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My problem with the Afghanistan Escalation is the same problem I have with every other foreign policy/national security decision made since 9/11/01; they are all reactive to, and predicated on, an account of the events of a single day. Not on the thoughtful analysis of an observed change or trend in intelligence, or a steady escalation of terrorist activities, but on the psychic horror produced by the events and lore of one really fucked up day. In a flash, as if it were always obvious, we knew exactly what we had to do: ERADICATE TERROR! Of course there was reassuring talk of getting the bad man we were told masterminded this atrocious crime, but pretty much instantly it was about something bigger, something more "global" in scope. Overnight, the apparatus for the "War on Terror" fell into place, and the rest is history.
Since then everything has been influenced or touched by the specter of that day: elections, wars, rights and liberties, attitudes, culture... They were right when, almost immediately, they declared the world a "pre and post 9/11" dichotomy. We've reinforced that concept with every move we've made.
Really I guess it all comes down to what you believe about that day. Those who accept the official account without question are more likely to view our policies as acceptable. Those like me who don't, well... we're likely to see our policies and actions as an unending Orwellian nightmare, where every aggression is based on a lie and every death is essentially murder. Whatever you believe, there's no denying it isn't working. We can't eradicate terror... ever... and attempting to do so by occupying countries and bombing villages is only like pouring gasoline on fire. It also turns the US, a once "shining beacon of democracy", into a totalitarian vampire.
Here we are 8 years later, still drinking from that well... Obama, who I believe is a good man, seems less a courageous leader, than a helpless victim to the paradigm he inherited. Maybe I'm wrong and it all went down like they say, and that the "white hats" can really beat the "black hats" if we just "stay the course". Somehow I don't think so...
BTW that bad man who supposedly attacked us is still out there. I know because he shows up occasionally (at interesting American political junctures) to remind us.
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