Afghanistan and Vietnam: Sorry Wars

"We will continue to face huge challenges in Afghanistan, but it's important that the American people know that we are making progress and we are focused on goals that are clear and achievable." The President


What American people is he talking about? I would say, "the American people who care." Here's one who cares and I trust his comments.

I've been to Afghanistan more than 35 times; mostly in secure areas but on the borders a few times. It is all tribal in the worst sense of the word. 85% can't even read or write. However, we have done more for women in these years than ever before and from what I understand, except for the Taliban, the fathers in the villages want their daughters to be educated. If we stay it will be a 25 year odyssey, a generation of struggle. The whole country and Pakistan too in these areas lives in the 10th century.

The latest "Time" is pretty dismal about the prospects for women in Afghanistan if we leave. I don't think we should leave,relatively speaking, just get the conventional forces out of there. Leave Special Ops. We've got drones, protect the population centers and just keep fighting the Taliban. And give the women a chance.

I doubt it can happen because our political system won't allow it. Think Vietnam. In Vietnam, the South at least had the semblance of a legitimate democratic government. But , we couldn't see it through and who knows, as it has worked out, maybe the best thing. I don't see that in Afghanistan. For instance, in Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh only had nationalism as his goal. In Afghanistan, we don't know what the hell is Karzai's agenda, his brother, tribes, clans: who is on who's side. It is a colossal mess as we have tried to make sense of it. We can't!

At the very least we ought to allow for a very liberal immigration program for women. The picture of the 18 year old on the cover of Time is pretty disturbing. To give the country back to a ruthless, ignorant bunch of fanatics mired in the 15th Century or earlier, is unthinkable. And, now we have had 10 Aid Workers killed by the Taliban. We don't know the circumstances yet but whatever they are, such a loss.