Saturday, October 22, 2011

Investment in Afghanistan

This is a question of the tactical vs the strategic.  This is a report from Michael Yon on Women (and little girls) in the relatively peaceful Southwest corner of Afghanistan.

It is also a question of how we want our foreign policy executed and what we want to achieve.

Regards  —  Cliff

1 comment:

  1. Soooooo.....why are we wasting our tax dollars on failed strategies when we could be spending relatively small change that would effect quantum change in the region. Why do we insist on blowing up entire villages in order to kill two radical nutcases? Would it not be better to have their own villagers throw them out. WE are the outsiders.....and WE are the invaders. We validate our enemy's argument regarding our purpose. We are the overbearing idiots who turn peaceful farmers into guerrillas....

    The men who initiated and perpetuated "conflicts" such as VietNam, Iraq one and two, and arguably, even Bosnia should be tried for capital murder for all lives their elitist, academic notions have cost.

    Sometimes war is necessary and the whole goal of it is to conduct with such violence that it ends quickly and with a minimum loss of life necessary to bring about capitulation. In other words....fast and furious and then go about peace.

    Instead, our "smart" people have led us into multiple long term conflicts that have no tangible goal or end in sight. Making the world safe for democracy lost its allure decades ago. Defeating oppression and tyranny sort of loses its motivating power when we are oppressive and tyrannical on a scale worse than the "bad" guys. If some overbearing bunch of strangers wandered into my neighborhood and announced that I couldn't move about freely, went about digging up my yard for gun emplacements, started exchanging rounds with other people...and killing my dog, or my goats, or my children......I'd pick up the closest weapon I could find and dedicate myself to a them or me removal project.

    That we are in Afghanistan today doing what we are doing is simply, profoundly, and abomination...or an obamanation...and a national shame. We are mortgaging our grandchildren's children's future in order to "secure" tiny pieces of real estate....and then fight to hang on to it. How incredibly stupid is that? Wouldn't it be better to simply aid and abet a better life for the little people...maybe some cloth and some scissors.....and a market?

    There is absolutely NO viable argument for remaining in Afghanistan militarily....or for going there to begin with.

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