Muhammad Ali vs Vietnam War Draft: "Got Nothing Against No Viet Cong"

"Got nothing against no Viet cong, no Vietnamese ever called me a nigger."
Muhammad Ali



I am Not Opposed to War. Instead I am Opposed to Unnecessary Wars. i.e., Iraq & Afghanistan, Vietnam, Bay of Pigs.



View Larger Map


Sources: Youtube, Google Maps

Karzai's Corruption Costing U.S. Thousands Of Soldiers' Lives & Billions In Foreign Aid (Time To Leave!)

Via a Mandatory Draft I want EVERY Federal Gov't Official including Congress Members & Pentagon Officials, to immediately allow their Adult Sons & Daughters to fight in the Afghan War to help Defend Karzai's (Afghan President) Corrupt Government, then tell me its "Wise Foreign Policy" for U.S. Troops to remain in that region of the world.







Intractable Afghan Graft Hampering U.S. Strategy


For the past few months, possibly the most intriguing poker game in Kabul has been taking place in the sprawling pink sitting room of the man at the center of one of the most public corruption scandals in the world, the near collapse of Kabul Bank.

The players include people tied to President Hamid Karzai’s inner circle, many of whom have profited from the crony capitalism that has come to define Afghanistan’s economic order, and nearly brought down Kabul Bank. The game’s stakes “aren’t too big — a few thousand dollars up or down,” one of the participants said.

Betting thousands of dollars a night in a country where most families live off a few hundred dollars a year would seem like a bad play for Sherkhan Farnood, the founder and former chairman of Kabul Bank, the country’s biggest. His assets are supposed to be frozen, and he is still facing the threat of prosecution over a scandal that could end up costing the Afghan government — and, by extension, the Western countries that pay most of its expenses — almost $900 million, a sum that nearly equals the government’s total annual revenues.

But Mr. Farnood, who in 2008 won about $143,000 at a World Series of Poker event in Europe, appears to know a good wager when he sees one. Despite years of urging and oversight by American advisers, Mr. Karzai’s government has yet to prosecute a high-level corruption case. And now many American officials say that they have little expectation that Mr. Farnood’s case will prove to be the exception — or that Washington will try to do much about it, especially after violent anti-American protests in recent weeks have sowed fresh doubts in the Obama administration over the viability of the mission in Afghanistan.

As Americans pull back from Afghanistan, Mr. Farnood’s case exemplifies how the United States is leaving behind a problem it underwrote over the past decade with tens of billions of dollars of aid and logistical support: a narrow business and political elite defined by its corruption, and despised by most Afghans for it.

The Americans and Afghans blame each other for the problem’s seeming intractability, contributing to the deterioration in relations that now threatens to scuttle talks on the shape of ties between the countries after the NATO combat mission ends in 2014. What is clear is that the pervasive graft has badly undercut the American war strategy, which hinged on building the Karzai administration into a credible alternative to the Taliban.

Still, the Obama administration has concluded that pressing the fight against corruption, as many American officials tried to do in recent years, could further alienate Mr. Karzai and others around him whom Washington is relying on as it tries to manage a graceful drawdown.



“It’s a little late in the game to worry about anticorruption measures because what in the world is the alternative going to be?” said Anthony H. Cordesman, a military analyst at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington. “If you find people who aren’t corrupt, it is largely because they haven’t had the opportunity.”

Some of the corruption will fade organically, as America and its allies cut back on their aid to Afghanistan, which is likely to have a harsh impact on the Afghan economy, Mr. Cordesman said. Efforts by the American-led coalition to better monitor the billions it spends each year in Afghanistan continue and are having an effect, although it remains slight largely because billions of dollars keep pouring in and are likely to do so for years to come.

The limits of the coalition’s efforts to police its own spending — and the newfound reluctance of top American officials to push back against Afghan intransigence over prosecuting corruption — were laid bare in December when Mr. Karzai’s office demanded that the coalition provide evidence if it wanted the government to prosecute the Afghan Army’s former surgeon general, Gen. Ahmad Zia Yaftali.

