There is simply no plausible rationale or even an excuse anymore either militarily, economically, strategically for the United States of America to continue on one day longer in this war-without-end that once was Bush's War, but is now, sadly, President Obama's war. This mayhem has gone on and on for far too long. The promise of a scheduled pull-out should have been expedited, not delayed. Our troops are worn out and have sacrificed enough of their mental health, their blood, limbs and lives in a war that, as John Kerry initially said, should have been a police action. Instead we are still occupying a nation (I use that word "nation" loosely only for sake of geographically defining the quicksand in which our brave men and women in uniform are allowed to remain stuck) whose people do not want us there and whose corrupt leaders line their pockets with wasted American treasure as they mock our country openly.
Other nations, especially China, are building railroads, energy pipelines and mining for Afghan minerals and metals while our sons and daughters are in harm's way protecting their enterprises which have no financial benefit to the American people. To paraphrase an old song, they are getting the gold mine and we are getting the shaft.
Several years ago, former Secretary of State Hilary Clinton brazenly told Pakistani government officials to their faces that she couldn't believe that they did not know where Osama bin Laden was hiding. It turns out that they were indeed hiding the man that killed 3,000 Americans on September 11th in 2001 while the American taxpayers were pouring billions of dollars into the government of that "ally". And in the end, the capture of Osama bin Laden turned out to be exactly what our current Secretary of State had called for..."a "police action". Both the Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan were never necessary. Never.
Osama bin Laden attacked us and we invaded two nations -- that did not attack us -- and occupied them for years causing the deaths of millions and burdening our nation financially and in the end we wound up having to violate international law without the knowledge of our Pakistani "ally" and cross into their nation to bring that murderer to justice.
Trillions of dollars of staggering debt and bills to pay for these two wars now invoiced to the war-weary and jobless American people. And how are we asked to pay for those wars? Our fellow country men and women now are facing horrific cuts and "reforms" to their promised Medicare, Social Security, public education and more. Our nation's infrastructure is crumbling in front of our very eyes from our electrical grids and harbors to our bridges, roads and freeways. We all know this. And we are too god-damned silent about it. Rebuilding that infrastructure here at home would create millions of direct and indirect jobs. Again, right here at home where charity should begin.
Across the country our mayors and city councils are cutting and cutting back on vital services, laying off workers and even going bankrupt while we are continue with idiotic war that we can not afford! Listen to my former Los Angeles Mayor Anthony Villa Vallaraigosa:
"How did we get to a deficit and a debt larger than at any time not only in U.S. history but in human history? We got involved in two wars that, no matter what you think about those wars, we haven't paid for...That we would build bridges in Baghdad and Kandahar and not Baltimore and Kansas City, absolutely boggles the mind."
Enough is enough. We as a People must raise our voices and end this god-damned war and bring our troops home to their families because if we don't this shit is just never going to end.
There is a time and place for use of our military. President Bill Clinton used it in the Balkans to stop genocide. I believe he should have used it in Rwanda to prevent another genocide. And while some may argue about our recent limited use of the military in Libya, everyone should be glad we did not wind up occupying that nation, too.
But Afghanistan? It's almost 2014. Some of the babies that were born at the beginning of that war are actually entering high school! This is simply madness.
President Obama, it's time to lead. You alone -- not the Generals, not defense contractors, not our corrupt allies -- are the Commander and Chief. Prepare your speech now and get on national television and declare to the American People before Thanksgiving that you will be ordering a speedy end of the War in Afghanistan and you will bring our sons and daughters home.
