>I knew Obama was going to be just another Clinton, nice talk, no
>change. But I wasn't ready for what he is doing now. Do none of the
>people in the government read books, look through history and reflect
>on how these kinds of wars turn out? It's just delusional bullshit.
"When the only tool you have is a hammer, every problem begins to resemble a nail."
The US has an bloated military, so it is unsurprising that it sees the solution to the problems in Afghanistan as a military one.
Actually of course, the root of the problem is economic.
For instance, the main export of Afghanistan seems to be illegal opium. Which results in a totally corrupt government, not to mention an extensive and well financed Taliban.
Now the accepted solution is to suppress the production of opium poppies. To insist that farmers grow something else.
But why? Surely a more elegant solution would be to provide a legitimate outlet for the opium harvest? Set up opium processing factories to receive the harvest. Allow Afghanistan processors access to the the legitimate world opium market. Provide a few development grants to farmers to *increase* their yields.
Afghanistani farmers are already good at growing opium poppies. The country is poor and has very few export industries, so they aren't going to stop growing the stuff. The world pharmaceutical industry has a need for their product. It isn't rocket science, buy the stuff off them, fund a few processing factories which will provide more jobs in the countryside.
But oh no, they are expected to just stop growing what they can grow and what they can sell and eat dirt. As if that is going to work.
The point is, without a viable economy to sustain them, many people are going to be drawn to the traditional occupation of people in that situation. Warfare, banditry, etc. In other words, if they have nothing to sustain them at home, they'll try to improve their lot by invading their neighbors.
The solution in Afghanistan is economic development, not military suppression. But the US has a big military, so it can't see that, all it can see is people to fight and kill. Unfortunately, so long as there is no solution to the economic problem, there will be an endless supply of Afghanis willing to enlist in the fight against the invaders.
Come to think of it, maybe that's another potential export opportunity for Afghanistan. Military recruits. Western nations are having trouble recruiting their own people into the military, maybe they should open recruiting offices in the hills of Afghanistan? Again, something they seem to be good at...
Bill Bartlett Bracknell Tas