Now that Netroots Nation has solved the countries problems I’d like to address Senator Obama.
If at the end of this seemingly infinite election you are victorious and decide to go finish the job we left undone in Afghanistan — as you alluded to recently in your meeting with President Hamid Karzai, pledging “steadfast aid” and all
(source) ( Obama meets Afghan president Karzai) — consider doing it right differently than Bushy did, finish what you start, and don’t use it as some kind of photo op publicity stunt.
Watch MOTHERLAND AFGHANISTAN in which Afghan American filmmaker Sedika Mojadidi follows her father (Dr. Qudrat Mojadidi) on his tragic trip to Afghanistan, a trip he was invited on by the U.S. government to help rehabilitate the largest women’s hospital in the country, Rabia Balkhi, a hospital which at the time was put under U.S. Sponsorship with a newly re-named Laura Bush maternity ward.
With maternal health and both infant and maternal mortality so high in Afghanistan the goal was to train and treat and to help promote proper and efficient care for these women.
His arrival to this “Laura Bush Maternity Ward” reveals horrific conditions, sewage back-up and no supplies, which despite continuing pleas from Dr Quadrat never arrive. Though he does get letters from his superiors congratulating him on what a good job is doing.….like WTF.
He eventually left in frustration but went back later with privately funded organization, to a different hospital and though still a very tough road the place was at clean and had supplies. Something the U.S. promised but for some reason couldn’t manage to do in their great publicity op Laura Bush Maternity Ward.
Don’t be afraid to ask the people of the countries you are trying to help what they need, believe it or not they usually know better than we what they need and how things work in their countries. Do not name a ward of a hospital after your wife if you intend to leave floating in shit. Better yet, if you do carry something like this out properly name the wards after Afghani’s, after all they have suffered more, it is their country, and in the end it will be them who makes it work no matter how much help we give them.
Thank You.
The Film: Motherland Afghanistan
The film, criticized over a year ago by the NYT when is first came on Independent Lens as a film which would not change your view on foreign policy. Wrongly criticized in in my opinion. The first thing it made me see as faulty was the policy which promotes this kind of worthless effort by the bureaucracy of The Department of Health Human Services. So this film is worth more than a look see, and is still playing on Independent Lens.
Peace and Happy Birthday Miss Savage. Please go prevent her from shagging herself to oblivion.
