Guest Post by Rand Paul
The Trump administration is increasing the number of troops in Afghanistan and, by doing so, keeping us involved even longer in a 16-year-old war that has long since gone past its time.
The mission in Afghanistan has lost its purpose, and I think it is a terrible idea to send any more troops into that war. It’s time to come home now.
Our war in Afghanistan began in a proper fashion. We were attacked on 9/11. The Taliban, who then controlled Afghanistan, were harboring al Qaeda, and after being warned, and after an authorization from Congress, our military executed a plan to strike back. Had I been in Congress then, I would have voted to authorize this military action.
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But as is typical, there was significant mission creep in Afghanistan. We went from striking back against those who attacked us, to regime change, to nation-building, to policing their country for them. And we do it all now with an authorization that is flimsy at best, with the reason blurred, and the costs now known. We do it with an authorization that was debated and passed before some of our newest military personnel were out of diapers. This isn’t fair to them, to the American people, or to a rational foreign policy.
The Afghanistan war going beyond its original mission has an enormous cost. First and most important is the cost to our troops. Deaths, injuries and unnecessary deployments causing harm to families are certainly the most important reason as to why you don’t go to wars that aren’t necessary.
Then comes the taxpayer. We have spent over $1 trillion in Afghanistan, and nearly $5 trillion on Middle East wars in the past 15 years. Would we not be better off with $5 trillion less in debt or using these funds in other, more productive ways?
Nation-building should not be our job, and it has consistently been a fool’s errand for us, particularly in this region. There is no reason to believe we can do it in Afghanistan, and certainly no reason to believe we can do it without a permanent, costly presence in the country.
So I strongly disagree with the administration’s actions here. I’ve spoken to the president, and I know he wants to end this war. We’ve all heard him say it. But talk won’t get it done. Although I’ve been informed that the president rejected larger expansions of troops than the one announced this week, that’s not good enough. He should have rejected this one and stuck to his principles. He knows this war is over, and he – unlike the last two presidents – should have the guts to end it for real, on his watch.
Regardless of the argument over the number of troops, I also will insist my colleagues take up a larger argument over the power to declare war. I believe we have allowed the executive to exercise far too much power in recent years.
This is one of the reasons I objected just before the recess when the Senate moved to consider the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). I have an amendment that I will insist be considered that would repeal the 2001 AUMF on Afghanistan. That AUMF is outdated, overcome by events, and provides a feeble bit of cover for people who still want to be there.
If the president and my colleagues want to continue the war in Afghanistan, then at the very least Congress should vote on it. I’ll insist they do this fall, and I’ll be leading the charge for “no.”
Yeah Rand, but how many of the costs have been paid for by the profits from the opium fields.
USA USA USA!
The 9/11 culprits were all Saudis, they financed this, we went to war in the wrong country.
What I think the President should have made clear last night when he was assuring us that he was done dicking around in Afghanistan and he was coming up with a new strategy to ‘win’, was to tell us what we were winning. Win what? What is the goal? Kill all the terrorists? Who are they? Do we have a top ten we are trying to knock off and once that is done then we ‘win’. What does winning look like?
He says we are not nation building any more so I guess we are going into the Afghan mountains and the villages to root out the bad guys and kill them. For how long? Will they ever run out of bad guys? It doesn’t seem that way. I have lost track of how many times I have read a headline that includes something to the effect of “US military takes out number two Taliban/Isis leader….” There does not seem to be any end to the ever growing food chain of ‘next Taliban up’ leaders to knock off. So where does this strategy end?
I think the President owes it to his base and the public to state an achievable agenda, do whatever is necessary to go over and get ‘er done. Declare victory and make a triumphant return. Until then it is just more of the same and all it looks like is we are continuing the cause of the military industrial complex and securing the heroin pipeline to America.
It doesn’t take a brain surgeon to recognize the fact that no outside country has ever gone in and broken the resolve of the Afghans and claimed a victory of any kind. The US has been bombing the piss out of them for the past 16 years and don’t seem close to breaking them.
So again just explain what are we trying to accomplish.
could do a vietnam declare victory and make a quick exit. continue to leave weapons everywhere you go. if john mccain supports i am opposed.
What fear and loathing said.
