Neocons and Corruption Of Washington Keep Us In Afghanistan

[anatta]

https://www.realclearpolitics.com/vi...ghanistan.html
American troops are still dying in Afghanistan, they have been dying in Afghanistan for 19 years. Billions are still being spent there every year by the U.S. Congress. It seems like ancient history but if you can remember back in 2012, Vice President Joe Biden, we are leaving in 2014, period. But they didn't leave, and that was six years ago. The war continues because Washington demands that it continue.

Two weeks ago, citing anonymous reports from unnamed intelligence officials, "The New York Times" claimed that Russian agents had offered bounties to Afghan militants to kill U.S. soldiers -- what they do anyway.
If that sounds familiar, it is because it is. It's the same strategy "The New York Times" used to lie us into the Iraq war 17 years ago.
And like in 2003, Congress is mindlessly going along. Both Republicans and Democrats, fools, all of them, on the House Armed Services Committee have packed a new amendment into the Defense Authorization Bill to make it far harder for the president to bring American troops home permanently from Afghanistan.
Maybe his most consistent policy position. End the war of it in Afghanistan, but he can't because his generals and fools in Congress. Why is that? No one we know has spent more time in the country and knows it better than Erik Prince. He's chairman of the Frontier Resource Group.

It seems like the president has been thwarted once again, I'm not even keeping count but the number of times he's tried to accelerate troop withdrawal but he's been stopped by Permanent Washington, what's happening here?

ERIK PRINCE: He keeps going to the same people who give the same advice, it is a circular loop for 19 years. We've gone through 32 troop rotations now, so there is no continuity and no plan. All Washington can do is spend more money and more troops.

His first national security team actually wanted to send at 70,000 more troops to Afghanistan.
He's been trying to go the other way. Sadly, the public advice I offered the president in 2017 still applies, there is a way to rationalize U.S. presence there. If the U.S. pulls out everything completely, the Afghan government and security forces will collapse and it will be a true terrorist state at that point.

Letting veterans go back in and contract to the Afghan government and provide them the essentials that they need at a fraction of the cost and a fraction of the numbers there now. W

[anatta]

Two weeks ago, citing anonymous reports from unnamed intelligence officials, "The New York Times" claimed that Russian agents had offered bounties to Afghan militants to kill U.S. soldiers -- what they do anyway.
If that sounds familiar, it is because it is. It's the same strategy "The New York Times" used to lie us into the Iraq war 17 years ago.
And like in 2003, Congress is mindlessly going along. Both Republicans and Democrats, fools, all of them, on the House Armed Services Committee have packed a new amendment into the Defense Authorization Bill to make it far harder for the president to bring American troops home permanently from Afghanistan.

[anatta]

Perpetual war -same as Syria

[Nordberg]

Look at the Military/Industrial complex for war. There are companies making billions off war. Eisenhower told us about it in his farewell address. It was prophetic. Smedley Butler wrote a book in the 30s about the business of war. Wars are about money. It used to be about resources, but war is very profitable for some companies.

[anatta]

Look at the Military/Industrial complex for war. There are companies making billions off war. Eisenhower told us about it in his farewell address. It was prophetic. Smedley Butler wrote a book in the 30s about the business of war. Wars are about money. It used to be about resources, but war is very profitable for some companies.

true enough.
but that's not what is happening. Russiaphobia is driving our inability to leave AfPak