Bad Dinner Theater

RNC Chair Michael Steel at a fundraiser in Connecticut, rewriting the history of the war in Afghanistan in front of a bunch of white people eating chips, white people who seem way overdressed for a picnic. It's hard to hear what he's saying what with the sound of people eating chips, but Talking Points Memo has a transcription:

"The McChrystal incident, to me, was very comical. And I think it's a reflection of the frustration that a lot of our military leaders have with this Administration and their prosecution of the war in Afghanistan," said Steele. "Keep in mind again, federal candidates, this was a war of Obama's choosing. This is not something the United States had actively prosecuted or wanted to engage in."

UPDATE: The Huffington Post reports that Liz Cheney has joined Bill Kristol's call for Michael Steel's resignation. From Kristol:

"RNC Chairman Michael Steele's comments about the war in Afghanistan were deeply disappointing and wrong," Cheney's statement read. "The chairman of the Republican party must be unwavering in his support for American victory in the war on terror -- a victory that cannot be accomplished if we do not prevail in Afghanistan. I endorse fully Bill Kristol's letter to Chairman Steele. It is time for Chairman Steele to step down."

The McChrystal Prologue

Yesterday's and likely today's big news show will be filled with almost nothing except the Rolling Stone article on General McChrystal and his subsequent meetings at the Pentagon and with President Obama. The upshot is that McChyrstal is a "Runaway General" as the title of the article suggests and he and his top aides gave disparaging statements about the Obama administration and their prosecution of the war in Afghanistan.

Today, however, on the NY Times NFL blog of all places, the beginning of the McChrystal story is told as it relates to the death of NFL player Pat Tillman. McChrystal is placed front and center at the fraud that took place in covering up the friendly fire death of Tillman. It seems that McChrystal had no problems at that point doing the bidding of the Bush administration in falsifying commendation records in the death of America's most famous soldier. The story of Pat Tillman giving up the life of an NFL star to join the army to fight against terrorism was too great a story to undercut with the truth that Tillman's head was blown off by American soldiers. From the Times:

The Pat Tillman story was always an irresistible one. A man forsakes riches and fame for his country.

His death during his service? It only added to the narrative of duty and sacrifice. It apparently proved too irresistible for military officials not to want to spin it for their purposes; they initially portrayed it as something other than the friendly fire that it was.

The Times than includes numerous video clips revealing the truth revealed during the investigation and gives this warning:

Warning: These old clips may make you mad.

Here is just one of the clips:
There is also a documentary on Tillman's death and coverup--including McChrystal's role--coming in August.

Why Photography Is Important

Looking at this photo, would you guess this was taken in Afghanistan?

This photo is from a photo essay of Afghanistan in the 1950s and 60s from Foreign Policy magazine. It has haunted me since I looked at it. There was industry, higher education, a transportation system and infrastructure. People, including women, went to movie theaters, record stores, and parks. There were radio stations and a national defense force. In short, there was a civil society.

This essay loudly begs the question, "What the hell happened to this country?" That history is worth knowing. Super-power influence (American and Soviet) is worth understanding. And the question, "how does American presence there now affect what the photos look like 50 years from now?"