Does This Spending Represent Your Priorities ?

CBN News posted an article today listing some of the things that our government is currently spending money on. Remember, this is a time when we are borrowing one out of every four dollars we spend and Congress is saying that it is impossible to cut spending without seriously hurting certain sectors or our economy.

Please follow the link above to read all of the article, but here are a few highlights:

Like the $120 million for federal retirement benefits to retirees who are already dead. Patrick Knudsen, The Heritage Foundation’s senior federal budget expert, pointed showed CBN News a recent example.

“After a retiree had died, his son continued cashing his checks for 37 years. And it didn’t stop until 2008 when the son himself died,” he said.

…More federal funding in the amount of $593,000 went to a primate research center to study where in chimpanzees’ brains they get the idea to throw their feces.

…A Virginia university received $55,000 to study Jordanian students’ water pipe smoking habits.

…A new grant of $176,000 joined $350,000 already spent to study how cocaine hurts or helps the sex drive of Japanese quail.

Some other gems:

…A museum of magic received $147,000 to study the audiences of magic shows.

…More than $550,000 of U.S. taxes went to the production of a documentary on how rock bands contributed to the fall of the Soviet empire.

…A television production of a Pakistani version of PBS’ “Sesame Street” has already cost tax payers $10 million and $20 million more has already been budgeted.

…IPad 2s were purchased for $96,000 for students in Maine, where 96 percent of their parents said the cost wasn’t worth it.

…Nevada’s Western Folklife Center received $50,000 for cowboys and cowgirls to gather once a year to recite cowboy poetry.

Somehow, I think we can find some room for spending cuts in these programs.

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Some Ideas Are Not Compatible With Freedom

Today’s U.K. Daily Mail posted a story about Glasgow-based Saif Rehman, 31, and Uzma Naurin, 30, from New York, murdered in Pakistan earlier this month.

The article reports:

Police in the country say Miss Naurin’s taxi driver father, 58-year-old Muzaffar Hussain, is being viewed as a chief suspect in the shootings.

The family of the bride was not happy about the couple’s marriage, and the murder is believed to be an ‘honor killing.’

Mr. Hussain had complained of chest pains and was taken to the hospital. His daughter, Miss Naurin, rushed to the hospital to see him. The article relates the story:

While in hospital, Mr Hussain is said to have asked his driver – ‘Adeel’ – to take her daughter and son-in-law to Gujrat for a shopping trip. At around 5.30pm, Adeel received a call on his mobile phone, he stopped the car and got out – then moments later the gunmen pounced.  

Police investigating the killings later found Mr Hussain was no longer in hospital. Officers say he drove to the port city of Karachi in a rental car and boarded a flight for the U.S.

Mr Hussain, who lives in a £250,000 house in Jersey City, New Jersey, with his wife Munir Begun, 55, insisted he did not know who had killed their daughter and her husband.

The good news here is that at least Pakistan is regarding the murder as a crime. Unfortunately, honor killing is an acceptable part of devout Islam. If a family member is behaving in a way that is considered to bring shame on the family, the family must kill that family member.

The number of honor killings in the United States has risen in recent years as the number of Muslims living in the country increases. I am not opposed to Muslims living in America, and I am not opposed to Muslims practicing their religion in America, but everyone in America, regardless of religion, needs to obey the laws of the land. I hope that Mr. Hussain, if he is guilty, receives the full penalty of the law in Pakistan for murdering his daughter and her husband.

 

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Some Comments From Someone Who Is There

This entry was posted on Power Line on November 9. I delayed in posting it because I was waiting for permission from the writer. I am posting a small amount of what he said, please follow the above link to read the rest.

Pete Hegseth, founder of Vets For Freedom, is now posted to Afghanistan, where he is training Afghans as well as American and coalition troops. His reports on the situation there are as knowledgeable as any you can find. Here is his latest dispatch, hot off the press:

Pakistan. With haven across the border, the insurgency is literally able to regenerate itself faster than we can degrade it. Likewise, conditions have not yet been made inhospitable for insurgents in either Afghanistan or Pakistan, so insurgents flow back and forth. Insurgent leadership operates openly in many parts of Pakistan, training, equipping, and indoctrinating young fighters to join the so-called “jihad.” Insurgent safe haven in, and support from, Pakistan is the single largest inhibitor to success and stability in Afghanistan.

Afghan Government. As I noted in previous emails, few Afghans view the administration of President Karzai favorably—undermining the national government’s ability to be seen as legitimate. More damningly, the government’s ability to project positive influence to the local level remains minimal. Basic local governmental functions—such as dispute resolution, swift justice, good education, and land management—are going unmet, providing a tailor-made opportunity for the Taliban to fill the void.

