Fa-la-la-la… hear that? That’s the sound of the fat lady singing. That means my Afghan adventure is over.
After 18 months, it was time. Basically, I had outlived my usefulness, given the changes going on in the South of Afghanistan. That was actually a good thing, as my position was going away due to changes in the support contracts. So, rather than wait for the boat to sink, I jumped ship a little early to avoid the turmoil.
My farewells were both wonderful and a bit anticlimactic. The Afghans were genuinely sorry to see me go and presented me with many honors and gifts. Most important to me was when the senior officers of both the Afghan Army and Police presented me with my former military rank (Lieutenant Colonel) in Afghan Army and Police Insignias. I had told them early on that, if they thought I had earned them, that that would be the highest honor I could imagine, and far more meaningful than a rug or a vase or a plaque. They came through, the Police even promoting me to full Colonel (although that may have been just to “show up” the Army ;-) ). Several Afghan officers also provided personal gifts for my wife and children. I am humbled by their generosity and honored by their respect. The anticlimax came with the Americans – after 18 months of living on the FOB, managing the internet service, and helping out whenever I could, I was told that it was “not convenient” for them to run me into KAF to start my outprocessing. Instead, they helped me coordinate a run in with another team – and changed the time/date three times in three days. Oh well, Doris Day sang it best… “Que sera sera.” I wish them the best of luck and success as they finish their tours.
Have been home for two weeks now. Very strange reintegrating into routine “home-life”. Having more than 81 square feet to live in is a huge difference. For 18 months I lived in a 9ft x 9ft box, with all my worldly possessions crammed inside. Now I’m rattling around my 1900 square foot ranch style and have found myself misplacing things all the time. Also strange to share this living space with three other people (wife and two boys) and the dog. I was used to a much more private/solitary existence. Don’t get me wrong, these are good things to get used to, as is not having to get completely dressed to go to the bathroom at 3am, having a very comfortable bed to sleep in, and being able to “pop down to Lowe’s, Walmart, Albertson’s, etc.) whenever we need something, instead of having to plan it for the next KAF/PX run.
“We’re” going to win in Afghanistan, but not because of any great strategic or tactical thinking on the part of McChrystal or Petraeus or Obama. “We’re” going to win because the forces of modernity have established a beachhead into Afghan culture that cannot be undone. Cell phones, satellite television, and the internet are “corrupting” the conservative Pashtun/Taliban culture beyond all repair. Between the cultural corruption and the actual corruption, Afghanistan will never be the same. Think Vietnam after we pulled out in 1975. It went through a repressive period, then, strangely, began to modernize and embrace Western “values”. It was the younger generation that had grown up with the Americans that did it – as they aged and took over the reins of power, they remembered what was good and put it to use. The young Afghans will do the same thing, trust me.
The “builders” always beat the “destroyers” in the end. Most young Pashtuns I worked with loved to see pictures of Western Cities. Many of them had been to “big” cities before – Kabul has several million now, Quetta is over a million, Peshawar and Karachi are several million each – but they all look dated next to the BIG cities of the West – New York, Hong Kong, Singapore – with all of their high-rises and vibrant economies. Google Earth was a wonderful tool to show these young Afghans that we are no strangers to urban sprawl – and that we’ve figured out how to ensure that all those houses all have affordable electricity 99.99% of the time, as opposed to the 20% or less time that the Afghans have in Kandahar. Try running a business when you only have power 8 hours out of every 48 (and it may be between midnight and 8 am). All I had to do was show pictures of high rise buildings, then ask the question “When’s the last time the Taliban built a high-rise? – when’s the last time the Taliban built ANYTHING?” Then I’d show them a picture of the Taliban blowing up the statues of Buddha in Bamian. Believe me, they got it. One interpreter, on seeing a picture of an 8-lane freeway full of speeding traffic asked, incredulously, “How do you stop and check for bombs?” He was amazed and at first refused to believe us when we told him that we do not have IEDs on our roads. He asked several other Americans to verify that we weren’t pulling his leg. He could not imagine a road without the danger of IEDs – but he can now.
