$170 billion/year on top of the $1 trillion/year we already spend to maintain our interventionist policy across the globe, and these are probably modest estimates - as they always are. This is not even to mention the number of lives lost on both sides, and civilians caught in the crossfire - of which there have been, and will continue to be, many. This is also not to mention the psychological and mental tribulations we put upon those who put their own lives and families second to the grandiose ambitions of whomever may be occupying the White House. Many of our troops are on their third and fourth tour, if not more, within a relatively short time span. Our actions in the Middle East have always been against the Constitution and contrary to the values, principles and ideals our nation was founded upon. Historically, foreign occupation of Afghan lands to fight an indistinguishable enemy which has no standing army, navy or airforce (and thus poses a relatively minuscule overall threat to a nation such as ours) is asking for defeat, as the Russians painfully discovered first-hand. And Taliban/AQ didn't have half the capability then as it does today. Our presence there increases the likelihood that another 9/11 will occur, as our intervention and occupation is one of the primary cited reasons that 9/11 was carried out to begin with. So again, we disregard history and ignore the idea of blowback. Additionally, without our presence over there, there would be no war between the US and Taliban/AQ. The 'war' we're fighting now requires us to be drawn into their home field on their terms, if we simply leave... the conflict will not be able to persist, as they can't so easily invade our lands as we have done to theirs. The idea that we can successfully end terrorism is nothing short of naive, and calling it naive is putting it rather nicely. Why don't we put and end to all crime, all poverty, all famine, all disease, all discrimination, all inequality, all killing, all bad weather and all obesity while we're at it. Furthermore, the only explanation for being over there, in Iraq and Afghan, is that we are preemptively responding to hypothetical "what if" scenarios. "What if" we leave and the AQ tries to reinvent another 9/11. "What if" we leave and the Middle East is 'lost' to the Taliban. Prudence and forethought is fine and good, but a line has to be drawn somewhere, as a "what if" foreign policy can lead to an infinite scenarios and possibilities. This "what if" precedent has already been set, and that scares me more so than any Taliban or AQ threat in the Middle East. As was said no one can clearly and definitely seem to define an end to any of this. It just keeps going on and on and on, and if there's no end in sight, if there's no definition to the end, how can we ever possibly hope to reach it? The entire situation is depressing to think about. Just a bunch of needless, unnecessary destruction and chaos. We might as well call it the 10th Crusade. There's no national pride, no necessity, no patriotism in this war. It will always be a shameful blemish on our national history. There will be no national holiday to celebrate what this war has brought us, because this war will bring us nothing of value... save perhaps a hard lesson learned, if we ever decide to open our eyes to it, but that seems about as likely as 'finishing the job' at this point.
We should buy their Hash, and we will then pay them the very fair price of up to one hundred fifty dollars a pound, for good black hash, with a markup of no more than 150 dollars more, to be sold in the United States for about three hundred dollars per lb. retail The stipulation on this deal is that there will be no Taliban or Al Quada involved with the hash business.
^Haha, perhaps the US wants to get rid of the Taliban and occupy Afghanistan and Iraq so that they can legalize marijuana and heroin, and introduce it into our commerce without fear of 'terrorists' trying to attack us for control of the drug trade?
You don't leave your toys sitting out when daddy gets home, and boys, daddys home and our toys havent been put away.