Sec. of State Antony Blinken giving updates to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs in March 2023.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken was asked some leading questions by Democrats on the House Foreign Relations Committee, especially Rep. Gerry Connolly, D-Virginia.
Watch. The answers are good. Biden inherited a foreign affairs mess from Trump. Biden, and Blincken, have been cleaning up the messes. Connolly and Blinken take down Republican arguments against President Biden’s foreign policies.
2 Comments | 
Afghanistan, foreign affairs, History, Iran, Joe Biden, U.S. Congress | Tagged: Afghanistan, Antony Blinken, foreign affairs, Iran, Rep. Gerry Connolly, U.S. House of Representatives | 
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Posted by Ed Darrell
A school in Afghanistan — probably the entire school.
Learning can occur almost anywhere. Some children go to great lengths to get an education, to improve their lives where they are, or to improve their chances of finding a better place to live.
I’ll wager this school has no wi-fi, no in-school suspension, few homework problems, and no difficulty with Common Core State Standards.
Afghanistan’s schools all seem to offer amazing hurdles to education, by U.S. standards. Look at these photos.
A line of girls on their way to school. In Afghanistan most of the cities have limited number of schools which are mostly far away from students home. From Everything Afghanistan
BBC featured a story on the Afghanistan schools project. Caption here: Many Afghan schools are outdoors or in makeshift shelters on barren, dusty earth. (These photos from 2009; photos by Ramon Mohamed, a teacher from Broomhill, Sheffield, England.)
Another outdoor Afghanistan classroom. Photo from BBC
2010 post from Reality of Life in Afghanistan: “Eight years since the repressive Taliban regime was overthrown, 42 per cent children still do not attend or have access to schools. (Photo: RFE/RL)”
Those of us who advocate for outdoor classrooms generally have something else in mind than these photographs from Afghanistan show.
More:
6 Comments | Afghanistan, Classroom management, Education, Teaching, Travel | Tagged: Afghanistan, Classrooms, Education, Travel | Permalink
Posted by Ed Darrell
Brilliant little film about a wonderfully creative guy, a war refugee, who developed a wind-powered device that can find and detonate anti-personnel mines. It’s part of the GE-sponsored FOCUS/FORWARD film contest:
Description and credits at Vimeo’s site:
MINE KAFON is a Finalist in the $200,000 FOCUS FORWARD Filmmaker Competition and is in the running to become the $100,000 Grand Prize Winner. It could also be named an Audience Favorite if it’s among the ten that receives the most votes. If you love it, vote for it. Click on the VOTE button in the top right corner of the video player. Note that voting may not be available on all mobile platforms, and browser cookies must be enabled to vote.
A short documentary portrait on a designer who has created a low cost solution to landmine clearance.
Check out his website: massoudhassani.com
or for other films by us at Ardent Film Trust: ardentfilm.orgDIRECTOR
Callum Cooper
DOP
Michael Latham
CAMERA
Michael Latham
Mahmud Hassani
Callum Cooper
SLOW MOTION CAMERA
Ed Edwards
EDITOR
Anna Meller
COLOR GRADER
Chris Teeder
SOUND MIXER AND DESIGNER
Sandy Milne
TITLE DESIGNER
Ray O’Meara
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER
Bobby Kapur
PRODUCERS
Alicia Brown
Michael Latham
Callum Cooper
THANKS
Lucie Kalmar
Slowmo High Speed
Optimism Films
The RNLA explosive ordnance disposal service
Copyright Ardent Film Trust 2012
1 Comment | Invention, Video and film, War | Tagged: Afghanistan, Anti-personnel mine, film, GE Focus Forward Film Contest, Innovation, Invention, Mine Clearance, War | Permalink
Posted by Ed Darrell
President Obama awards Sergeant Dakota L. Meyer, United States Marine Corps, the Medal of Honor for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty, while serving with Marine Embedded Training Team 2-8, Regional Corps Advisory Command 3-7, in Kunar Province, Afghanistan, on 8 September 2009. [Ceremony:] September 15, 2011.
Video from the White House includes the prayers offered before and after the ceremony (excluded from the commercial television video).
