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We must not " just surrender to those who are turning America into a militaristic state," Hightower writes. (Photo: Kenny Holston 21/Flickr)
Operation Endless War: How Long Must US Troops Stay in Afghanistan?
Only a few months ago, President Barack Obama announced the good news that our combat role in Afghanistan -- the longest war in U.S. history -- would finally end by New Year's Day.
Put away that champagne.
A flock of screeching war hawks brought heavy political pressure on Obama to reverse himself. So our troops will stay in that war-ravaged, corrupt, bankrupted, ethnically divided country for at least another year or two.
Dec 06, 2014
Only a few months ago, President Barack Obama announced the good news that our combat role in Afghanistan -- the longest war in U.S. history -- would finally end by New Year's Day.
Put away that champagne.
A flock of screeching war hawks brought heavy political pressure on Obama to reverse himself. So our troops will stay in that war-ravaged, corrupt, bankrupted, ethnically divided country for at least another year or two.
Amazingly, the hawks argued that Obama shouldn't "rush" the timeline for training Afghan security forces to defend their own country.
Rush? Hello: IT'S BEEN 13 YEARS!
"Operation Enduring Freedom," as the government originally dubbed this mess of a military mission, should be renamed "Operation Endless War."
Here we go again -- not merely conducting training exercises, but continuing to mire our courageous but overstretched military forces in the Afghans' civil war, including using U.S. ground troops in combat missions against the Afghan Taliban.
How many more Americans will die or be horribly maimed in that hapless land? How many more billions of our tax dollars will be dumped into Afghanistan's abyss? And why?
Why are we there? Why are we wasting so many lives and so much of the money we desperately need here at home?
And why are We the People not consulted on such a massive and momentous decision?
It's reported that the Pentagon not only wants to keep troops there through 2016, but beyond. How many troops? What are they to achieve? That's a secret.
When Obama announced last May that the United States would have no combat role in Afghanistan after this year, he said, "It's harder to end wars than to start them."
True, but that doesn't mean we can just surrender to those who are turning America into a militaristic state. If Obama won't fight them, we must. To help, go to www.peace-action.org.
An Unconstitutional Rampage
Trump and Musk are on an unconstitutional rampage, aiming for virtually every corner of the federal government. These two right-wing billionaires are targeting nurses, scientists, teachers, daycare providers, judges, veterans, air traffic controllers, and nuclear safety inspectors. No one is safe. The food stamps program, Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid are next. It’s an unprecedented disaster and a five-alarm fire, but there will be a reckoning. The people did not vote for this. The American people do not want this dystopian hellscape that hides behind claims of “efficiency.” Still, in reality, it is all a giveaway to corporate interests and the libertarian dreams of far-right oligarchs like Musk. Common Dreams is playing a vital role by reporting day and night on this orgy of corruption and greed, as well as what everyday people can do to organize and fight back. As a people-powered nonprofit news outlet, we cover issues the corporate media never will, but we can only continue with our readers’ support. |
This column was distributed by OtherWords.
Jim Hightower
Jim Hightower is a national radio commentator, writer, public speaker, and author of the books "Swim Against The Current: Even A Dead Fish Can Go With The Flow" (2008) and "There's Nothing in the Middle of the Road But Yellow Stripes and Dead Armadillos: A Work of Political Subversion" (1998). Hightower has spent three decades battling the Powers That Be on behalf of the Powers That Ought To Be - consumers, working families, environmentalists, small businesses, and just-plain-folks.
Only a few months ago, President Barack Obama announced the good news that our combat role in Afghanistan -- the longest war in U.S. history -- would finally end by New Year's Day.
Put away that champagne.
A flock of screeching war hawks brought heavy political pressure on Obama to reverse himself. So our troops will stay in that war-ravaged, corrupt, bankrupted, ethnically divided country for at least another year or two.
Amazingly, the hawks argued that Obama shouldn't "rush" the timeline for training Afghan security forces to defend their own country.
Rush? Hello: IT'S BEEN 13 YEARS!
"Operation Enduring Freedom," as the government originally dubbed this mess of a military mission, should be renamed "Operation Endless War."
Here we go again -- not merely conducting training exercises, but continuing to mire our courageous but overstretched military forces in the Afghans' civil war, including using U.S. ground troops in combat missions against the Afghan Taliban.
How many more Americans will die or be horribly maimed in that hapless land? How many more billions of our tax dollars will be dumped into Afghanistan's abyss? And why?
Why are we there? Why are we wasting so many lives and so much of the money we desperately need here at home?
And why are We the People not consulted on such a massive and momentous decision?
It's reported that the Pentagon not only wants to keep troops there through 2016, but beyond. How many troops? What are they to achieve? That's a secret.
When Obama announced last May that the United States would have no combat role in Afghanistan after this year, he said, "It's harder to end wars than to start them."
True, but that doesn't mean we can just surrender to those who are turning America into a militaristic state. If Obama won't fight them, we must. To help, go to www.peace-action.org.
Jim Hightower
Jim Hightower is a national radio commentator, writer, public speaker, and author of the books "Swim Against The Current: Even A Dead Fish Can Go With The Flow" (2008) and "There's Nothing in the Middle of the Road But Yellow Stripes and Dead Armadillos: A Work of Political Subversion" (1998). Hightower has spent three decades battling the Powers That Be on behalf of the Powers That Ought To Be - consumers, working families, environmentalists, small businesses, and just-plain-folks.
Only a few months ago, President Barack Obama announced the good news that our combat role in Afghanistan -- the longest war in U.S. history -- would finally end by New Year's Day.
Put away that champagne.
A flock of screeching war hawks brought heavy political pressure on Obama to reverse himself. So our troops will stay in that war-ravaged, corrupt, bankrupted, ethnically divided country for at least another year or two.
Amazingly, the hawks argued that Obama shouldn't "rush" the timeline for training Afghan security forces to defend their own country.
Rush? Hello: IT'S BEEN 13 YEARS!
"Operation Enduring Freedom," as the government originally dubbed this mess of a military mission, should be renamed "Operation Endless War."
Here we go again -- not merely conducting training exercises, but continuing to mire our courageous but overstretched military forces in the Afghans' civil war, including using U.S. ground troops in combat missions against the Afghan Taliban.
How many more Americans will die or be horribly maimed in that hapless land? How many more billions of our tax dollars will be dumped into Afghanistan's abyss? And why?
Why are we there? Why are we wasting so many lives and so much of the money we desperately need here at home?
And why are We the People not consulted on such a massive and momentous decision?
It's reported that the Pentagon not only wants to keep troops there through 2016, but beyond. How many troops? What are they to achieve? That's a secret.
When Obama announced last May that the United States would have no combat role in Afghanistan after this year, he said, "It's harder to end wars than to start them."
True, but that doesn't mean we can just surrender to those who are turning America into a militaristic state. If Obama won't fight them, we must. To help, go to www.peace-action.org.
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