Afghanistan WILL Be Obama's Vietnam if He Doesn't Do This Right
The parallels between the American experience in Vietnam in the 60's and our experience today in Afghanistan are myriad and chilling. One similarity I don't see many people writing about is the fact that in both countries, other Western nations before us had tried to intervene in what is essentially a local affair and been soundly whipped and sent home without supper. Or in the case of Afghanistan and the old Soviet Union, without much of anything left. There is little doubt that the Soviet Union's loss of the Cold War (if indeed that is an accurate characterization of what happened) led directly and swiftly to the bankruptcy of the country, its breakup and its current standing as a barely second-rate power on the world stage. When we decided to venture into Vietnam, we ignored the fact that the French had been there for years and made essentially zero progress. They were forced out less than a decade before we decided we knew better and could do it better. We all know how that came out. Afghanistan bankrupted a major world power. Many of the strategies they used in this barren and backward land were similar if not identical to those we are now attempting, presumably in the mistaken belief that we know better or can do it better. Many commentators have pointed out that Afghanistan may become Barack Obama's Vietnam. If he announces this evening -- as he is widely expected to do -- that he is ordering another 30,000 troops into that nation, it won't matter how he couches the so-called "surge". He can claim he's got a target deadline for withdrawal. He can argue all he wants about what would happen if we were to precipitously withdraw. But he can't ignore the historical truth that nobody has been able to sort out the problems in Afghanistan at any cost. We won't either. It is time for American arrogance to be shelved. End the Afghanistan misadventure now, Mr. President. Please. Before any more of our precious youth blood is spilled in a war that will at best be fought to a draw a decade and thousands of deaths from now. Listen to your conscience rather than your political advisers, I beg you.
