Should I stay or should I go? POLITICAL op/ed

[BrianSoddingBoru4]

Back to the OP

Every single news station is calling the American withdrawal botched, and most talking-heads are saying that the withdrawal was a mistake.  This includes MSNBC and CNN - and FOX is going nuts with glee at how terrible it is.

I actually think this is a test of leadership.  Yes, 70% of Americans don't want troops in Afghanistan, but 0% want what is happening right now.  That is where leadership comes in.  Sometimes you have to make decisions that don't follow the polls.  A strong leader can make that work if he/she is clear about why.

America has the choice to withdraw from the world, and let its enemies determine what the world is going to look like -- and a Taliban-led Afghanistan as friends to all its rivals and enemies is it.  They could've kept Afghanistan if the had left the logistical, maintenance and air support in place.  A few thousand troops.  Of course, government corruption is something they couldn't fix.

Logistically, there was going to come a time when the US had to withdraw from Afghanistan regardless. Had you withdrawn five years ago, the outcome would have been just what we’re seeing now. Had you withdrawn five years from now, ditto.

The whole ‘terrorist safe haven’ argument is true, but irrelevant - there are terrorist safe havens the world over, and the US staying in Afghanistan won’t alter that.

Boru