What our war in Afghanistan is supposed to achieve is to topple the Al-Qaeda fortress, and crush their movement. But Al-Qaeda is just an idea--of course there are real people with real armies full of enraged Fundamentalist who want to reshape the world to their Ideals at any costs--but they are not a nation, not anchored to any place, other than 'The Middle of Nowhere". I've been there, but have only seen a tiny bit of it.  Its really big. Bigger than any place on this Earth. America may be big and united, but Al-Qaeda is small and splintered all across the world, like a cloud of hornets. 

And its not JUST Al-Qaeda. There are many groups with anti-American, anti-capitalistic ideals and plenty of soldiers willing to die for the cause. Its a dangerous world; you cannot go to war against all of the danger that lurks in the vast empty patches of this planet. It would be an undertaking similar to trying to rid the world completely of all drugs, or attempting to dismantle the Internet itself.

I have my opinion on our continuation and escalation of this war. I'ma gens'  it.The part of the world we are trying to control is still beyond our technology and strength, simply by its terrain, its isolation, and its culture. Perhaps it is possible to get every terrorist out of Afghanistan, the ones we don't shoot can run to some other place in The Middle of Nowhere. But while we chase these guys, we do a lot of collateral damage on the way. Husbands, wives,  children, family, they get caught in crossfires. Properties are destroyed, dreams are shattered. Imagine your spouse or child or parent was minding their own business and they were killed in someone else's war. It might enrage you. It might leave you feeling that you have nothing left to lose. It might even get you so upset, you lash back violently at those you imagine did this to you.

Every innocent person that is killed in our blood vendetta for the Towers helps to create another extremist, whether its is a Afghani man who's bride was killed in a shelling, or an angry American father who lost his only child to a war he doesn't understand. 

I agree with the Republicans on one aspect: Mr. Obama, stop dithering. Understand that the only way to win this war is by dispelling the myth that America is an invader, coming to steal their land. We need to pull back our forces, back to OUR soil, and defend us here. We need to put our resources towards rebuilding our nation from the inside, rather than sending our best and most honorable citizens into danger to chase shadows in the dark.