1, 2, 3 What Are We Fighting For

Unrepresentative Policy of the Week: Ending Forever Wars

With stunning rapidity, mere days after US armed forces withdrawal from Afghanistan, the Taliban have completely retaken control of Afghanistan, including its capital, Kabul. Twenty years of US military occupation and supposed “democracy building,” trillions of dollars in treasure spent, and nearly 200,000 total people killed, what was it for again?

No answer could ever really satisfy such a toll, something that the American people have long believed about America’s involvement in Afghanistan and all our forever wars.

Do you support or oppose the decision to withdraw US combat forces from Afghanistan by September 11th, 2021?

SupportOppose Overall 70%- 29%

Republican. 56%-43%

Democrat. 77%-22%

Independent 73%-26%

Quinnipiac found 62% support, and a

Yougov/Economist poll showed 58% supported withdrawal.

So Biden’s withdrawal from Afghanistan is a rare moment of a political leader either listening to, or in alignment with the desires of the people. We at DSOT must give Biden credit for following through on this promise, something which seemed far-fetched even a few months ago, especially given his long history in politics supporting and shepherding some of these very conflicts.

Still this was hardly a well-executed troop withdrawal. Biden seems to have foolishly believed both the corrupt Afghani government’s assurances, and awful analysis from his own intelligence agencies, that the Taliban would not immediately retake the country. A Taliban takeover was, of course, inevitable, whether we stayed 20 more days or 20 more years, but better planning could have saved more lives.

Most notably, this withdrawal has once again shown that America does not value the lives of its allies living in these conflict areas. Harrowing videos show desperate attempts of Afghanis to flee the encroaching violence and terror, as the last American planes fly away. Throughout all of these forever wars, our country has consistently ignored the danger these people place themselves in to help us, and left them to terrible fates at the hand of vengeful militants. This time is no different. Perhaps it should come as not surprise from a country that won’t take care of its own soldiers after the war is over, or their own people in a pandemic.

If this entire travesty shows anything, it is certainly that America, cannot bring democracy, or human rights and dignity to a country or a people at the end of a barrel of a gun. Afghanistan, has long been known as the graveyard of empires, let us hope Biden’s withdrawal marks the beginning of the end of America’s Imperial ambitions.

The immediate and vociferous backlash to Biden’s winding down of the war in Afghanistan shows how difficult killing those ambitions will be. The military industrial complex, through its mouthpieces in Congress and the media has harshly criticized Biden for his troop withdrawal. So far Biden has defended his decision, but unless Americans make it clear they support his decision to end these forever wars, this may only be a brief respite before we squander yet another generation for the obscene profits of a few in more endless, pointless conflict. The MIC beyond other industries truly values profits over people. In order to end America’s forever wars once and for all, it’s going to take economic as well as political power! So join us each week, as we build that economic cudgel, and don’t shop on Tuesday! Together we can create a world where America works to cultivate, not dominate the rest of the world!

#DSOT