It’s amazing to me how short-term memory loss effects otherwise intelligent people.  As the rhetoric over troop levels in Afghanistan ratchets up even higher, can I remind my Obama-hating friends of something?  The President has already sent more troops to Afghanistan this year!!

That’s right!  I know, it seems like ancient history – but it’s TRUE!  Back in February, listening to the advice of his Generals, our President approved 17,000 more troops for deployment to Afghanistan.  That approval increased the number of troops in Afghanistan by 30%!

If the President decides to deploy an additional 40,000 troops  – that will be a 100% increase in current troop levels!  100%!!!  Where are these troops supposed to come from?  Do we intend on drafting them?  If we send them – then what’s their mission?  How long do you need them?  When will they come home?

So, what has this dramatic surge bought us from our Afghani allies?  A stolen election, increased government corruption, and more attacks by the Taliban and Al Qaeda on American personnel and Afghan civilians.

Quick history lesson folks.  When the Soviet Union went to war in Afghanistan, they did it to support the corrupt and weak central government that was their ally.  Despite billions of dollars in aid – the corruption and incompetence of the government at the time was unable to defend itself or it’s people from an insurgency amongst it’s people.

The Soviets initially invaded with about 40,000 troops – which is more than 4 times the amount the US used during our initial assault.  Very quickly, those troop levels rose to over 120,000!  After 7 years of fighting with over 120,000 troops on the ground – the Soviets had to leave.  Not because they were defeated militarily – but because THEY WERE BROKE!!  They could no longer afford a war for a weak central government that was too corrupt and incompetent to stand on it’s own!!

More troops in Afghanistan without a reliable government in place is a proven recipe for disaster.  A disaster that America cannot afford.  We cannot just bomb and kill our way to safety in that country.  We have to take the same steps we took in Iraq.  Work with the people so they can run their own country effectively through a coalition government that most of the country can believe in!!

If Afghanistan has no reliable government in place – and all we do is kill everyone that disagrees with us – we’ll wind up right where the Soviets did.  Back home, with no money, and little to show for all our hard work and sacrifice.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, October 20th, 2009 at 3:38 PM and is filed under Daily Slanted Rants!!!, Featured Writers!!, The 'Real Deal'! by J. Osborn. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.