America is Faced With a Difficult Decision About the Afghanistan War

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Pre-boomers have been blessed. While many of us served in the military, few were ever involved in a shooting war except those old enough to be part of the Korean "policing action." However, our generation (born between 1930 and 1945) grew up with the belief that it was our duty to serve if called. We considered it the patriotic thing to do.

Younger generations don't understand the notion of a popular war - one where the populace believed we needed to win no matter what. Unfortunately, the United States has not experienced true victory since WWII. That was nearly 65 years ago.

Public opinion has changed since the Vietnam disaster. The shame of this war was taken out on the returning troops and led to the discontinuance of the draft and an all-volunteer military, even though the Army had become the only branch using the draft to fill its requirements. This tended to separate the military from the general population and distanced most Americans from the honor of this service. It also shielded us from the unfathomable sadness experienced by families who lost loved ones as a result of the US engaging in military activities.

Over the years, war has become more and more politicized. Many of those voting "yea" in congress almost immediately started back-peddling in order to placate their anti-war constituents. And, of course, the "nay" voters continued to protest military action. These combined to affect news reporting and ultimately influenced public opinion. It happened in the first Gulf War and the divide became greater in the recent Iraqi War.

However, many of those opposing our involvement in Iraq complained we should have first finished the job in Afghanistan, because that's where Al Qaeda was headquartered and they were the ones behind the 9/11 attack on the World Trade Center buildings. Now we are at the point where the general in charge of our troops in Afghanistan is calling for 30 to 40 thousand more soldiers in order to fight a successful counter-insurgency war.

This buildup will take money and cost lives, neither of which are popular options with Americans. Yet, we know Afghanistan is a haven for those who would destroy us and our way of life. If we withdraw it is likely these fanatics will over run Afghanistan, establish themselves as the new government, and affect our relations with Pakistan, a country with nuclear weapons. So the choice is not an easy one.

Whatever you believe is the appropriate approach for us to take in this God-forsaken part of the world, we must consider what the commanders on the ground are advising us to do and always support our troops who put their lives on the line in order to protect us from further terrorist attacks. Ultimately the final determination is in the hands of the Commander-in-Chief; all we can do is pray that the president makes a decision that, in the long run, is best for America.

Review Feature Office 2010