The Next Step in the Iraq/Afghan War

Get out of Iraq and Afghanistan altogether. America will never control these countries and should stop wasting lives in the attempt. What gain is there beyond imperialism? Perhaps these are regions too costly to occupy and make profitable change.

Afghanistan is an act of vengeance that is politically unsavory, because we should realize that revenge might not work. It may do more harm than good but no politician but Ron Paul is willing to say “Give Up”. None has the moral fortitude to live and let live.

Bush’s act of vengeance in Iraq, his completing what his father could not do, has cost over a million lives. One million faces gone. One millions dreams every night. One million of our own, of our species, gone. These are our people.

Yes they lived under oppression, yes they suffered the cruel hand of a tyrant, yes they suffered the economic sanctions imposed upon them by the West, but they lived. Iraqis still managed to eek-out a living and remain moderately content in that they were fairly unlikely to die suddenly, no IEDs in the trash can, no snipers from the roof, no midnight raids by American troops searching for insurgents.

If Bill Clinton had removed the sanctions placed on Iraq Iraqis would have prospered. A prosperous people are a strong people, and a strong people will depose a dictator.

Americans have forgotten that their ability to defeat the British in the war of independence was partly due to their fury at their own government abusing them, partly due to their hard work and ingenuity to survive on their own with a strong economy to acquire weapons, develop infrastructure and innovate.

An overthrown Iraq would have been a fledgling country in an international community that had huge aspirations to progress with their economy, develop education systems, build infrastructure. If this had been done pre-nuclear technological development by Saddam Hussein the United States would have been relatively safe. Pre Weapons of Mass Destruction. The US was so convinced.

They thought the bomb had already gone off, and started picking up the pieces and solving the crime. Imagine a bunch of guys in white biohazard suits rushing into an outdoor café and start picking up people like they were dead bodies, over turning tables, full of food and dishes and culture, as if it had been the remnants of a bomb only the bomb not had gone off yet. They destroy a scene, strange to us because we cannot understand the culture but a scene nonetheless, and leave children crying, everything broken, and people dead.

I propose that the solution to much of these problems is to stop interfering. Don’t meddle with people, and they may not meddle with you. Be prepared, but for God’s sake don’t kick over the bees’ net to check for stingers. That is called Being Stupid.

What if Al-Quaeda attacks again? Well, we show some resilience, some class, and some dignity, and take a lesson from the British. Keep a stiff upper lip. Don’t let fanatical-few change the way you live. Then terrorism has accomplished its goal by creating terror. If there is a bombing in my city on an airplane, or on a bus, or in a Starbucks, or at a community centre, then I’ll be damned if I’m not stopping for a Grande Medium Roast in a Venti cup (because it’s cheaper) filled to the top with skim milk as I catch the 250 Vancouver after a morning workout on the spin bike, and hope to God I make the flight to Edmonton.

The solution to many of our problems is to not meddle, and to support, and to continue to live our lives as we would. No terrorist should influence our way of life if we don’t want him to.

But what of the Axis of Evil (Circa 2004)?

North Korea may already be too late, because if Kim Jon Il has nuclear weapons, which is likely, then economic prosperity may only strengthen him. I am terrified of North Korea. The people have been oppressed for so long, and have shown no sign of resistance to the rhetoric. What else can the West believe?

Iran is different. Iranians are not in the dark; they have communication to the outside world. There are many Iranians on our continent, in our country, and in my community. I know them as a wonderful people with a rich culture. Elements of extremism are strong in small pockets, but the majority of the people are sane, smart, productive members of our society, and only makes us richer and diverse. In an environment rife with species loss a little diversity and mixing has got to be a good thing.

Us North Americans have our own crazies, from skinheads to gun nuts, to gay bashers, to religious zealots. We have our own share of “special people” and we are still trying to channel them in a more constructive direction. Perhaps we should consider our own drawbacks prior to pointing-out the problems of others. Otherwise we look like hypocrites.

Iraq was a mistake. Admittedly I cared little in the goings on of the world at its inception, and did not speak out. Now that I’ve apologized let us all apologize and be done with it.

The United States cannot escape Iraq. There is something inherent in our nature that tells me that there we always be a US presence in Iraq. I’m not even sure if I’m willing to complain about that either. But why? There is the thought that the country has been tamed. It may be a foolish notion, and it my not be. I simply do not know at this stage.

President Obama must get a large portion of troops out of Iraq, and harm’s way, to satisfy the people of the United States, but 75,000 troops are likely to remain indefinitely. Germany still has about 50,000 troops stationed within. The US Department of Defense implies that this is a legacy deployment from the cold war that has been useful in Kosovo and Bosnia; troops stationed in Germany were deployed efficiently and effectively.

Iraq could become the Germany of the Middle East. The US can now support Israel, and threaten Iran, Jordan, Syria, Turkey, and even Saudi Arabia should it suddenly become “evil”. Iraq is a pivotal country for the US to hold and gives it many options to influence regional powers.

This is a big and costly chip for America to hand over to a group of broken citizens. They are just as likely to be courted and controlled by another emerging power like Iran. I simply don’t know what to do. The US fractured Iraq and all the king’s horses and all the king’s men won’t put it back together again.

Afghanistan is a nightmare and it only has a hope of ending once Osama Bin Laden is dead. I make a recommendation to both sides:
- Afghani people: Give the US Osama Bin Laden, his Generals and Lieutenants
- US: Pull out 50% of the troops that existed before Jan 25, 2009, followed by 100% of the troops once you have Bin Laden in you position. Make sure that you follow through with the commitment

Both of these are shows of faith. I propose that the US go first because it can fluctuate troop levels. It can also support and fund Afghani leaders sympathetic to their cause. Afghanistan has only ace in the hole. Don’t expect Afghanis to be foolish enough to play it first.

Once Osama Bin Laden is in US custody and has been extradited to the United States for trial and execution (because that is what it must be) the US pulls-out entirely. I mean no bases, or installations; leave the region. There is no gain and the US is powerful enough to get back in should the need arise. Faith must be given before trust can be earned.

Support the people and make them stronger. They live in some of the harshest regions of the planet and are resilient. You can try to fight them, but they will resist. You can support them, are they may surprise you.

The world is a different place. That is always true. Always. Nothing stays the same and it is always a little different. This is why we take comfort in rituals.

But we must accept that to thrive as one species we must work together and have strategies that allow this to happen. War is a function of the human world, and it has changed as well.

I know why I like Adam Smith. He is the Sun Tzu of our generation. Humanity has evolved and we have become less violent. War has evolved and become economics. Adam Smith’s book The Wealth of Nations is the guidebook to the current level that war has evolved to become.

The playing field of War is no longer large swaths of grassland or vast oceans of sand and sea; it is the numbers of economics, and the connections of cash, product, and technology. The world has changed

It is, and always has been, about competition. Know that, and you understand the basics of human nature, of nature itself. Efficiency rules. It always has, and always shall in nature.

In humanity things are different, more complicated. We are still evolving new sets of values, things that society put a premium upon. They are still governed by efficiency, but we change our direction. The value that Americans put on the death of Osama Bin Laden is significant, but others such as peace, economy, freedom of speech, equality, and the environment are also high. They shall have to make a choice. What is more precious?

Pull out of Afghanistan once vendetta has been satisfied. Pull out of Iraq, forget the oil, and focus on the only real source of energy we have besides geothermal, the sun. Reshape the world. Reshape our conception of its workings and its limitations. Stop killing for the extra inch. Unify the species. Stop War.