17 years in Afghanistan

Sunday will mark a very special anniversary.

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Weeks ago, in Afghanistan, the Taliban marked the Eid al-Adha holiday with a surprise attack. It sought to demonstrate that 17 years of effort by the U.S. forces were for naught–and to inspire the American public to bring its troops home, as the Tet offensive playing out on U.S. TVs did during the Vietnam War. There was just one problem.

Almost no one noticed.
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Maybe the best illustration, though, comes from America’s most influential social-media personality, who now commands not just those soldiers but also the country’s attention. As of Oct. 3, @realDonaldTrump had devoted some 30 tweets to the NFL anthem controversy during his presidency. He had tweeted about Afghanistan only five times.

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The first American killed in this forever war was Johnny Micheal Spann, a CIA agent killed during a riot on November 25, 2001.
The most recent soldier to be killed in Afghanistan was yesterday.

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With the parent's permission, a boy can enter the military at the age of 17.
So we are only months away from the first post-9/11 soldiers fighting in our forever war in Afghanistan.

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“That’s the dirty little secret here — there could be thousands of US troops camped out in northern and eastern Syria for decades.”
- Nicholas Heras, Center for a New American Security.

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divineorder's picture

17 years and things couldn’t get any worse.... or could they?

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Press Release by Ghana

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A truth of the nuclear age/climate change: we can no longer have endless war and survive on this planet. Oh sh*t.

Wink's picture

"we're just getting warmed up."
unleash the hounds!

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the little things you can do are more valuable than the giant things you can't! - @thanatokephaloides. On Twitter @wink1radio. (-2.1) All about building progressive media.

Bollox Ref's picture

Had long periods when nothing happened and armies were not employed.

This 'thing' in Afghanistan just continually drags on to no purpose. It would be easier to just throw pallets of dollar bills into the Grand Canyon.

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Gëzuar!!
from a reasonably stable genius.

earthling1's picture

the Korean War count as ongoing? A 69 year war?

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Neither Russia nor China is our enemy.
Neither Iran nor Venezuela are threatening America.
Cuba is a dead horse, stop beating it.

If yes, then they're not done yet.

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"Religion is what keeps the poor from murdering the rich."--Napoleon

gulfgal98's picture

and counting for the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Plus at least one million innocent civilians killed. And for what?

Hence my second sig line:

"There is no instance of a nation benefitting from prolonged warfare." Sun Tzu

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Do I hear the sound of guillotines being constructed?

“Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable." ~ President John F. Kennedy

EdMass's picture

The Interwebs offer Afghanistan:

"The graveyard of Empires"

and

"Where Empires go to die"

Not much, but something.

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Prof: Nancy! I’m going to Greece!
Nancy: And swim the English Channel?
Prof: No. No. To ancient Greece where burning Sapho stood beside the wine dark sea. Wa de do da! Nancy, I’ve invented a time machine!

Firesign Theater

Stop the War!