This Time We Really Mean It

Military force alone can provide limited benefits and we have long since received those benefits. Now we are just paying the cost in blood and money. Friedman is right that supporting Afghanistan's development is a better way to win hearts and minds than by continuing to kill people. People appreciate jobs, schools, medical clinics and hospitals. Time to switch our strategies and start bringing the troop home now. The savings can be shared between development projects in both Afghanistan and here in the US, where countless Americans can't get jobs.

The GOP wants disaster.

If we bring the troops home, the programs will not be funded. As long as they are there, they will be supported. People here will have some jobs. There will be money to do humanitarian projects there. The troops can hide in "enclaves".

Another year and defeat for the GOP in the next election does not seem to me too high a price to pay to avoid disaster here and there. Then we can hang the bastards out to dry. Tar was used to slow the process.

Mine fields protecting schools. What a terrible idea.