sweetened beverages are a source of calories. Simply naming one food source as a unique contributor minimizes a disease as complex as obesity.

–  How or why targeting a  heavily promoted ubiquitous product known to help cause  obesity  minimizes the issue was not explained .

It is the real thing ….

In 2001, the soft-drink industry included approximately five hundred U.S. bottlers with more than 183,000 employees, and it achieved retail sales of more than $61billion   . Americans that year consumed an average of 55 gallons of soft drinks per person, up from 48 in 1990 and 34 in 1980.

A recent Bloomberg survey rated coke as the best world wide brand name above IBM and Microsoft even McDonalds

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/…

http://www.ameribev.org/news–…

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How big a slash did the Salmon switching parties story make? A search of the Times-Argus shows that Pete the Moose and Tom the Republican are tied for the number of stories about them in the last 14 days.

The latest stories today? A back ground piece on Vermont party switching in general and news that the moose now has a lawyer representing him.

Moose, 7

Salmon, 7

Cheney still the hero of Caledonian Record?

This  is Vermont Caledonian-Record’s Sept 11th editorial plea that we heed the warnings of Dick Cheney.

“Former Vice President Dick Cheney is right when he warns that those who wish to hamstring our military and our intelligence agencies would cripple the country’s ability to defend itself.”

In the  Caledonian Record’s remembrance of that day Cheney’s warning stood out among the standard “he keep us safe” nonsense .It stood out more than their conveniently failing to remember the anthrax attacks on Vermont Sen.Leahy and others when claiming  Bush kept us safe after Sept. 11th. Why let the facts get in the way of the “He kept us safe” meme? Torture,open ended detention , two wars, eight years and still stupid.  Maybe it’s just a little Caledonian nostalgia and a wish on their part to go back to the glory days of 2003 when the National Review could gush in all seriousness  “What of our vice president? Is he, too, a “daddy politician”? You bet, as Donald Rumsfeld would say. You get the feeling that things are going to be all right if Mr. Cheney is on the case.”

Some insight from someone that knows………………..

In a recent interview Col. Lawrence Wilkerson, the former chief of staff to Bush Secretary of State Colin Powel when asked ,

“They started things and had no idea what their ultimate plan was. What, you really intend to hold people forever without charging them with anything?”

 Col. Lawrence Wilkerson,  said “I’ve come to the conclusion that the man truly is – whether he was that way when I knew him before, when he was Secretary of Defense, I don’t know, that’s not at issue with me any more – the man now is just crazy,”

http://pubrecord.org/nation/49…

http://caledonianrecord.com/ma…

http://www.opinionjournal.com/…

At the start, the polls showed good support for health care reform. A Democratic House and the Senate; this time it would work differently than the Clinton attempt years ago. With polls showing public support, it could be fixed, right?  Change.

Late yesterday leaders of the Congressional Progressive Caucus wrote to Obama saying

“A health reform bill without a robust public option will not achieve the health reform this country so desperately needs,” the letter continues. “We cannot vote for anything less…..We look forward to meeting with you regarding a robust public option in any final health reform bill and request that that meeting take place as soon as possible,”

Obama needed a reminder even during the campaign about where a big chunk of his support was coming from. An online petition and letter from the Nation Magazine forwarded to Obama urged him to follow up his rhetoric with support of progressive issues. Part of the 2008 letter read

We recognize that compromise is necessary in any democracy…………. But retreating from the stands that have been the signature of your campaign will weaken the movement whose vigorous backing you need in order to win and then deliver the change you have promised.  

First Snowe , then squeeze a caucus.

Maybe it was predicable .Here  from an article in late 2008 about Obama and his Chicago guys. The author a reporter with long Chicago experience who wrote in the Washington Independent said of the Obama Chicago team  By and large, this is a bunch of pragmatic deal makers who view ideology – especially extreme left-wing ideology – as a weakness.  

This seems relevant with news that the White House is still negotiating for a compromise bill with Maine Republican Olympia Snow.  Snowe  is perhaps the last remaining Republican member of what had been the bi-partisan  “Gang of Six “.

A “Gang of One ” ?

Searching out a middle where none exists .

CNN reports that the compromise would not include a public option but leave the door open for a public option provision added at a later date.

The Plum Line blog says ..

should Obama jettison the public option, progressives will come under tremendous pressure to back the plan anyway. White House advisers will likely insist that liberals mustn’t deny the president a historic victory and enable a defeat that could cripple the first African-American presidency.

http://washingtonindependent.c…

http://www.thenation.com/doc/2…

http://theplumline.whorunsgov….

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Vermont Governor Jim Douglas became a lame duck by choice last week making the surprise announcement that he will not seek re-election to governor in 2010

Douglas with his near term travel plans in mind may have spoken with some unintended candor  when he said during his announcement“The rewards of this job are many,” adding also that he is not running for any other office.  

Putting thankfully to rest the persistent speculation about a Palin /Douglas ticket for 2012.

Palin said recently “I thought about how much fun some governors have as lame ducks… travel around the state, to the Lower 48 (maybe), overseas on international trade – as so many politicians do.”  when she resigned rather than finish her term as governor of Alaska”.

The notoriously tight fisted budget hawk and newly lame ducked Governor Douglas had some  other news this week .

Off to France

He will be enjoying the rewards of quite a bit of travel as he takes flight to France in September as the guest of the French government to investigate potential markets, export/import opportunities and resource exchange for Vermont agricultural producers.

And then off to Asia

On a previously announced trip tentatively scheduled later in October the governor will take  flight to Asia, which will include stops in South Korea, Hong Kong, and Taiwan. This will be an overseas trade mission flying with Vermont business leaders seeking investors for their companies showcasing the opportunities for investors here in Vt, as well as to promote general trade with these countries.