The citation for Meyer’s Medal of Honor described his gallantry in detail:
The President of the United States in the name of The Congress takes pleasure in presenting the MEDAL OF HONOR to
CORPORAL DAKOTA L. MEYER
UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS
For service as set forth in the following
For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving with Marine Embedded Training Team 2-8, Regional Corps Advisory Command 3-7, in Kunar Province, Afghanistan, on 8 September 2009. Corporal Meyer maintained security at a patrol rally point while other members of his team moved on foot with two platoons of Afghan National Army and Border Police into the village of Ganjgal for a pre-dawn meeting with village elders. Moving into the village, the patrol was ambushed by more than 50 enemy fighters firing rocket propelled grenades, mortars, and machine guns from houses and fortified positions on the slopes above. Hearing over the radio that four U.S. team members were cut off, Corporal Meyer seized the initiative. With a fellow Marine driving, Corporal Meyer took the exposed gunner’s position in a gun-truck as they drove down the steeply terraced terrain in a daring attempt to disrupt the enemy attack and locate the trapped U.S. team. Disregarding intense enemy fire now concentrated on their lone vehicle, Corporal Meyer killed a number of enemy fighters with the mounted machine guns and his rifle, some at near point blank range, as he and his driver made three solo trips into the ambush area. During the first two trips, he and his driver evacuated two dozen Afghan soldiers, many of whom were wounded. When one machine gun became inoperable, he directed a return to the rally point to switch to another gun-truck for a third trip into the ambush area where his accurate fire directly supported the remaining U.S. personnel and Afghan soldiers fighting their way out of the ambush. Despite a shrapnel wound to his arm, Corporal Meyer made two more trips into the ambush area in a third gun-truck accompanied by four other Afghan vehicles to recover more wounded Afghan soldiers and search for the missing U.S. team members. Still under heavy enemy fire, he dismounted the vehicle on the fifth trip and moved on foot to locate and recover the bodies of his team members. Corporal Meyer’s daring initiative and bold fighting spirit throughout the 6-hour battle significantly disrupted the enemy’s attack and inspired the members of the combined force to fight on. His unwavering courage and steadfast devotion to his U.S. and Afghan comrades in the face of almost certain death reflected great credit upon himself and upheld the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and the United States Naval Service.
Leave a Comment » | Afghanistan, Heroes, Medal of Honor, President Obama, War | Tagged: Afghanistan, Dakota Meyer, Heroes, Medal of Honor, President Obama, War | Permalink
Posted by Ed Darrell
Years ago I feared that many of us learned the wrong lessons from Vietnam, or if we learned the right ones, we weren’t applying what we’d learned. This was a bit more important in the earlier days of our involvement in Afghanistan and Iraq. So I wrote about one of the lessons we needed to improve on: Honoring the people who serve, regardless our view on the entire engagement.
Someday, perhaps when I’m wiser, I’ll get back to that series on the lessons of Vietnam.
A lot of water flowed under the bridge since then. A lot of blood flowed, too.
We did better with our two latest engagements, as a nation, in honoring soldiers. For just one example, DFW Airport set up a special lounge for soldiers returning stateside, and dozens of organizations set up programs to get people out to welcome the soldiers from Iraq with an indoor parade of sorts — Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, groups of retired veterans and other citizens, school social studies classes, and many more.
That still leaves us with the scab of our treatment of veterans from Vietnam. It’s been good to see cities and organizations make serious efforts to remember them specifically, as well as veterans of Korea-“The-Forgotten-War,” with soldiers and veterans of the modern conflicts. There is more we need to do, I’m sure.
I ran into this short video from Moments.org. I don’t know about the rest of that organization’s ministries, but this video got it right:
So, Wes, McClain, Kevin, Ben, Brenda, Steve, Pat, Al, Ken, Ray, David, Jeff and Jon, and all the rest of you who served, especially in or during Vietnam, consider this as one for you.
Tip of the old scrub brush to cmblake6, who probably won’t ever get another one here. Happily surprised to find something right over there.
More, Resources:
2 Comments | Afghanistan, Heroes, Iraq, Lessons of history, Lessons of Vietnam, veterans | Tagged: Afghanistan, Heroes, Iraq, Lessons of history, Lessons of Vietnam, Veteran, veterans, Vietnam War, War | Permalink
Posted by Ed Darrell
President Obama awarded Staff Sergeant Salvatore Giunta, U.S. Army, the Medal of Honor for conspicuous gallantry for his courageous actions against an armed enemy in the Korengal Valley of Afghanistan in October 2007. November 16, 2010. The ceremony inspires. Notice at the end of the ceremony as the president turned to past Medal of Honor winners invited in for the moment.
Vodpod videos no longer available.
Leave a Comment » | Afghanistan, Heroes, Medal of Honor, President Obama | Tagged: Afghanistan, Congressional Medal of Honor, Heroes, President Obama, Salvatore Giunta, veterans | Permalink
Posted by Ed Darrell
Jon Taplin explains why knowing world history is valuable. The sad thing is that, of course, the story that makes his reason doesn’t appear in the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills list for world history, nor in any other social studies course.
