HappySqurriel on 03 September 2009
Personally, I think this discussion has gone into the weeds. I do think there are a few things everyone can probably agree upon regarding the Wars in Afghanistan and Iraq ...
- The war in Afghanistan was fully justified by the attack on September 11th, the intelligence available at the time, and the unwillingness of the Taliban to do anything about the terrorists training in their country.
- The war in Afghanistan has (likely) reduced the threat of terrorism around the world through the destruction of terrorist training camps, and being that potential terrorists are recruited as insurgents rather than terrorists.
- The war in Iraq was probably not justified, but it was "legally" entered into through the support of the congress and the citizens of the United States.
- The death tolls of US soldiers, their allies, civilians and insurgents in both Iraq and Afghanistan are all very small when compared to other wars throughout history.
- There will need to be some military presence in Iraq and Afghanistan for some time to ensure their stability
- This military presence will continue to shrink and be removed from direct conflict as citizens in Iraq and Afghanistan choose to enter the military and police force to protect their own country
- Long term prospects for personal freedoms and prosperity are far better post war in stable countries for the citizens of Iraq and Afghanistan than they were under Sadam Hussein or the Taliban.
Now, there is no doubt that the cost of the wars has been massive, and they really should force EVERYONE to question how the cost of two wars can only be (roughly) 5% of the total federal budget. Where is all the money going and how can a government run a deficit that is (roughly) 10 times the amount it is spending to participate in 2 wars?