The Communication  Workers of America released a report that shows overall US internet speed falling behind most of the world .

Both the FreePress and the Times Argus quote numerous experts on high speed internet in the state and most agree with the reports findings  .

When asked to respond Vermont DPS’s Steven Wark sniffed that the report was politically motivated because the workers have a vested interest in the expansion of high speed internet through out the country !

A shared goal ? Leave aside for a moment the quick as a lightning strike knee jerk anti-worker bias .Isn’t it  plain as your face obvious that  a vested interest in expanding high speed internet is identical to what the state of Vermont claims to be promoting ! Isn’t it called the E-State initiative or some catchphrase title ?

In its Speed Matters press release, the CWA noted that “Internet download speed in Vermont has actually slowed down, even as the speeds in the rest of the nation get faster.”

Although the Department of Public Service, the consumer advocate in utility cases, has been highly critical of FairPoint’s operations, PSD spokesman Stephen Wark called the CWA report “politically motivated.”

Wark said the CWA and its workers have a vested interest in seeing the expansion of high-speed Internet throughout the country “and portraying just about anywhere in the United States as falling behind.”

http://www.timesargus.com/arti…

His radio commentary for August 27th begins “Senator Kennedy’s death had barely hit the news before”………………………..With that intro former Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee scores another point for the Republicans in their tour de force performance on health care fear mongering .Huckabee  shows the kind of smarmy crassness that he can deliver with a smile on his face or a tear on his cheek .A real pro. Its just the modern day Republican party unplugged,live and without scruples.

We certainly can and should respectively recognize his years of advocacy and work for the things that he truly believed in. But there is no good reason to rush through a giant, unread bill that would transform American health care and impact every citizen. But easily the worst reason to do it is in the name of someone who, perhaps inadvertently, gave us the most shining example of why this particular bill is so bad.

It was President Obama himself who suggested that seniors who don’t have as long to live might want to just consider taking a pain pill instead of getting an expensive operation to cure them. Yet when Sen. Kennedy was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer at 77, did he give up on life and go home to take pain pills and die? Of course not. He freely did what most of us would do. He choose an expensive operation and painful follow up treatments. He saw his work as vitally important and so he fought for every minute he could stay on this earth doing it. He would be a very fortunate man if his heroic last few months were what future generations remember him most for.

http://washingtonindependent.c…

Listen to the entire performance here http://radio.mikehuckabee.com/…

 The brief hot and humid summer spell has ended and it is almost as if Vermont Yankee had to leak after that stress. The plant has reduced power by 15% to repair the 3,000 gallon a day leak in the fed water system. Sadly this is such a regular happening that the details are familiar as the spokes persons pre-chewed press statement.

No surprises in that routine.

However Vermont Yankee has won Star status in another area .Today the Brattleboro Reformer reports that Entergy did so well in managing plant safety that it was recognized as a Green Mountain Voluntary Protection Program Star participant. Because Yankee achieved Star status, it is no longer subject to random compliance

Yankee’s safety director does some not unexpected bragging about how wonderful Vermont Yankee is and Entergy in general but then a surprise jumps out that some habitual anti-union folks ought to take note of .Some or perhaps a big chunk of the credit goes to the employees union! Yes an employees labor union, one of those troublesome worker organizations.  

Daniel Whipple, a Vermont OSHA compliance assistance specialist, who conducted the site review of Yankee’s safety and health programs points out  

Yankee employees also have a union — the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers — that actively works with management to protect its members.

It is a good to reminder that as Yankee gets run for all it is worth by Entergy someone is looking out for  those that work there.

http://www.reformer.com/localn…

Gov. Douglas and Tom Evslin have decided to shun the Federal Recovery signs that Sen. Judd Gregg earlier sought national legislation to ban. “Axe the Stimulus Plaques” Gregg said and declared them “Simply for political self interest “. He introduced a bill in the senate “that would have prohibited the use of stimulus funds for signs that say a project is being carried out using those funds.”

It seems Vermont will as Gregg desired forego the signage. The savings are small in context and the symbolism high. Vermont’s Recovery Officer says “here in Vermont we decided that we’d rather spend the stimulus highway dollars on roads than signs. We have lots of projects but we don’t have signs. Once I explain almost everyone agrees with this decision.” For me this begs the question, would Jim Douglas stop his trademark aggressive ribbon cutting habits if it would save a few thousand dollars?

Obama’s Secretary of Transportation Ray Lahood (R) says of the signage “Signs tell a story, and the story being told is hard-earned taxpayer dollars are being spent to rebuild roads, resurface roads, resurface bridges,”

I agree we should proudly display what our tax dollars are doing for us.

The new Federal Recovery logo and sign compare favorably to the Blue Eagle of the depression era National Recovery Act. It is a  visible symbol of what good government can do on a practical local level .The signs were to be posted for transparency and so the people that drive the roads know how and where their tax stimulus dollars are being used .They were to be the visible symbol of America back on the move. Florida, Texas and Virginia have not put up the stimulus signs.

Evslin claims the  signs cost $1500 each and you need at least two for each project. The exact form for the sign and the ARRA (American Recovery and Reinvestment Act) logo are spelled out in federal guidelines along with a”recommendation” that the signs be displayed. The Federal Highway Administration designed the recovery act signs in two sizes. Given the scope of the projects overall and the small savings in this seems petty. It has been reported that the cost of the signs can vary depending on size some running as much as the New York state behemoth of 84 square feet(about the same as three sheets of plywood )and costing $6,000 to $8,000 each to the diminutive and reasonably priced Illinois sign at about 45.5 square feet and costing $300.00.

http://recovery.vermont.gov/bl…