Now that the Texas State Board of Education has taken off the cloak of education and made it clear that social studies in Texas is considered a political free-fire zone, and that they plan to vitiate anything but the propaganda value for the Republican Party, Taplin’s piece has all the more poignance.
The Renaissance, and Florence, were more than just a minor question on the TAKS test. Santayana’s Ghost weeps bitterly.
Why isn’t Jon Taplin’s blog required reading in more places, by more people in government and politics? We know why the Texas State School Board doesn’t want anyone to read it — that alone should make people fight to see what Taplin says.
Promote this idea in your own study group:
1 Comment | Education, Education quality, History, Renaissance, Santayana's ghost, Social Studies, State school boards, Taxes, Texas, Texas Freedom Network, War, War on Education, World history | Tagged: Afghanistan, Florence, Santayana's ghost, Social Studies, State School Board, Texas, War, War on Education, World history | Permalink
Posted by Ed Darrell
Musing on a short break from grading: Is it possible to read Eschaton without getting horribly depressed at the incompetence and meanness in the White House — up to Obama?
And then one thinks of the challenges facing Obama. The Great Depression was more psychological than economic. Mine is, anyway, right now.
1 Comment | Afghanistan, Health care, Politics, President Obama, Presidents | Tagged: Afghanistan, Eschaton, Health care, Politics, President Obama | Permalink
Posted by Ed Darrell
Can this be accurate?
Gareth Porter argues in Asia Times that the Bush administration never had any plans to get Osama bin Laden — they were too busy planning an attack on Iraq to have time to get the man who led the attacks against us. So Osama bin Laden went free, free to attack the U.S. again and again.
New evidence from former United States officials reveals that Osama bin Laden and other al-Qaeda leaders were able to skip Afghanistan for Pakistan unimpeded in the first weeks after September 11, 2001, as the George W Bush administration failed to plan to block their retreat.
Top administration officials instead gave priority to planning for war with Iraq, leaving the United States with not nearly enough troops or strategic airlift capacity to close the large number of possible exit routes through the Afghanistan-Pakistan border area where Bin Laden escaped in late 2001.
Because it had not been directed to plan for that contingency, the US military was also forced to turn down an offer from then Pakistani president Pervez Musharraf in late November 2001 to send 60,000 troops to intercept the al-Qaeda leaders.
Nuts. Who could ever have guessed that incompetence in the White House could so cripple our military, and ultimately, so cripple our nation?
Can we move inauguration day up to December 1? Please?
10 Comments | Afghanistan, History, Iraq, Politics, Terrorism | Tagged: Afghanistan, foreign affairs, History, Iraq, Osama bin Laden, Politics, Terrorism | Permalink
Posted by Ed Darrell
Interesting. The hottest post on this blog today is the one I wrote about honoring Armed Forces Day — last year! The post for Armed Forces Day this year is up there, too.
One of the lessons of Vietnam is that we need to honor our soldiers who go to defend the nation, even when the wars may be of dubious origin. The dubious origins of war cannot be blamed on the soldiers, sailors and airmen who go to do their duty, and they are the ones who can redeem the nation from a disastrous foreign policy, if anyone can.
Love the serviceman, hate the war. Honor the soldier, work on the politicians to change the policy. It’s a workable arrangement that honors good people for doing noble service.
Remember: Memorial Day honors those who died in service to the country; Veterans Day honors the veterans who came back, having served. Armed Forces Day honors those who serve today.
Fly your flag today.
6 Comments | Afghanistan, Flag ceremony, Flag etiquette, Fly your flag today, Iraq, Lessons of history, Lessons of Vietnam, Patriotism, veterans | Tagged: Afghanistan, Armed Forces Day, Fly your flag today, Iraq, Lessons of Vietnam, veterans | Permalink
Posted by Ed Darrell
One of the lessons of Vietnam was that we need to honor and thank our soldiers especially when they get sent to execute bad foreign policy. So, regardless your views on current conflicts, you could perform a service, with the help of Xerox, by sending a card, from here.
No cost. Try it.
Tip of the old scrub brush to Brother Dwight.
3 Comments | Lessons of history, Lessons of Vietnam, Patriotism, War | Tagged: Afghanistan, Iraq, Patriotism, Thank a Soldier, Thanksgiving, Xerox | Permalink
Posted by Ed Darrell
Ed Darrell on Texas's Colorado River
Come on in, the water's fine. Come often: Cleanliness is next to godliness.
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Millard Fillmore's Bathtub 