Coalition officials had in fact provided the evidence a full year earlier. General Yaftali was suspended in December 2010 after Gen. David H. Petraeus, then the coalition commander, told Mr. Karzai that NATO investigators had found that the Afghan officer had stolen tens of millions of dollars’ worth of drugs from the country’s main military hospital, an institution he ran and where Afghan soldiers regularly died from simple infections because they could not afford to bribe nurses or doctors to treat them.

The running of the hospital, like much of the Afghan Army, is financed by the United States, which last year spent $11.2 billion to pay, train and equip Afghanistan’s security force.

But after the suspension of the politically connected general, the investigation into his conduct remained in limbo — until Mr. Karzai on Dec. 29 unexpectedly demanded to see the evidence he had already seen.

The American officer in charge of the inquiry, Brig. Gen. H. R. McMaster, was furious. The investigation of General Yaftali and the Dawood Military Hospital was one of the major initiatives undertaken by General McMaster’s task force, a high-profile coalition effort set up in 2010 to go after corruption that was being financed by coalition spending. Now it appeared as if an officer who was accused of letting his own soldiers die so he could enrich himself would never be tried.

General McMaster and his staff quickly pulled together their evidence and wrote a statement to counter Mr. Karzai’s demand. Their draft, a copy of which was obtained by The New York Times, struck both accusatory and conciliatory notes.

It bluntly stated that the coalition had provided the evidence Mr. Karzai was now demanding. It said efforts to investigate had been met with “interference, obstruction, and delay.” It quoted a pledge Mr. Karzai had made in December at an international conference in Germany to end a “culture of impunity.”

The statement was never released. According to two NATO officials, the commander of coalition forces, Gen. John R. Allen, decided there was little to gain in picking a fight with Mr. Karzai over the matter.

A senior coalition officer who is involved with the case said he believed that it would eventually proceed. NATO is focused on preparing Afghan forces to take over the fight against the Taliban, and will continue to try to clamp down on corruption that undermines that goal, the officer said.

The American officials tracking the bank investigation seem similarly uninterested in challenging Afghan authorities over the status of Mr. Farnood and his former partner, Khalilullah Frozi.

Under pressure from the United States and its allies, Afghan authorities arrested both men in June. Kabul Bank was taken over nearly 10 months earlier amid accusations that its owners used it as their personal piggy bank.

Mr. Farnood spent more than $150 million of the bank’s money on villas in Dubai purchased in his own name. Kabul Bank money helped finance shell companies whose main function was to win subcontracts from businesses doing work for the American-led coalition, siphon a slice of the money and then find other subcontractors to do the actual work, American officials have said. Mahmoud Karzai, a brother of the Afghan president, and Abdul Haseen Fahim, a brother of the first vice president, Gen. Muhammad Qasim Fahim, both received interest-free loans so they could buy stakes in the bank.

News of the takeover prompted a run on the bank that almost led to its collapse. Afghanistan’s central bank spent nearly $900 million to keep it afloat, an outlay that the Afghan government, already short of cash, has since had to cover. While some of that money is likely to be recovered, some Western officials concede that donor funds will eventually be needed to close the hole in the Afghan budget, even if Western dollars do not go directly to cover Kabul Bank’s losses.

Deputy Attorney General Rahmatullah Nazari said the authorities this past fall gave permission to let Mr. Farnood and Mr. Frozi out of prison during the daytime so they could help recover assets owed to the bank. Mr. Farnood owes the bank $467 million, he said; Mr. Frozi owes $78 million.

Mr. Frozi has been helpful in tracking down missing assets; Mr. Farnood less so, Mr. Nazari said, although some Western officials disputed that characterization and said it was Mr. Farnood who was being more helpful.

But it is unclear how hard the Afghan government is pushing either man. The villas and a pair of partly constructed office towers in Dubai are still in Mr. Farnood’s name, and Mr. Nazari said the transfer of the property was being held up by a 2 percent tax that the United Arab Emirates levy on such deals. Some Western officials questioned why a routine tax would hold up such an important transaction.

Meanwhile, Mr. Farnood is collecting rent from tenants in some of the villas, Mr. Nazari said.

But, Mr. Nazari insisted, both will be prosecuted once the asset recovery has been completed.

