Permanent War
President Obama is sending 30,000 more troops to Afghanistan, with the intention of withdrawing them, or some of them, in eighteen months. That should give time to train the Afghans to look after themselves, right? Oh, sure. Haven't we heard this one before, both for that country and Iraq? In all the annals of wishful thinking, this one takes the cake. Time and again we've heard of these efforts coming to naught, either because of desertion or the "trained" troops going over to the enemy.
The Taliban are laughing at all this; they don't go by the same time line. Eighteen months is nothing to them; they think in much longer terms. Eighteen months or ten years, they'll still be there. Meanwhile they claim to have a larger target at which to shoot.
All this is a prescription for permanent war. For those of you with a cynical inclination, this is just what both sides want. It sits well with the Taliban and al-Qaeda fanatics, and it's just what is needed for the American economy, which is predicated on the arms industry, without which there could be an economic collapse. Many a congressman is in thrall to the arms industry, and many a community would face high unemployment if these industries were in decline. Their congressmen would be hard put to hang on to their votes.
The U.S. has maintained a war economy since WW2. The Commie menace kept it going until 1990, at which time Saddam and all the bad guys in that part of the world took over.
Will this be Obama's undoing, as Viet Nam was for Lyndon Johnson? It could very well be. We hope not, but we're pessimistic.
Poor planet.
The Taliban are laughing at all this; they don't go by the same time line. Eighteen months is nothing to them; they think in much longer terms. Eighteen months or ten years, they'll still be there. Meanwhile they claim to have a larger target at which to shoot.
All this is a prescription for permanent war. For those of you with a cynical inclination, this is just what both sides want. It sits well with the Taliban and al-Qaeda fanatics, and it's just what is needed for the American economy, which is predicated on the arms industry, without which there could be an economic collapse. Many a congressman is in thrall to the arms industry, and many a community would face high unemployment if these industries were in decline. Their congressmen would be hard put to hang on to their votes.
The U.S. has maintained a war economy since WW2. The Commie menace kept it going until 1990, at which time Saddam and all the bad guys in that part of the world took over.
Will this be Obama's undoing, as Viet Nam was for Lyndon Johnson? It could very well be. We hope not, but we're pessimistic.
Poor planet.
posted by puzzled @ 11:22 AM
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