Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan
10.15.2009
The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have been the major contributor to our growing national deficit. Much of the gain at American taxpayer expense has been for private contractors, both domestic and foreign, and this often contributes to instability in the very country in which the U.S. seeks to bring stability and hunt down harmful terrorist activity.
At a point where we have paid for two wars with debt and now have bailed out large banks and financial institutions that continue to show profits and pay out large executive bonuses, there is a call for deficit reduction focused on curbing 'entitlements." Likely targets are to be government provided Medicare, Social Security and unemployment compensation.
The foreign nation building that will be required in the lengthy endeavor that is Afghanistan should begin now both in Afghanistan and at home. A wait of years while we continue to accumulate debt that we have no real way to pay for as we attempt to root out terrorists in a country that has never taken well to foreign occupation is a prescription for failure abroad and at home.
We can and must work smarter in Afghanistan by gaining the trust of its people away from the Taliban with a multi-faceted approach that employs humanitarian aid and education for its citizens while protecting the United States against terrorist attacks germinated in this and other countries.
Please also read my blog post:
<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jennifer-brunner/time-to-bring-home-the-tr_b_373330.html">Time To Bring Home The Troops</a>
