The true cost of our occupation of Afghanistan

This blog entry won't convey the full costs of our role in Afghanistan these past 10 years. A full accounting is probably impossible.

 

Direct costs in last 10 years in Iraq and Afghanistan are$1.3 trillion. True dollar costs are 3 or 4 times higher.

 

While we've spent trillions in so-called nation building (which entails killing, terrorizing, and maiming people 'over there'), we've been neglecting the building of our own nation here. Was it worth it? Is Afghanistan better now? Are we?

 

I cannot quantify the loss of human life, the wounding, both physically and mentally. Money is something we all use and deal with.

 

The $4 Trillion or so we've spent on these wars comes to about $13,000 for EVERY man, woman and child in the US. Of course, that's money we grownups don't have to pay, because we borrowed it! While Congress enacted 3 tax cuts for the wealthy, and Obama followed suit, we pass this bill off for our children and their children.

 

The $122 billion for our war in Afghanistan in 2011 could have paid for

• 62.5 million children receiving low-income healthcare for one year OR
• 1.8 million elementary school teachers OR
• 2 million firefighters OR
• 22 million students getting Pell Grants of $5550 for college.

It's wrong, wrong, Wrong to continue this war.  Or to have ever undertaken it in the first place.

Peace, y'all

10 years, $1.5trillion in Afghanistan

Yesterday marked the 10th anniversary of America's invasion and occupation of Afghanistan.
Stupid
Evil
Wrong
Immoral
Devastating
Irresponsible

No longer proud to be American. Maybe still lucky, but not proud.

Peace, y'all

Molly

Another fallen soldier in our senseless, immoral war

Since I work for a state agency I know that another child of a mother in my state had died in our senseless and immoral war in Afghanistan. The email tells me he died in Kandahar Province from unjuries caused by an IED.

No. What killed him was our government's wrong-headed policies that send our people into harm's way.

America has the largest military budget on the planet. Bigger than the militaries of the next several countries, combined.

When all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail. So America sends our hi-tech tools and our young men and women into harm's way. This does NOT make anyone safer.

When you see state and federal flags at half mast, it means someone has died. In my state it's a silent symbol that the State-sanctioned terror had claimed another mother's child.

Family of US Army Cpl Sean M Collins, Ian so sorry for your loss.

Peace, y'all. NOW

Molly

Our new vietnam

Yes, it's easy to contrast Vietnam against Afghanistan. But the similarities are more important.

We don't belong there.

We can't win.

Our continued presence costs too much in life, good will, and money.

Al Queaida is not in Afghanistan.

We can't win a war on terrorism via conventional military.

We were welcomed years ago but we have outworn our welcome and the longer we stay there, the more blood will flow, the more Americans will die, the more Afghans will die, the more money we'll waste, and the more enemies our presence there will foster.

We must get out.

Peace, y'all

Molly