U.S. Rep. Barbara Lee: Americans want to end the country's longest war. Why won't Congress listen?

[marmar]

(Guardian UK) America’s longest war continues to drag on with no end in sight. More than 14 years since the invasion of Afghanistan, our highly capable men and women in uniform have gone above and beyond the call of duty. They have done enough; it’s past time to bring them home.

On 15 October we saw the ramifications of Congress’s blank check for endless war when President Obama announced that thousands of US troops would remain in Afghanistan through the end of his term and into 2017.

This war has already cost our nation so much: 2,350 of our brave servicemen and women have made the ultimate sacrifice, more than 20,000 have been wounded and thousands more bear invisible scars. This war has also taken the lives of thousands of Afghans and soldiers from our coalition partners and Nato allies.

Continuing this war has not made us any safer. Our protracted engagement in Afghanistan undermines our national security by sparking global resentment against the US and spurring unsustainable Pentagon spending. At present, the war’s price tag totals more than $716bn, which continues to prevent much needed investments in critical domestic priorities.

It’s past time to bring our armed forces home to their families and keep our nation’s sacred promise to care for them. The American people agree: a December Washington Post-ABC News poll found that a 56% majority of Americans believe this war has not been worth fighting, a trend that dates back to 2010. Yet despite the strong objections of the American people, this war continues with no end in sight. .................(more)

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/oct/20/americans-want-longest-war-end-congress-wont-listen-afghanistan

[malthaussen]

1. Um, how about "Because they don't care?"

Representative Lee may be concerned with what her constituents want, but surely she has been in Congress long enough to know that for most of her colleagues, that is the least important item on the agenda.

-- Mal

[YabaDabaNoDinoNo]

2. Lots of money being made killing people and selling weapons

It's a cash cow the 1% is protecting

[hobbit709]

3. Country Joe McDonald had it right 50 years ago.

"Come on Wall Street, don't be slow,
Why man, this is war au-go-go
There's plenty good money to be made
By supplying the Army with the tools of it's trade,"

[RiverLover]

4. So maddening! There are many MANY downsides to having our govt run by Moneyed Interests,

but for me, this is one of the 2 worst. (The other is the destruction of sustainable life on earth for profit.)

I don't want to be citizen to a murderous country bent on trying (& failing) to control other countries through endless war & carnage. And for what? Corporate profit. The "keeping the fighting over there to keep us safe at home" meme from neoliberals in the WH for years now, both R & D, is utter & complete BS. Controlling us through FEAR.

We are not idiots. We see this.

Love Barbara Lee!!!

[Dems to Win]

5. Wish I could vote Barbara Lee for prez. My number one favorite person in DC nt

[olddots]

6. the Guardian covers this

not any coverage from American sources...we got a great big problem .