What went wrong in Afghanistan
In a nutshell, U.S. policy in Afghanistan was not reflective of Afghan history, culture and geography. Primary objectives were a strong central government and the end of the opium and cannabis trades. Afghanistan has never had strong central government and doesn’t want it. Every attempt to institute it in the last 20 years was met with civil war.
The Afghan climate is essentially high desert, so there are no cash crops that can grow there besides opium and cannabis. Afghanistan is a tribal country, with around 13 recognized ethnic groups, so tribal ethnic conflict is the source of the traditional annual fighting season, a feature found in no other country in the world. Any uniformed foreign force is automatically everyone’s enemy, so no invasion of Afghanistan has been successful since Alexander the Great. The mistake was sending in Americans in uniform.
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David Vernon
East side
The failed war in Afghanistan
I’m a Chief Warrant Officer Four with 31 years of service in the U.S. Army, including two tours in the war against terrorism. Once again Americans see the attempt to institute democracy on people who historically are not ready. Afghanistan has been fought over for centuries, Alexander the Great was there, Genghis Khan, the Mughal Empire all attempted to control Afghanistan. Don’t forget Britain’s and the Soviets’ failed attempts before leaving the country to the dusts of history.
Along comes 9/11, immediately then-President George W. Bush declares war on terrorism. Did Bush consider history? No! He called for an invasion with no clear goals to determine when the mission was completed.
The failure in Afghanistan was going to war without considering history and without mission goals for success. It was Bush’s fault for sending me and my fellow warriors and President Barack Obama’s and President Donald Trump’s fault for leaving us there. The only president that didn’t worry about his political future is President Joe Biden, and he brought your warriors home.
Dennis Quincey
West side
Voting rights
Whatever your thoughts are on voting, I would like you to consider a couple of things. As an individual who has had the privilege of working at multiple voting locations I believe I can speak with some firsthand knowledge.
The voting process is really quite simple, you go to the polls, show your ID, sign the voting rolls, you are given ballot and you vote your conscience. Should there be some concern regarding your voting eligibility (usually someone who hasn’t returned their mail-in ballot) you will be given a provisional ballot to again vote your conscience.
Never in my years of work in the polls have I ever seen anyone turned away because of who or what they are. Should you have transportation issues I know the various parties have people who will drive you to the polls.
People died to give us the right to vote, is it that hard to carve out one hour of your time once or possibly twice a year to exercise that right?
Kevin Acorn
East side
Gen. Milley is a true patriot
U.S. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley deserves the Congressional Medal of Honor. His overwhelming concern about the mental instability of then-President Donald Trump prompted him to take steps to save the world from a nuclear holocaust.
Predictably, he has been criticized by some Republicans who recommend that he should be fired. Unpredictably, retired U.S. Army Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman who testified at Trump’s impeachment hearing that Trump asked the Ukrainian president to get dirt on Joe Biden, also recommended that Milley resign.
I greatly admire Vindman for all that he’s done for the country. He even put his own career on the line when he testified at Trump’s impeachment hearing. However, sometimes the rigidity of military-mindedness is counterproductive or even dangerous. Milley did not go through channels. He put country over self to save the world from a madman. For Milley, protecting the country from a seriously deranged man trumped protocol.
How about the Nobel Peace Prize along with the Congressional Medal of Honor?
Sandra Katz
Foothills
Violence in the streets
Remember in the 1990s when many people were concerned that violent video games would lead young players to become violent in real life? Video designers (and sellers), along with “expert” psychologists and sociologists assured us that was not the case.
Over the past 30 years it is apparent that our country is becoming incredibly violent with road rage killings, school shootings and even armed insurrections becoming common place. Are we sure raising our youth on violent video games is not having an effect?
Bruce Hilpert
North side