As for me – I’m starting an exciting new business promoting proper nutrition and wellness. I’m promoting a product called Isagenix™ and I’m VERY impressed with both the product and the company. If you have stubborn pounds you need to lose or think you or your family could be healthier, please, check out www.isagenix.com to get an idea of what I’m talking about, then, if you think you could be both healthier and potentially wealthier, contact me and let me show you why I’m so excited about this.
This is also an energy thing for me – for 20+ years, I’ve been working in the Intelligence Community. Basically, my job has been to forecast the worst possible things that anyone could do and help my commanders plan to mitigate or eliminate the potentials. All of this has smacked of negative energy, and frankly, I’m tired of it, as good as I might be at it. With Isagenix™, I am helping people better themselves, from a positive energy position. It’s much more exciting and energizing to work from this position.
As for the blog here, it will stand for now – but this will be the last entry, methinks. I’m going to start up a new blog to go along with my new career. Check out www.astrolabealley.blogspot.com for my further adventures and musings.
As the dolphins said to the Earth in Douglas Adams’ “Hitchhiker’s Guide” series “So long, and thanks for all the fish!” See you on the flip side!
Saturday, March 27, 2010
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
In Case You Doubted "The Politics of Fear"...
Just came across this in “The Politico”… link to original is here: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0310/33866.html
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Exclusive: RNC document mocks donors, plays on 'fear'
By: Ben Smith
March 3, 2010 04:23 PM EST
The Republican National Committee plans to raise money this election cycle through an aggressive campaign capitalizing on “fear” of President Barack Obama and a promise to "save the country from trending toward socialism."
The strategy was detailed in a confidential party fundraising presentation, obtained by POLITICO, which also outlines how “ego-driven” wealthy donors can be tapped with offers of access and “tchochkes.”
The presentation was delivered by RNC Finance Director Rob Bickhart to top donors and fundraisers at a party retreat in Boca Grande, Florida on February 18, a source at the gathering said.
In neat PowerPoint pages, it lifts the curtain on the often-cynical terms of political marketing, displaying an air of disdain for the party’s donors that is usually confined to the barroom conversations of political operatives.
The presentation explains the Republican fundraising in simple terms.
"What can you sell when you do not have the White House, the House, or the Senate...?" it asks.
The answer: "Save the country from trending toward Socialism!”
Manipulating donors with crude caricatures and playing on their fears is hardly unique to Republicans or to the RNC – Democrats raised millions off George W. Bush in similar terms – but rarely is it practiced in such cartoonish terms.
One page, headed “The Evil Empire,” pictures Obama as the Joker from Batman, while House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leaders Harry Reid are depicted as Cruella DeVille and Scooby Doo, respectively.
The document, which two Republican sources said was prepared by the party’s finance staff, comes as Chairman Michael Steele struggles to retain the trust and allegiance of major donors, who can give as much as $30,400 a year to the party.
Under Steele, the RNC has shifted toward a reliance on small donors, but the document reveals extensive, confidential details of the strategy for luring wealthy checkwriters, which range from luxury retreats in California wine country to tickets to a professional fight in Las Vegas.
The 72-page document was provided to POLITICO by a Democrat, who said a hard copy had been left in the hotel hosting the $2,500-a-head retreat, the Gasparilla Inn & Club. Sources at the event said the presentation was delivered by Bickhart and by the RNC Finance Chairman, Peter Terpeluk, a former ambassador to Luxembourg under President George W. Bush.
The RNC reacted with alarm to a question about it Wednesday, emailing major donors to warn them of a reporter’s question, and distancing Steele from its contents.
“The document was used for a fundraising presentation Chairman Steele did not attend, nor had he seen the document,” RNC Communications Director Doug Heye said in an email. “Fundraising documents are often controversial.
“Obviously, the Chairman disagrees with the language and finds the use of such imagery to be unacceptable. It will not be used by the Republican National Committee – in any capacity – in the future,” Heye said.
The most unusual section of the presentation is a set of six slides headed “RNC Marketing 101.” The presentation divides fundraising into two traditional categories, direct marketing and major donors, and lays out the details of how to approach each group.