American, European and even some Afghan officials say they doubt that will happen. Despite Mr. Nazari’s claim that both spend their nights in prison, the two have rented separate houses in Kabul and rarely, if ever, return to their cells, said people close to the men.

Mr. Farnood’s spacious house stands behind high walls in Kabul’s most expensive neighborhood, around the corner from the office of the International Monetary Fund, which is overseeing a forensic audit of Kabul Bank.

A pool table, a table for table tennis, a large Samsung flat-screen television and a set of purple faux-leather couches and arm chairs grace the cavernous pink sitting room. A pair of late-model black Toyota Land Cruisers sit in the driveway. The officer from Afghanistan’s National Directorate of Security, the country’s intelligence agency, who mans the front door functions more like a doorman than a guard.

Mr. Farnood lunches regularly at the Kabul Serena Hotel, where the buffet costs about $25 a head. Mr. Frozi has his own spot, Boccaccio, an upscale Italian eatery popular with well-heeled Afghans and foreigners, including American and European diplomats.

Lunching there on afternoon last month with four other men, Mr. Frozi declined to talk to a reporter. He said the American press had “destroyed the bank,” and he dismissed his questioner with a wave of his hand.


View Larger Map


Sources: CBS News, CNN, Fox News, US Navy Seals.com, US State Dept., Wikipedia, Google Maps

LeBron James Is No Longer A Slave! Miami Is Right Decision

LeBron James, King His Own World


LeBron James is a grown man who made a grownup decision to take his massive basketball-playing ability from Cleveland to Miami in a desire to get the one thing every true baller desires: the opportunity to call yourself a champion.

Forget all the nonsense about him "owing" his hometown and how his legacy could have been cemented had he stayed in the Midwest and continued to try to win a title in Cleveland. LeBron had the absolute right to pick up his things and go where he thought it was best to win, and he did it.

Enough with all of this ridiculous chatter that he's a selfish, spoiled basketball prodigy. LeBron was an employee of the Cleveland Cavaliers. He had no ownership stake and no control. Everyone talks about what his presence meant to the Cleveland economy. Did he own any of those businesses? No. But he made them, and the Cavaliers, richer by his play.

There is undoubtedly a tradeoff, because being a star athlete is a two-way street.

You become richer by virtue of folks coming to see you play, and the league, team, marketers and surrounding businesses get to piggyback off of your success. LeBron gave them a solid seven seasons, and everyone enjoyed the ride. Say thank you for the LeBron gravy train, and now, like any smart business owner, you need to figure out your next revenue stream.

Now, let's deal with the fans.

I read with fascination about how LeBron "owed" the fans. Really?

What exactly did he owe them?

We need to stop with this belief that fans in a city "own" a particular player. We get to sit back and enjoy the skills of these modern-day gladiators in our gleaming new Coliseums, while they bust their butts, play injured and have to take all of the criticism when things go bad.

As fans, we justify it all by saying, "Well, he's getting millions to play, so he should shut up."

We need to grow up and realize that once his playing days are over, we will say, "Thanks, LeBron, now move over so we can worship the next stud." In fact, when a particular athlete has overstayed their welcome, the fans are the loudest in telling him to leave the court.

To me, there is a huge difference between a player like LeBron James and Albert Haynesworth of the Washington Redskins. Albert has pocketed nearly $40 million and has refused to show up at training sessions with Washington because he doesn't like the defensive scheme. That is dumb.

LeBron showed up and did his part, and when his contract was up, he exercised his free will to do as he pleased and shop his talents. He did what every single American wants: to go to a new job where the desires you always wanted can be fulfilled. So how is that wrong?

No one -- athlete, stockbroker, Wal-Mart greeter, grocery store clerk, secretary, journalist -- wants to be treated like they are a piece of property. We all desire the freedom that comes with making our own choice as to where we want to work and achieve the goals in life that we all set.

I can identify with that. In 1993, I decided to leave the Austin American-Statesman, where I was the county government reporter. The then-city editor sat across from me and said, "I felt like it was a punch in the gut when told you were leaving." He had an indignant, paternalistic tone that I found offensive.

