My larval brain was ostensibly conservative, and then as a college sophomore I watched George W. declare war on Iraq and I was like what does Iraq have to do with anything? Looking back it would have been helpful to realize that liberal and conservative were about to try on some bizarre new outfits.
I don't disagree necessarily with leaving Afghanistan--based on his vocal opinions dating back to his vice presidency, this is on brand and I can appreciate that--but I'm having a really hard time accepting the outrageous lack of concern for the thousands of people promised visas and left to their fate. That's a disgrace crossing four administrations.
It’s sad, but the only way to really help people living under an oppressive regime is to let them come here. And of course that’s one of our biggest failures.
I agree that "I came, I solved, I left" is a dead doctrine. But if we had a chance to extend the humanitarian benefits you cite, I might be in favor of keeping Afghanistan on life support indefinitely if the cost were reasonable. Whether the project could be sold to American voters is another matter.
It is my humble opinion that the US should have butted out of the first WW, and let the dumbass monarchies in Europe (fine, France too) beat each other into an exhausted pulp and then figure out what borders and political arrangements they could live with. They would have all continued hating each other for a while more and then settled back into a new equilibrium, but with six million more Jews alive and kicking.
We're still paying for the f**k-ups of the aftermath of WW1. WW2 was the first installment as Germany exacted brutal vengeance for the humiliations of Versailles. The Gulf Wars, Afghanistan, Libya, Syria, Al-Qaeda and ISIS etc. are the ongoing second installment as the Middle East violently re-draws borders and re-makes political arrangements imposed on them by the British FCO/Churchill, Clemenceau and Wilson.
My larval brain was ostensibly conservative, and then as a college sophomore I watched George W. declare war on Iraq and I was like what does Iraq have to do with anything? Looking back it would have been helpful to realize that liberal and conservative were about to try on some bizarre new outfits.
I don't disagree necessarily with leaving Afghanistan--based on his vocal opinions dating back to his vice presidency, this is on brand and I can appreciate that--but I'm having a really hard time accepting the outrageous lack of concern for the thousands of people promised visas and left to their fate. That's a disgrace crossing four administrations.
We need to make the serenity prayer a national mantra (though perhaps without the "God" part):
God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
courage to change the things I can,
and wisdom to know the difference.
It’s sad, but the only way to really help people living under an oppressive regime is to let them come here. And of course that’s one of our biggest failures.
We built an army
They turned tail and ran.
Now all their weapons
Are with the Taliban.
--Burma (un)Shave(n)
I agree that "I came, I solved, I left" is a dead doctrine. But if we had a chance to extend the humanitarian benefits you cite, I might be in favor of keeping Afghanistan on life support indefinitely if the cost were reasonable. Whether the project could be sold to American voters is another matter.
It is my humble opinion that the US should have butted out of the first WW, and let the dumbass monarchies in Europe (fine, France too) beat each other into an exhausted pulp and then figure out what borders and political arrangements they could live with. They would have all continued hating each other for a while more and then settled back into a new equilibrium, but with six million more Jews alive and kicking.
We're still paying for the f**k-ups of the aftermath of WW1. WW2 was the first installment as Germany exacted brutal vengeance for the humiliations of Versailles. The Gulf Wars, Afghanistan, Libya, Syria, Al-Qaeda and ISIS etc. are the ongoing second installment as the Middle East violently re-draws borders and re-makes political arrangements imposed on them by the British FCO/Churchill, Clemenceau and Wilson.