Surviving Capitalism (Not) : Afghanistan’s Base Bonanza

We’ve lived so long under the spell of hierarchy—from god-kings to feudal lords to party bosses—that only recently have we awakened to see not only that “regular” citizens have the capacity for self-governance, but that without their engagement our huge global crises cannot be addressed. The changes needed for human society simply to survive, let alone thrive, are so profound that the only way we will move toward them is if we ourselves, regular citizens, feel meaningful ownership of solutions through direct engagement. Our problems are too big, interrelated, and pervasive to yield to directives from on high.
—Frances Moore Lappé, excerpt from Time for Progressives to Grow Up

Tuesday, September 4, 2012

Afghanistan’s Base Bonanza

Click here to access article by Nick Turse from TomDispatch. (Note: if you wish to skip the introduction, you need to scroll down to this article.)

There are few things that our government hides from us more than military base construction around the world. Turse does his best to cut through all the confusion to secure this information.

While reading this, think about all the current and proposed cutbacks to health, education, welfare and our crumbing infrastructure in order to serve the megalomanic fantasies of our Empire builders and the fat profits for the military-industrial complex.

Despite years of talk about American withdrawal, there has in fact been a long-term building boom during which the number of bases steadily expanded. In early 2010, the U.S.-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) claimed that it had nearly 400 Afghan bases. Early this year, that number had grown to 450. Today, a military spokesperson tells TomDispatch, the total tops out at around 550.

And that may only be the tip of the iceberg.