See, I was making $24,000. When the Houston Chronicle pursued me for a job a few months earlier that would be around $27,000, I was told I was talking myself out of a job in Austin. So when the Fort Worth Star-Telegram offered me a gig at $32,000, I didn't even bother seeing whether Austin wanted to counter. The new job allowed me to go to a bigger market and have the upward mobility I desired, so I took the job.

So I told the city editor, "Look, you didn't take some kid off the street, teach him how to talk, write and dress. You paid me for a service, and I delivered. Now I'm choosing to take my skills elsewhere." I then got up and left the meeting.

It was offensive to me that my bosses at the paper felt like I was being an ungrateful employee. I wanted to do more with my talents, and I refused to allow someone to make me feel bad about my decision. It's my life, my career, my choice. So how is that bad?

Now I get folks who didn't like LeBron having a one-hour special to announce his decision. But we are all used to the hype in sports. Do we really need a six-hour pregame show for the Super Bowl? Can't we play the NBA All-Star Game without all of the side attractions? Would boxing be boxing without the wild and crazy news conferences? Hype and sports go hand-in-hand.

That's why I found the letter written by Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert so pathetic. Here is a man who was enriched by the play of LeBron James; according to Forbes, the value of the franchise increased by $100 million with his on-court performance.

Yet instead of being a gracious owner and simply reaffirming his commitment to the fans to put a winning team on the court, Gilbert ripped LeBron to shreds, calling him "narcissistic" and his decision to leave a "cowardly betrayal" and "a shameful display of selfishness."

Gilbert even went on to trash all athletes by saying, "It's time for people to hold these athletes accountable for their actions. Is this the way you raise your children?"

In an interview, Gilbert later said LeBron quit on the team in the playoffs the past two years.

Really? So if he was all of that, Dan, why did you want to re-sign him? Who wants a quitter on his team? If LeBron had chosen to stay in Cleveland, rich boy Dan would have been all smiles, slapping his back, getting ready to count the money he could make off of the back of LeBron. So who would have been the real selfish, narcissistic individual, Dan?

Gilbert now says it's time to speak out against LeBron, yet as long as James made him richer, he would have kept quiet. Sorry, Dan, you've pimped LeBron long enough.

LeBron showed Dan Gilbert that only LeBron owes LeBron an explanation. No owner, CEO or boss has the right to demand that someone stay as an employee. The employee has a right to live their life as they see fit.

As the CEO of LeBron James Inc., he did what's in the best of interest of him. And as the most important shareholder, isn't that what he's supposed to do?

I'm sorry, folks, but the loyalty that used to exist from teams and companies is gone. Some still believe in it, but for many of us, we're simply a dot on the spreadsheet. Business is cutthroat, and we have to accept that reality.

So, King James, go to Miami and do your thing. Grow your corporation to be as big as you want it to be. And never look back at the haters who are mad you chose not to act like a highly paid indentured servant or 21st-century slave, held in place by the invisible shackles dressed up as loyalty to a city, owing the fans and satisfying someone who is clearly an ungrateful owner.








James' Show Draws Critics, But His Decision Will Bring Championships


LeBron James has redefined himself with his widely anticipated, and nonetheless, shocking decision to join the Miami Heat. In years to come, he promises to play less like Michael Jordan and perform more like an open-floor version of Magic Johnson, as he creates plays for Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh.

He has chosen to play basketball of the highest level, and to do so at the personal expense of rejecting the larger markets of New York and Chicago. Most of all, he has signaled that he is no longer seeking to be universally popular. He is not going to be all things to all people anymore.

He turned a lot of people against him by showcasing his choice to leave the Cleveland Cavaliers, situated less than an hour north of his hometown of Akron. The way he announced his decision is going to be more important to many people than his reasons for moving to Miami. Those reasons are understandable; some will call them laudable.

But this threatens to go down as a case of What You Say vs. How You Say It. How he said it drowned out the meaning of his words. If he was going to divorce himself from the fans who viewed him as one of their own, as a savior to their depressed region, then wasn't there a less painful way to do so? His former fans will make the argument that James was so concerned with the pursuit of his celebrity that he ran them over with this self-empowering TV special. A lot of people will be cheering against him now.