The small donors who are the targets of direct marketing are described under the heading “Visceral Giving.” Their motivations are listed as “fear;” “Extreme negative feelings toward existing Administration;” and “Reactionary.”
Major donors, by contrast, are treated in a column headed “Calculated Giving.”
Their motivations include: “Peer to Peer Pressure”; “access”; and “Ego-Driven.”
The slide also allows that donors may have more honorable motives, including “Patriotic Duty.”
A major Republican donor described the state of the RNC’s relationship with major donors as “disastrous,” with veteran givers beginning to abandon the committee, which is becoming increasingly reliant on small donors.
The party’s average contribution in 2009, according to the document, was just $40, and the shift toward a financial reliance on the grassroots may help explain Steele’s increasingly strident tone toward the Obama Administration.
While the crude portrayal of Obama may be - as Steele ‘s spokesman put it - “unacceptable,” other elements of the presentation may be of equal interest to close political observers.
The RNC plans to raise $8.6 million from major donors alone in 2010, less than 10% of its total 2009 fundraising take, which was primarily from small donors."
The center of that plan is an extensive, and colorful, schedule of events. Along with traditional fundraisers with conservative luminaries including Weekly Standard Editor Bill Kristol and former presidential candidate Steve Forbes, the party plans to raise $80,000 for a trip to London to meet David Cameron, the British Conservative Party leader, on September 17.
The RNC’s “Young Eagles” – younger major donors and the only group, according to a major donor, continuing to pull its weight financially – are invited to a “professional bull riding event” in October, expected to raise $50,000, and to a no-holds-barred Ultimate Fighting Championship fight in Las Vegas the same month, expected to raise $60,000.
The RNC’s aim, according to one section of the document: “Putting the Fun Back in FUNdraising.”
CORRECTION: The RNC raised a total of $81 million in 2009. An earlier version of this story understated that figure.
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So, there you have it in black and white – and here are the slides in question…
Cover Slide for the Presentation
Slide 29
Slide 30
Slide 31
Anyone out there still think that you’re not being played? Guess again.
Thanks to the Politico and Huffington Post for breaking this story!
Now in all fairness, this is not the exclusive domain of the RNC – the DNC used much the same strategy against G.W. Bush and Dick Cheney – which is exactly the point I’m trying to make All of the big industries – Politics, Banks, Insurance, Health Care, Religion, Manufacturing, Pharmaceuticals, Agriculture, etc. – all of them understand and use FEAR to manipulate you, the potential donor, buyer, consumer, etc.
One more week until I start my odyssey back to the US and the next chapter of my book of life. Hooah!
SLK
XXXXXXXXX
Exclusive: RNC document mocks donors, plays on 'fear'
By: Ben Smith
March 3, 2010 04:23 PM EST
The Republican National Committee plans to raise money this election cycle through an aggressive campaign capitalizing on “fear” of President Barack Obama and a promise to "save the country from trending toward socialism."
The strategy was detailed in a confidential party fundraising presentation, obtained by POLITICO, which also outlines how “ego-driven” wealthy donors can be tapped with offers of access and “tchochkes.”
The presentation was delivered by RNC Finance Director Rob Bickhart to top donors and fundraisers at a party retreat in Boca Grande, Florida on February 18, a source at the gathering said.
In neat PowerPoint pages, it lifts the curtain on the often-cynical terms of political marketing, displaying an air of disdain for the party’s donors that is usually confined to the barroom conversations of political operatives.
The presentation explains the Republican fundraising in simple terms.
"What can you sell when you do not have the White House, the House, or the Senate...?" it asks.
The answer: "Save the country from trending toward Socialism!”
Manipulating donors with crude caricatures and playing on their fears is hardly unique to Republicans or to the RNC – Democrats raised millions off George W. Bush in similar terms – but rarely is it practiced in such cartoonish terms.
One page, headed “The Evil Empire,” pictures Obama as the Joker from Batman, while House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leaders Harry Reid are depicted as Cruella DeVille and Scooby Doo, respectively.
