I have a cousin who serves near the DMZ. The real reason why we’re there is to checkmate China, nothing else.
Not to defend Sokor etc. The more we move out, the vacuum simply is filled by the chicoms. I can understand Afghanistan but as some articles pointed out, the more we withdraw, our enemies fill in the gaps until we are surrounded.
The real reason why we’re there is to checkmate China, nothing else.
But Afghanistan is different. Historically it was part of the Great Game between Britain and Russia. For the first half of 20th century it was not considered strategically important except as a buffer between British India and Russia.
When the Soviets invaded in 1979 (how time flies!) we and the Paks encouraged Afghan resistance and 10 years later, the Soviets left. But by this time radical Islam had taken over neighboring Iran. Radical Islam now became a thing and was seen as a threat, not quite as big a threat as communism, but a force to be countered.
So now we have Afghanistan bordered by Iran to the west, Pakistan to the east, and Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan to the north and a very tiny border with China in the northeast. Don’t know which enemy fills in the gap if we leave, and anyone holding Afghanistan doesn’t seem to be in position to ‘surround’ us.
The more we move out, the vacuum simply is filled by the chicoms. I can understand Afghanistan but as some articles pointed out, the more we withdraw, our enemies fill in the gaps until we are surrounded.
Our enemies are here. Our votes become meaningless if our elections are stolen. When the enemy is inside the wire you deal with that threat first.