"Our former hero, who grew up in the very region that he deserted this evening, is no longer a Cleveland Cavalier,'' wrote team owner Dan Gilbert in a bitter open letter to Cavs fans Thursday night, in which he referred to James as "narcissistic, self-promotional" and "cowardly."

"This shocking act of disloyalty from our home grown 'chosen one' sends the exact opposite lesson of what we would want our children to learn ... But the good news is that this heartless and callous action can only serve as the antidote to the so-called 'curse' on Cleveland, Ohio.

"The self-declared former 'King' will be taking the 'curse' with him down south. And until he does 'right' by Cleveland and Ohio, James (and the town where he plays) will unfortunately own this dreaded spell and bad karma."

James surely turned many in his hometown against him. But other fans around the country can be reclaimed by simply winning in a big way. The amazing revival of Kobe Bryant's popularity had everything to do with triumphing in the last two NBA Finals, and James has now set himself up to do the same on terms that cannot be considered selfish. He has chosen to score fewer points, to adapt his MVP style of play, to accept not being the No. 1 player on his team every night and to leave money on the table by accepting a five-year deal (worth at least $30 million less than he would have earned in Cleveland) in which he'll share Miami's cap space with Wade and Bosh.

James repeatedly said that he wasn't looking to leave Cleveland, but then he belied those statements when he began to discuss the NBA's leading partnerships of the last 30 years. He worked his way through a number of championship teams while pointing out that Magic had Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and James Worthy, that Larry Bird had Kevin McHale and Robert Parish and Dennis Johnson, that Isiah Thomas had Joe Dumars and on and on. "You become a superstar individually, but you become a champion with a team and I understand that," he said. "I understand the history of the game."

In other words, he never was supplied with a star in his prime. After seven years in Cleveland he was lured to Miami by the promise of playing with talented teammates. The natural concerns that he and Wade will struggle to play together are of no concern to him, James insisted.

"The only thing that may change is the points per game," said James. "The way you see me and D-Wade approach the game every night and have that never-say-die attitude will not change. We don't have to have the pressure of scoring 30 every night or shooting a high percentage or logging long minutes and worrying about our team suffering because of that. The way we approach the game -- the same demeanor, the same grit, the same swagger to our game will not change, and that's the same thing with Chris also."

What became clear from James' televised interview is that he, Wade and Bosh had shared conversations in which each talked of the burdens of carrying a team on his own, as each has tried to do to ultimately disappointing results in Cleveland, Miami and Toronto, respectively, over the last few years. The downside of this new AAU era is that these rival players are friends in a way that Magic, Larry and Isiah never could have been in their day. The upside is that James, Wade and Bosh have shown that they -- as friends -- are more concerned with winning than with their individual stats or with boasting the biggest salary.

Two other conclusions can be drawn. One is that this partnership was in the works years ago when all three agreed to shortened contracts enabling them to become free agents simultaneously, in the final summer before the anticipated 2011 lockout and the likelihood of smaller, shorter contracts. It may not have seemed likely a few years ago, but it surely was a goal.

The other conclusion is that Heat president Pat Riley dominated this free-agent market. He was better networked and a much more informed and charismatic recruiter than any of his rivals, and that's why he won at their expense.

So where does this leave Miami? James and Wade have insisted that Erik Spoelstra will remain as coach with Riley continuing to serve as his highly demanding mentor. Much of Spoelstra's success next season will be determined by Miami's ability over the remaining summer to fill out the roster with role players on veteran minimum contracts. Now that forward Michael Beasley's $5 million salary has reportedly been moved to Minnesota for a second-round pick in a move to clear further cap space, the Heat could have additional funds to pursue the following in addition to their three stars and point guard Mario Chalmers -- a starting center, two backup big men, a backup small forward and at least two guards, one of whom may need to start at the point. All of this to fill out the rotation, with at least two more players needed for the end of the bench. The quality of these acquisitions is almost impossible to predict because the Heat will have to wait and see which players are left unsigned through the end of the month.

Until we know more about the rest of the team, the Heat cannot be rated ahead of the Eastern champion Celtics or conference finalists Magic. But within a year or two, this surely will be a championship contender with the promise of a long run at the top.


