We will never win in Afghanistan!

[trumad]

There will be no worse before it gets better. The corruption, the Taliban, --- there is simply no way to stabilize that country long term.

[quaker bill]

1. There hasn't been for 1000 years.

They must define "victory" in that context.

[unhappycamper]

2. There is a good reason Afghanistan is called "The Graveyard of Empires".

Too bad we can't declare "Victory!" and bring them home.

[lunatica]

3. Afghanistan is a lot like OWS. No central leadership

It's tribal all the way, with tribal customs and fierce loyalty to their own people. Our military really don't have a simple target or organization to take over. There's no place or person they can defeat or occupy and say they've won. It's a whack a mole war, or to make the analogy very simple, it's like trying to hold sand in your hand.

[trumad]

4. and throw in the amazing amount of corruption.

[Jnana]

5. Afghanistan was a violent and corrupt region when Marco Polo traveled the Silk Road.

And it is as corrupt today, as it was then--it's their way of life.

[madokie]

6. There is no win to be had

what we're doing there is as wrong as wrong it gets

rec

[NNN0LHI]

7. Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor? Hell no!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V8lT1o0sDwI

:freak:

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

8. Unfortunately, our polticians and generals lack the courage to admit they lost.

So, they will keep killing and feeding cannon-fodder into the abyss to save face.

[Courtesy Flush]

9. We haven't won a war in 60 years

Why start now?

[Aerows]

10. Afghanistan is the Graveyard of Empires

Alexander the Great lost there, the British lost there, the Soviets lost there, and there are probably several others that lost there that I'm forgetting about.

What is there to win there? What are our goals? As you say, if the goal is to stabilize the country, we might as well leave now. They are the only people that can stabilize their country, and frankly, history really isn't on the side of that happening any time soon.

[Kurmudgeon]

11. We've already won in Afghanistan, long ago. It's just not worth occupying.

And we wouldn't have even been there if Dubya hadn't needed an excuse to invade in the Middle East.
However, they did harbor Bin Laden and Al Qaeda, leaving too quickly would also be a mistake.