timschochet
Footballguy
President Obama announced this morning that the war in Afghanistan will continue past his Presidency. This represents one of Obama's worst failures, in that it was his goal beginning in 2009 to end the war. He has managed a draw down of troops: currently we have 9,800 service people over there, but that number will not decrease. Obama pledged to continue his two goals: to train the Afghan government and troops to defend themselves, and to destroy al-Qaeda.
Both goals may be impossible. Ever since 2002 we have been pledging to train the Afghan troops. If after 13 years they're not trained well enough to defend themselves by now, will they ever be? The fact is we all know this a corrupt government much like South Vietnam that is going to collapse the moment we leave.
As for al-Qaeda, we've been trying to destroy them for 13 years as well. Both they and the Taliban escape into caves on the Pakistani border and we can't ever snuff them out. It's an endless cycle in which we're constantly claiming some small victory or another only to see them return like the mythological Hydra.
Obama is damned if he does, damned if he doesn't, of course. If we leave Afghanistan, within a very short period of time the Taliban will be back in power. If we don't leave, it's going to continue to cost us pointless American lives as well as monies we could certainly put to better use. We are not the first great power to face this hopeless situation in Afghanistan. Both Great Britain and Russia became embroiled in wars there they could not win and in the end had to leave having gained nothing and made the situation worse than it was before. It's a cesspool and always has been. I have no idea what the next President should do about this. Thoughts?
Both goals may be impossible. Ever since 2002 we have been pledging to train the Afghan troops. If after 13 years they're not trained well enough to defend themselves by now, will they ever be? The fact is we all know this a corrupt government much like South Vietnam that is going to collapse the moment we leave.
As for al-Qaeda, we've been trying to destroy them for 13 years as well. Both they and the Taliban escape into caves on the Pakistani border and we can't ever snuff them out. It's an endless cycle in which we're constantly claiming some small victory or another only to see them return like the mythological Hydra.
Obama is damned if he does, damned if he doesn't, of course. If we leave Afghanistan, within a very short period of time the Taliban will be back in power. If we don't leave, it's going to continue to cost us pointless American lives as well as monies we could certainly put to better use. We are not the first great power to face this hopeless situation in Afghanistan. Both Great Britain and Russia became embroiled in wars there they could not win and in the end had to leave having gained nothing and made the situation worse than it was before. It's a cesspool and always has been. I have no idea what the next President should do about this. Thoughts?
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