We Got Nothing

 On September 11, 2021 the United States military with complete its withdrawal from Afghanistan. Our government decided after the attack on September 11, 2001 to take the fight to the terrorists at their bases. The fighters in the hills and mountains did what they have done for centuries. They waged a gorilla war fighting and retreating to their caves. We owned the skies but could not control the ground. They waited us out. Agreed to share power with the government. It is clear now that is a lie. We are still going to leave. Afghanistan will once again be a safe base for terrorists. We spent about $800,000,000,000 and sacrificed over 2,300 lives of our troops. Make no mistake the $800 billion dollars is just a down payment. There will be long term costs for those wounded, disabled and the families of the deceased. So, ask yourself one question today. Do you feel safer than you did on 9-10-2001 or 9-12-2001? Did our collective sacrifice of lives and money purchase us any peace of mind? I must admit that personally I have two issues. First, I feel like I personally sacrificed nothing. The war didn’t add to my tax burden. I did not have any family or close friends who served in Afghanistan. We, as American citizens, for the most part got to sit this one out. Unlike World War 2 there was no rationing. No posters featuring Rosie the Riveter. Second, I have met some of the veterans. One of the wounded came to the bar I worked at in Kroger. The war cost him an eye and facial disfigurement. His survival is a testament to the quality of medical care provided in the field and throughout the military system. I know his life and the lives of other veterans will never be the same. It saddens me that their collective sacrifice paid a great price for so little in return. We, as a nation, need to take a hard look at where and why we commit our troops to battle and the long and short term goals of that action.