Daily Highlights Wednesday December 17, 2008

with Robert Gates
in Current Affairs
on Wednesday, December 17, 2008 * * * * *

Sorry, this video isn’t available at the moment; please check back soon.

play

E-mail this video:

Distribute this video:

Share on:

Close
Description

Daily Highlights Wednesday December 17, 2008 with Robert Gates U.S. Secretary of Defense

[Watch full show] (http://www.charlierose.com/schedule/?date=2008/12/17)

Video Share Options
Share
Keywords:

In order to download Charlie Rose podcasts to iTunes for transfer to an iPod, you must have iTunes installed. If you do, please click the following link to download the podcast for this interview:

itpc://www.charlierose.com/view/itunes/9858

Otherwise, close this window to continue viewing.

Close
  • Comments 1
    Post new comment
    1. tartufe  12/21/2008 05:53 PM Report

      So what the hell is funny about this:

      President Bush visits Afghanistan and is greeted with enthusiasm by American troops. He also reassures Afghan President Hamid Karzai of America's continued support. In his response, Karzai squeezes in a touch of humor. Video courtesy of Reuters.

      http://online.wsj.com/video/russian-warship-docks-in-cuba/32D75765-5FCB-40C5-BDBD-F0DF699395D5.html?m od=igoogle_wsj_gadgv1

      Watch the series of WSJ videos. Particularly the one on Bush's night time visit to Afghanistan and Karzai, where Karzai says he wont let us leave before extracting "billions and billions of dollars" from the US.

      When you know that corruption reigns in both countries to the extent that you can be outwardly flippant about the graft, greed and rampant corruption that we pandemically spread wherever we go, it says volumes! Karzai's brazen (alleged) humor matches his brazen corruption. Note: he wasn't laughing. The report attributed humor - after the fact. Laughing up his sleeve for sure.

      And now we have the reasonable, intelligent , modest, public servant, Secretary Gates (entrapped?) in a job of carrying out our misguided policies re perpetuating war(s). A la Vietnam, Iraq victory was not a goal as much as sustainment. The M-I complex can't stay in Post Toasties in the manner they're accustomed without a sustained conflict somewhere on the planet.

      Gates is the perfect foil. No exit strategy. Hang around the area for as long as we can get by with and wait for defeat Vietnam-style or Iraq-style. As long as it's slow attrition, he will have done his job. Bin Laden may die of old age, but we would decry his successor to be an even bigger threat, so our war machine can trundle on.

      Our head-in-our-but belligerence is also demonstrated in the video about the Russian naval visit to Cuba, citing possible links to our missile defense, NATO and Georgia.

      If you're feeling bereft of enemies, just wait awhile. The Defense Department and the Pentagon through the M-I complex lobbying and back-stage string pulling will accommodate in some inane manner - if they have to provoke something or make it up (Tonkin, WMDs). Terrorism is such an open ended gift to the jingos. Like Christmas every day.

      How long can we escape the unintended consequences? Will we ever wonder what our enemies deem to be "acceptable collateral damage?" In Peoria, say? Technology is transferable and the Russians (in Cuba) don't need it (transferred) they have it.

      Sadly Obama's magic will fail on this and the financial crises. Citigroup et al and doubtless the M-I complex purchased him early in his campaign. Venality makes the world go round - ask Karzai, Paulson, Bernanke, Bush, Clintons (both), Rubin, Congress, K-street, humanity.