<a href="http://msn.foxsports.com/video?vid=8f0fcea2-31ca-4aa8-a4d0-2495b7a7de8d&amp;from=IV2_en-us_foxsports_articles" target="_new" title="LeBron Tracker: Cleveland enemy No. 1">Video: LeBron Tracker: Cleveland enemy No. 1</a>



Cavs Owner Rips LeBron's "Betrayal"


Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert posted this letter on Cavs.com after LeBron James decided he was leaving for the Miami Heat:


Dear Cleveland, All Of Northeast Ohio and Cleveland Cavaliers Supporters Wherever You May Be Tonight;

As you now know, our former hero, who grew up in the very region that he deserted this evening, is no longer a Cleveland Cavalier.

This was announced with a several day, narcissistic, self-promotional build-up culminating with a national TV special of his "decision" unlike anything ever "witnessed" in the history of sports and probably the history of entertainment.

Clearly, this is bitterly disappointing to all of us.

The good news is that the ownership team and the rest of the hard-working, loyal, and driven staff over here at your hometown Cavaliers have not betrayed you nor NEVER will betray you.

There is so much more to tell you about the events of the recent past and our more than exciting future. Over the next several days and weeks, we will be communicating much of that to you.

You simply don't deserve this kind of cowardly betrayal.

You have given so much and deserve so much more.

In the meantime, I want to make one statement to you tonight:

"I PERSONALLY GUARANTEE THAT THE CLEVELAND CAVALIERS WILL WIN AN NBA CHAMPIONSHIP BEFORE THE SELF-TITLED FORMER ‘KING’ WINS ONE"

You can take it to the bank.

If you thought we were motivated before tonight to bring the hardware to Cleveland, I can tell you that this shameful display of selfishness and betrayal by one of our very own has shifted our "motivation" to previously unknown and previously never experienced levels.

Some people think they should go to heaven but NOT have to die to get there.

Sorry, but that's simply not how it works.

This shocking act of disloyalty from our home grown "chosen one" sends the exact opposite lesson of what we would want our children to learn. And "who" we would want them to grow-up to become.

But the good news is that this heartless and callous action can only serve as the antidote to the so-called "curse" on Cleveland, Ohio.

The self-declared former "King" will be taking the "curse" with him down south. And until he does "right" by Cleveland and Ohio, James (and the town where he plays) will unfortunately own this dreaded spell and bad karma.

Just watch.

Sleep well, Cleveland.

Tomorrow is a new and much brighter day....

I PROMISE you that our energy, focus, capital, knowledge and experience will be directed at one thing and one thing only:

DELIVERING YOU the championship you have long deserved and is long overdue....

Dan Gilbert
Majority Owner
Cleveland Cavaliers



View Larger Map


Sources: CNN, ESPN, Fox Sports, MSNBC, Roland Martin Blog, Sports Illustrated, Google Maps

LeBron James Gets Drafted By Cleveland (2003) Video

View Larger Map


Sources: ESPN, Youtube, Google Maps

The First Health Care Reform Bill Draft Has Been Released

Politico----

The Senate committee chaired by Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-Mass.) began circulating draft language Friday of a Health Care Reform bill that would create a public insurance option to compete with private insurers.

The bill also proposes requiring individuals to own insurance, mandating businesses
to provide insurance or pay a fee to the government, creating state insurance marketplaces where people can compare and buy plans, and providing subsidies for low-income individuals to buy coverage. The bill comes from the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee.

The contours of the draft legislation, which did not include specific dollar figures or numbers, match up with the outline of a bill that first leaked last week. As expected, the bill contains some of the more liberal options that the Senate will consider.

Kennedy spokesman Anthony Coley said the 171-page bill was "a draft of a draft."

"HELP Democrats are still discussing options among themselves and their Republican colleagues," Coley said.

Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.), who is leading the committee’s health care effort while Kennedy receives treatment for brain cancer, has said he hopes to begin debating a bill in committee June 15.

Once the bill passes and is signed into law by President Obama, all Employers would be required to provide Health Care Benefits for their employees.


Sources: Politico, Bradenton Herald, Day Life, Reuters