HERION production is up and addiction rates are up and overdose deaths are up and our nation is bankrupt . Sounds like all our domestic and foreign policies are right on schedule . If we can get a few more navy ships running into shit we could start something really good . Like a limited nuclear exchange . Gee if only Hillary or Bernie were president . Hillary would already have us in a shooting war big time or Bernie would have the free shit army marching on something as long as they don’t have to get up before noon , walk to far and there is a free buffet and wifi
Dear president of Afghanistan:
You will do the following for the United States. We don’t care how yo do it just get it done. If not the money will dry up completely and we will feed you to a wood chipper one limb at a time. You will die a long and painful death. Your family will also meet the same fate along with your dog and camels.
The Taliban will be controlled.
No terrorist groups will be able to call Afghanistan a safe haven.
Afghanistan will support the US in all international forums. Enthusiastically.
Understand you are to accomplish this with special attention to human rights. We know that you and your Mohammedan people know what that is. Wink wink nod nod.
Oh yeah if you can’t handle it we will find someone who can.
We will be watching for your success.
An oldie but goodie:
Friends, Countrymen,
We are in country for the purpose of maintaining the empire. This place or the next place, makes no difference, as long as it is a short plane ride to where ever we are currently bombing brown devils.
We picked Afghanistan because it is a great country for the CIA to fund their black ops, and it will never amount to much of anything due to the nature of the Afgahn.
The Afgahn is the red headed step child of the muslim world, no body wants them to succeed as the are too stupid and corrupt to even make it on their own, and thus a perfect host for us to maintain our forward base of operations.
Recall that the muslim hordes kicked us out of SA after the first Iraq war, and we need to be able to do air support in: Iraq/Iran/Syria if we are going to keep our oil safe and keep our friendly little jewish outpost safe and secure.
some of you global thinkers may claim that we have air bases in Qatar, but that is not enough to keep the MIC happy. They need active targets to test out new weapons systems, and we do need new systems as the Ruskies have already proven that our current tech is already outdated. Does anyone think it is normal for US navy ships to run aground or get crashed into by Tankers the size of Manhattan? no my friend, what you are seeing is now is the death throes of the empire, too many years of cost plus non performing contracts has sucked the life out of our systems, and we must upgrade, we must keep the edge, we need a theater of operations abroad, or else.
or else, this will turn into a live fire exercise across many borders, the like of which have not been seen for about 75 years.
First and foremost, let me just say that Rand Paul is a big fraud. While I wholeheartedly agree with what he is saying (even the worst can have moments of uncanny clarity), he is also the one that attempted to secretly insert language in the last “healthcare” bill that would have legally exempted providers from monopoly laws, so he is clearly not on the “peoples” side. Also, notice how he summarizes what “legislation” he “fought for” at the end of the article. That is him planting his political nuggets for a possible run at the Presidency again. Just another politician.
That being said, the money shot here is: “We have spent over $1 trillion in Afghanistan, and nearly $5 trillion on Middle East wars in the past 15 years. Would we not be better off with $5 trillion less in debt or using these funds in other, more productive ways?”
First off, the MIC is now a public works project for the nation, sort of a “new, new deal” to avoid a recession. If you don’t believe that, just imagine what would happen if we actually brought home all these young men. We would have an even larger populous of young folks that need to find jobs in a mostly McJobs economy that can’t even sustain the ones that aren’t in the military. The military is a VERY large employer. Like any large employer, if their product is not in high demand, they have to conduct layoffs. I suspect that the TPTB know this, and figure that “bringing the boys home” would ultimately result in even more irritated constituents without job prospects. The US regions around military bases, the security agencies in Washington etc. are just overgrown “company towns” just like the copper mines of 100 years ago. Just in different packaging.
Everything, literally for the last 30 years in this country has been attempt after attempt at kicking a national insolvency problem down the road. The dot com boom was an anomaly, and we got lucky on that one, as it bought us about 10 years. That has been played out. It began with Nixon pulling us off the Gold standard, and then when the boat almost completely capsized in 2008, an unprecedented overreach by the Federal Reserve and their banking cohorts. We have literally run out of tricks, and are now simply coasting and hoping. Everything from this point on is simply attempting to keep the hull from taking on too much water and reaching the point of beginning to capsize. Prepare accordingly, as i suspect there is no fix to this problem. The only variable is whether the ship capsizes slowly, and sinks or it is a sudden deluge that no one sees coming.
“First and foremost, let me just say that Rand Paul is a big fraud.” ——– Anon
Bold.
Provocative.
Daring.
Controversial.
Helluva way to start a comment. Grab their attention!
Prediction: You’re gonna be a YUGE hit around here
Disclaimer: I suck at predictions.