So, 20 years have passed and now we watch the last days of America's Longest War in living color. Many so-called Allies will watch in amusement as the most powerful country on the globe extracts itself from the swamp of Afghanistan which consumed almost a trillion dollars over those 20 years of occupation. Reminds historians of Vietnam; and a few will recall Korea(but we are still in Korea).
Pundits will have lots to scribble about. The Pentagon thinkers will have to find another "worthwhile" situation to send in the troops. Where next time? Hmmmmm. Could it be in the Western Hemisphere? Latin America? Cuba? Venezuela? The Middle East is currently verbotim. Who in their right mind wouod even mention the Middle East. Enough, already.
Sentiment will run strongly for the members of the American military who served in Afghanistan: they did their American best as they were trained to do. The pols and the ranking leaders in the Pentagon failed them miserably. Just imagine: you are ordered into a foreign country with some type of mission, maybe a bit ill defined. You are rotated out in 7 months, sent home for a year and then sent back again. Repeat. Is this a strategy or a nightmare without end? Will someone take over the leadership of the vast military/industrial complex so that we don't waste the lives of our young men and women on misadventures across the globe? What can we learn this time?
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