The document, which two Republican sources said was prepared by the party’s finance staff, comes as Chairman Michael Steele struggles to retain the trust and allegiance of major donors, who can give as much as $30,400 a year to the party.
Under Steele, the RNC has shifted toward a reliance on small donors, but the document reveals extensive, confidential details of the strategy for luring wealthy checkwriters, which range from luxury retreats in California wine country to tickets to a professional fight in Las Vegas.
The 72-page document was provided to POLITICO by a Democrat, who said a hard copy had been left in the hotel hosting the $2,500-a-head retreat, the Gasparilla Inn & Club. Sources at the event said the presentation was delivered by Bickhart and by the RNC Finance Chairman, Peter Terpeluk, a former ambassador to Luxembourg under President George W. Bush.
The RNC reacted with alarm to a question about it Wednesday, emailing major donors to warn them of a reporter’s question, and distancing Steele from its contents.
“The document was used for a fundraising presentation Chairman Steele did not attend, nor had he seen the document,” RNC Communications Director Doug Heye said in an email. “Fundraising documents are often controversial.
“Obviously, the Chairman disagrees with the language and finds the use of such imagery to be unacceptable. It will not be used by the Republican National Committee – in any capacity – in the future,” Heye said.
The most unusual section of the presentation is a set of six slides headed “RNC Marketing 101.” The presentation divides fundraising into two traditional categories, direct marketing and major donors, and lays out the details of how to approach each group.
The small donors who are the targets of direct marketing are described under the heading “Visceral Giving.” Their motivations are listed as “fear;” “Extreme negative feelings toward existing Administration;” and “Reactionary.”
Major donors, by contrast, are treated in a column headed “Calculated Giving.”
Their motivations include: “Peer to Peer Pressure”; “access”; and “Ego-Driven.”
The slide also allows that donors may have more honorable motives, including “Patriotic Duty.”
A major Republican donor described the state of the RNC’s relationship with major donors as “disastrous,” with veteran givers beginning to abandon the committee, which is becoming increasingly reliant on small donors.
The party’s average contribution in 2009, according to the document, was just $40, and the shift toward a financial reliance on the grassroots may help explain Steele’s increasingly strident tone toward the Obama Administration.
While the crude portrayal of Obama may be - as Steele ‘s spokesman put it - “unacceptable,” other elements of the presentation may be of equal interest to close political observers.
The RNC plans to raise $8.6 million from major donors alone in 2010, less than 10% of its total 2009 fundraising take, which was primarily from small donors."
The center of that plan is an extensive, and colorful, schedule of events. Along with traditional fundraisers with conservative luminaries including Weekly Standard Editor Bill Kristol and former presidential candidate Steve Forbes, the party plans to raise $80,000 for a trip to London to meet David Cameron, the British Conservative Party leader, on September 17.
The RNC’s “Young Eagles” – younger major donors and the only group, according to a major donor, continuing to pull its weight financially – are invited to a “professional bull riding event” in October, expected to raise $50,000, and to a no-holds-barred Ultimate Fighting Championship fight in Las Vegas the same month, expected to raise $60,000.
The RNC’s aim, according to one section of the document: “Putting the Fun Back in FUNdraising.”
CORRECTION: The RNC raised a total of $81 million in 2009. An earlier version of this story understated that figure.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
So, there you have it in black and white – and here are the slides in question…
Cover Slide for the Presentation
Slide 29
Slide 30
Slide 31
Anyone out there still think that you’re not being played? Guess again.
Thanks to the Politico and Huffington Post for breaking this story!
Now in all fairness, this is not the exclusive domain of the RNC – the DNC used much the same strategy against G.W. Bush and Dick Cheney – which is exactly the point I’m trying to make All of the big industries – Politics, Banks, Insurance, Health Care, Religion, Manufacturing, Pharmaceuticals, Agriculture, etc. – all of them understand and use FEAR to manipulate you, the potential donor, buyer, consumer, etc.
One more week until I start my odyssey back to the US and the next chapter of my book of life. Hooah!
SLK
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