Selden Spencer blogging from Afghanistan

Dr. Selden Spencer is taking a break from campaigning and is in Afghanistan using his medical knowledge and learning first-hand about the situation in the Middle East and terrorism. While Spencer is in Afghanistan, he is blogging about his experiences. The entry on August 30th really sticks out. Spencer wrote:

“If We Could Just Do a Better Job of Providing the Basics, Our Presence Here and in Iraq Might Be More Tolerated, and Perhaps Even Welcomed.”

Here I am, disgruntled and aggravated over a few hours of lost power. Indeed, this is enough to make most Americans upset.

However, the residents in Kabul witness this on a regular basis – uncertainty is a fact of life. The residents work long hours at the hospital; they’re tired when they return home. They get home, and can’t count on light or power. They can’t count on cooking or studying. Stepping back from it all, it adds to a sense of vulnerability and victimization for the residents here in Kabul. It only adds to a sense of irritability on everyone’s part.

Here is an example from Iraq from an earlier post I made...

In February 2004 (1 year after the invasion) 88% of the homes in Iraq had electricity. This month (March 2006), just 55% of the homes have electricity.

Dr. Spencer sums up the situation pretty well: “If We Could Just Do a Better Job of Providing the Basics, Our Presence Here and in Iraq Might Be More Tolerated, and Perhaps Even Welcomed.”

Spencer traveling to Afghanistan

From Selden Spencer's website...

I have been presented with an opportunity to explore America's place in the world post-9/11. On August 24, I will travel to Afghanistan to provide medical assistance through an organization for physicians called Northwest Medical Teams. This trip focuses on what my campaign is about: developing a new vision for America. I want to bring this country back to the greatness the world once admired and respected.

Under George W. Bush and his Republican Rubber Stamp Congress, we are losing our position of leadership in the world. Our military is bogged down in a civil war in Iraq that ties up our resources, and occupation of Muslim land fuels the flames of hatred. Although all eyes are affixed on the debacle in Iraq, Afghanistan presents the long-term perils and opportunities in our most important war, the global fight against terrorism.