Rethink Afghanistan

[Paige]

At the Abrahamic Faiths Peace Initiative planning meeting, I was hipped to this new documentary series on Afghanistan by Robert Greenwald and Brave New Foundation. The first of 5 10-minute segments went up 2 days ago:

www.rethinkafghanistan.org

The goal is to educate us and encourage us to advocate for congressional hearings on long-term goals and expense for ramped up military activites in Afghanistan. I am interested in getting behind a constructive alternative and need more info on that.

Paige

[anni]

Thanks, Paige. I signed the petition and will watch the video when we get home from the corner...

[Brian]

Feb 27, 2009 13:12:42 GMT -8 Paige said:

At the Abrahamic Faiths Peace Initiative planning meeting, I was hipped to this new documentary series on Afghanistan by Robert Greenwald and Brave New Foundation. The first of 5 10-minute segments went up 2 days ago:

www.rethinkafghanistan.org

The goal is to educate us and encourage us to advocate for congressional hearings on long-term goals and expense for ramped up military activities in Afghanistan. I am interested in getting behind a constructive alternative and need more info on that.

I didn't start paying attention to Afghanistan until November 1979. At first I took wicked delight in watching the Soviet army being defeated. Then I learned that the U.S. was covertly arming insurgents like Osama bin Laden.

I was among the few opposed to the U.S. invasion in 2001. How could we instead help Afghanis, undo our karma, without inflicting our Western asses upon them? Because that's the only way to "fight terrorism," and it will take generations to accomplish.

Newsweek had a cover last month that read, "Afghanistan: Obama's Vietnam." Shouldn't he know better? In the documentary, it sounded like John Kerry did.

Part 2 will be about about Pakistan -- I look forward to that being posted. Thank you, Paige, for bringing this series -- and the petition -- to our attention!

[Sharon W]

We have a few copies of "View from a Grain of Sand", a documentary that follows three Afghani women in exile, and we'd be happy to give one to any Montrose viligers who are interested in viewing it. See: www.viewgrainofsand.com/

[annie90807]

Thanks Paige I signed the petition.

[Brian]

Feb 27, 2009 13:12:42 GMT -8 Paige said:

At the Abrahamic Faiths Peace Initiative planning meeting, I was hipped to this new documentary series on Afghanistan by Robert Greenwald and Brave New Foundation. The first of 5 10-minute segments went up 2 days ago:

www.rethinkafghanistan.org

As those of us who signed the petition two weeks ago have read in our e-mail inboxes since, the rest of the video segments are yet to be made -- and Brave New Foundation is raising money to fund them and send Greenwald to Afghanistan.

Paige's link now goes to a redesigned page that still has the video and petition but adds links to blogs, Twitter, Facebook, e-mail alerts, a poll -- yikes. Did I mention they seek donations? You can be "listed as a Rethink Afghanistan producer."

It's a cause -- and a pitch meeting.

[Paige]

I see what you mean. Well, I'm all for good information.

Where else should I be reading for good info on constructive alternatives in Afghanistan?

I had the honor of participating last Sunday in an event with Tom Hayden, the interfaith peace gurus, and Bradley Whitford (from West Wing). Hayden seemed to know things - he is good with the numbers (of troops, money, etc).

Paige

[Brian]

Mar 13, 2009 15:14:40 GMT -8 Paige said:

Where else should I be reading for good info on constructive alternatives in Afghanistan?

I had the honor of participating last Sunday in an event with Tom Hayden, the interfaith peace gurus, and Bradley Whitford (from West Wing). Hayden seemed to know things - he is good with the numbers (of troops, money, etc).

I get most of my information about Afghanistan from the newspapers and newsweeklies and a lot on the Internets, yet see so little on MSNBC and CNN, trying to learn about the land, economy, government, conflicts, history and most of all, the people. And I've never found one source that has all the answers -- or manages to cram in every truth.

Peace Action West has complied a page of serious links:

www.peaceactionwest.org/issues/afghanistan_witness/further_reading_on_afghanistan/

How great, Paige, that you got to hear Tom Hayden. I catch him on C-SPAN and in the Nation these days -- and remember that he made me proud to be a Democrat when he ran for Senate in 1976. Whitford is a serious guy too.

[Brian]

Thanks to Paige for starting this thread.

Besides the Bed-In, the biggest news this week was Obama making more commitments in Afghanistan and Pakistan before the accelerated reassessment of the region he ordered is finished. Four thousand more troops in addition to the 17,000 he announced earlier this month, on their way.

And Robert Greenwald's Brave New Foundation put up the second part of his "Rethink Afghanistan" documentary-in-progress:

rethinkafghanistan.com/?utm_source=rgemail

This is the widescreen version of Part 2 along with credits and links about the speakers:

rethinkafghanistan.com/part2_full.php?utm_source=rgemail

The New York Times explained Greenwald's project in last Sunday's paper:

www.nytimes.com/2009/03/23/movies/23gree.html?_r=1&ref=movies

[anni]

Things change so slowly for the better. And at the speed of light for the worse, where we feel threatened or think we MUST be right...Afghanistan is so shameful. What is right about the murder of Afghan civilians? For gasoline? No, no and no. This is wrong, in any light.