Posted on 12/18/2007 7:58:46 AM PST by RDTF
My guess is that a significant number of people who see the new movie, “Charlie Wilson’s War,” about the exploits of my former Congressional colleague from Texas, Charlie Wilson, will walk out of the theater shaking their heads thinking that Hollywood made all this up. -snip- Well, folks, it is true. All of it. Congressman Charlie Wilson, a member of the House Appropriations Committee for much of his 24 years in Congress representing a rural district in East Texas, single handedly convinced Congress during the 1980’s to appropriate hundreds of millions of dollars to finance a covert war against the Soviet Union in Afghanistan. The money went to provide weapons for Afghan rebels who drove the Soviet Army out of their country, humiliating one of the two greatest armies in the world and contributing to the collapse of the Soviet Union a few years later.
-snip-
Charlie pulled this off in the era before 24-hour cable news. CNN was in its infancy. FOX and MSNBC didn’t even exist. Charlie’s foibles probably would have been exposed in great detail in the new media environment and he might have been driven from public office before he could ever have performed this great service to the country.
It is certainly possible that the Soviet Union ultimately would have collapsed even if it wasn’t humiliated in Afghanistan, but Charlie Wilson’s successful personal war may have accelerated the timetable.
The real tragedy of all of this was that the United States walked away from Afghanistan after the Soviets were driven out. We refused to provide vital educational and developmental aid to the new government which eventually was replaced by the extremist Taliban.
Charlie tried to persuade Congress to provide this economic aid after the military aid was successful, but even he couldn’t accomplish that.
-snip-
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
“The real tragedy of all of this was that the United States walked away from Afghanistan after the Soviets were driven out. We refused to provide vital educational and developmental aid to the new government which eventually was replaced by the extremist Taliban.”
What?!?! I thought Reagan created Osama Bin Laden and the Taliban??!?!
Yeah I noticed the author’s failure to mention that Reagan played a part in the fall of the Soviet union.
Liberals are bi-polar, LOL.
Could be because the author, Martin Frost, was a Democrat congressman.
From what I understand he was a big time lib except on this issue. I dunno. It just seems like they’re trying to give credit for the defeat of the Soviet Empire to a lib instead of Ronald Reagan.
I believe the author keeps a proper perspective. You don't have to kiss the ring to be accurate on this point.
“Liberals are bi-polar, LOL.”
And love to make their points completely out of historical context. Examples...
“The US nuked Japan when it didn’t have to...”
“Reagan armed Saddam and Osama...”
etc...
This is the first time I’m hearing about this movie.
With Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts, I’m not optimistic about the honesty of the portrayal however.
This is the first time I’m hearing about this movie.
With Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts, I’m not optimistic about the honesty of the portrayal however.
Yeah. LOL!
History is fun when you’re a part of it I think. lol As long as you’re not History!
I find it interesting that the article doesn’t mention whether Wilson was a Democrat or Republican. If he’s an R, the party needs to be downplayed, since there are no Republican heroes according to Hollywood. If he’s a D, Hollywood has a dilemma on its hands, since no Democrat today would secretly help what were at the time “freedom fighters” (although it was assistance to Osama bin Laden, oh the irony!)
he was a Democrat before the libs took the party over
I’m gonna go see it. I was at the White House in those days, and saw a lot of crap going on that was not interesting then, but certainly is NOW. lol
He was a Democrat.
That’s becasue the author is that commie Martin Frost.
There are no Democrats like that today! Joe Lieberman has left the building.
Further, I wonder which party was against aid to Afghanistan. Anyone? Anyone?
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