Can ANYONE please tell me why the US is in Afghanistan? Why are we trying to change a bunch of Islamic religious fanatics that hate us. Is it to prevent the planning of terrorist attacks in the US? The 9/11 perps met in a Florida motel. By some estimates, the US has spent 4 TRILLION in the region (5 TRILLION with the interest) in the past 10 years, for what? Supposedly, there are 50~75 Al-Qaeda suspects left in Afghanistan and we are spending billions chasing them. Most of all, 1800 American lives have been lost, for what? Are we trying to gain equal rights for Islamic women? I don't think ONE American life is worth Muslim women not having to cover their faces. I hate to be cynical but which politicians (and friends) are making money off the American presence there? What do we get if we "win the war" in Afghanistan? High score on the pinball machine? They don't even have oil. Seriously, I don't understand ????
Oh this discussion should bring lots of opinions. Should be interesting. Just to be clear, do you think we should have gone in there at all?
opinion As bad as we are at controlling our own borders, controlling or lack of controlling immigration, I feel we should stay out of other countries. We looked Bin Laden and he ended up in Pakistan, shame on them, cut off Pakistan's aid. Bring that money home and pay the armed forces to control our borders. Just saying.
I think the real question should be "Why are we still in Afghanistan?" After 9/11 we had a right to go after our attackers. We should have done that and only that, but we got distracted and now a decade-plus on we're in the nation-building business, borrowing money from China to build roads and schools for people that don't want us there in the first place.
Point taken- sorry! I didn't look at the forum before I posted. ...Of course, one could make the point that this isn't a political issue as it effects all of us directly -financially, morally or emotionally, but I think you're probably right.
Apology not necessary, but accepted anyways It may not have been intended as political.. but history on this forum dictates that this is where it will end up going. :jester:
I think we should have been in Afghanistan after 9-11, until we killed Osama Bin Laden. Now it is time to come home. I personally think we are still there because it is a strategic location to have access to as China continues to get more powerful and more threatening. So I think we will maintain a presence there permanently. My 2 cents. Not worth much.
