Loading ...It could be argued that the USSR’s involvement in Afghanistan was the beginning of the end of their empire. Will the United States involvement and continued troop deployment in Afghanistan be the end of our nation as well? Why do we refuse to learn from the mistakes of others? What is the benefit that the average US citizen receive from our continued occupation of Afghanistan?
President Barack Obama wants to increase troops in Afghanistan and has unveiled his plan to drop 30,000 more troops into the region. The Soviets could not prevail with more troops and none of the restraints that the liberals in this country place on our military. I also love how Obama used Iraq as a decoy for Afghanistan. His rob Peter to pay Paul tactics have fooled the liberals, but those of us that are not political robots know what he is doing. It is typical of the double-speak our politicians are so well versed in.
Austin
I think the Soviet analogy is a bit silly – the Soviets’ goals in Afghanistan and the Cold War framework in which their failure proved so damaging do not reflect the conditions under which we operate there, today.
Still, I think your broader point is largely sound. We should be preparing to pull out of Afghanistan, not preparing to send more troops. The cost of the war is huge, the actual damage it does to al-Qaeda right now is small, and the odds of our nation-building efforts actually proving successful are slim to none. It’s terribly unfortunate that Obama isn’t willing to stand up to the military brass and the pro-war right in this country and to draw down our troop levels there.
That being said, I think it’s telling that Obama and “the liberals” are the ones you decide to single out for criticism. Obviously, this was ultimately Obama’s choice, and he deserves a good part of the blame. But conservatives have been the ones arguing that Obama is some sort of dangerous, anti-American waffler for not promptly sending the (even larger number of) troops that his military leaders requested. I suspect that Obama’s pledge to begin troop reductions in 18 months will earn similar attacks from the right.
Meanwhile, liberals have been the primary voice questioning the continued war effort, looking skeptically at the huge sums of money that the war wastes, and arguing for a foreign policy centered on America’s national interests, rather than gung-ho military action. Certainly, party lines on the war have been blurred some since Bush left office, but, on the whole, it’s been people to the left – Obama’s left, mind you – that have been most vocal in opposing it. If conservatives would line-up as firmly against the war in Afghanistan as liberals have, ending it would be a much simpler, political problem to solve.
And, yet, for some reason, it’s “the liberals” that you’re criticizing on this issue.
NS Allen, you have not been paying attention here at BCR. It has been conservatives questioning the war efforts by both Bush and Obama (please stop confusing conservatives with neocons).
And no, the analogy is a good one. The use of military force to support a ‘puppet’ government made in our image. That is what the Soviets attempted to do. Seeing as how I am writing a book on that very subject, you might want to head off to the library before asserting they are not the same.
A mission to hit and destroy our enemy and their infrastructure is not the same thing we are doing now. Now we are back to the ‘nation building’ game. The problem with the logic is that our enemy is not isolated to Afghanistan. It is in Pakistan, in Iran, in Iraq, in Egypt, in Syria, in Jordon, in Kuwait, in Lebanon, in Libya, in Sudan, in Russia, in the US…and on and on the list goes.
We understood that when the Soviets were there and used it against them. They lost and their country imploded because they were fighting something much bigger than Afghanistan but did not realize it. We did, supported it, and now it is biting us back.
Obama is sending 30,000 more troops after months of indecision. You don’t know our enemy and I assure you they are laughing at us right now and more confident than ever that Allah will once again bring victory their way. You should watch the video that Bledsoe and Ft. Hood shrink watched. You might learn something.
There is a difference between America and the USSR.
We have the Marines fighting for us. I have faith in them!
We will win.
I will support this surge just like I supported the one in Iraq when some of the elected Republicans and Democrats were against it for political purposes.
I was right back then and I’m right now.
I just hope that Obama lets our warriors win so they can all come home. The suggested time line is stupid but I can live with that for now.
Surge.
Crush.
Come home.
Jim, that is the mindset that will get our ass kicked. No offense. I’m not knocking our forces capabilities, just stating reality. The Islamic world sees us as invaders, and America is the enemy. We have no allies there. If you think Pakistan is on our side, then you are very much mistaken.
Kill the guys we went there to kill, then get the heck out. 30,000 more troops ain’t gonna mean anything.
Jim, if they were allowed to go in and crush them it would be different, but they are sent in with a leash. We have the Marines, but do they have the support they need? I am doubting that the support will ever be there for our troops to really ever do their job.