Taliban. Speaking of the Taliban, they have proven to be a very resilient, adaptive, and ideologically dedicated bunch. They’re not giants, and not liked by most Afghans. But their militants—along with regional shadow governments—remain potent and influential. The way I see it, the Taliban wouldn’t kill the head of the “High Peace Council” unless they felt fairly confident they don’t need to negotiate with the Coalition or Afghan government. We’re killing lots of them, but they still believe time, history, and God is on their side.

Timeline. The perception of our pending exit looms ever larger, marginalizing our influence by the day. Afghans are already starting to look through, and past, the Coalition (e.g. Karzai saying he’d side with Pakistan if they went to war with us) and hoarding supplies, weapons, and equipment for whatever is coming next (i.e. “gettin’ while the gettin’s good).

Population Response. The people (especially non-Pashtuns) don’t like the Taliban and don’t want them to come back. But, at the same time, they’re quietly terrified that the Taliban’s return is inevitable (and arming themselves accordingly). I’ve yet to meet a single Afghan who believes the situation here will improve once we leave. My orbit is admittedly limited, but I regularly speak with Coalition and Afghan elements from across the country—mostly mid-to-low-level folks—and the answer is universally the same. Similarly, while impressive tactical gains have been made throughout the South, there is limited evidence that the population in those areas have truly shifted their longer-term allegiance to the Afghan government or security forces.

Coalition Warfare. 49 nations are involved in the Coalition—but only a handful contributes on a meaningful scale. This is not to indict the soldiers from the other 40+ countries—most would love to contribute more. Yet, national (political) caveats limit their locations, missions, and activities. These nations therefore become more of a hindrance than an asset; consuming time, energy, and resources that could be spent more effectively. This fact is the worst kept secret in Kabul.

Afghan Capabilities. The lack of education and level of ignorance in Afghanistan is staggering. Literally, only 1 in 10 men who join the Afghan National Army can write his own name, and only slightly more can count. Similarly, the origins of our effort here is an enigma to many Afghans. September 11th is burned in our brains, but is largely unknown to Afghans outside of large cities. That said, Afghans are not dumb—they are savvy, resourceful, and generous people. But they are also prone to conspiracy theories, propaganda, and rumors. It’s no wonder the Taliban are so effective in using local communications mechanisms to shape the narrative—portraying the war as imperial aggression rather than self-defense and support for democratic governance.

Afghan Security Force Viability. In previous emails I’ve discussed this topic in the context of funding and force size. Those critiques remain. However, time has increased my concern about the long-term viability of the force. At a recent press conference, Afghan security forces acknowledged that “their goal is to no longer defeat the insurgency, but to create capable security forces.” Similarly, there is a great deal of doubt—especially at the soldier level where new Afghan combat outposts are being established—whether Afghans will maintain the initiative or just abandon contentious postings when we leave.

Similarly, the lack of Afghan urgency is readily on display at our center. At the end of a recent partnered class (meaning both Coalition and Afghan), and following a robust and engaging discussion on insurgent groups, the hand of an Afghan student shot up. I called on him. He spoke and the interpreter translated—looking very embarrassed. Sheepishly the interpreter said, “he [the Afghan soldier] wants to know when he can go home [for the day].” It was 2:00pm.

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With Friends Like These…

I understand that diplomatic relations are complicated.  I also understand that diplomacy will never be one of my gifts.  But I also understand that having a weak President has put America at risk both now and in the future.  There is a lot to be said for being feared. Being liked is nice–not necessary–but nice.  Being feared prevents countries from doing things to you that will compromise your security and well being.

Today’s Financial Times reports that:

“The US now has information that Pakistan, particularly the ISI, gave access to the Chinese military to the downed helicopter in Abbottabad,” said one person in intelligence circles, referring to the Pakistani spy agency. The Chinese engineers were allowed to survey the wreckage and take photographs of it, as well as take samples of the special “stealth” skin that allowed the American team to enter Pakistan undetected by radar, he said.

That is not good news.  The article further reports that John Kerry, chairman of the Senate foreign relations committee, went to Pakistan two weeks after the helicopter was lost in the mission that killed Osama Bin Laden to get the tail section of the helicopter back.

The Chinese have mastered the art of ‘reverse engineering.’  Between that art and the amount of computer hacking they have done and are doing, they are advancing rapidly in the area of military technology.  The fact that the Pakistanis were willing to show them the tail section of this helicopter shows how much credibility America has lost in that area of the world and how much China has gained.  It is time for the current leadership of America to stand strong and take action that makes it clear that this behavior on the part of Pakistan is unacceptable.  It really is time to review our foreign aid policies.