As of October 7, 2001, we have been in Afghanistan for seventeen years. I remember the step-by-step of how we got into Viet Nam and how we got out. I remember the strategy that put the Russians into their Afghanistan quagmire which we aided the Afghan rebels. The Russians finally left with their tails between their legs just as we left Viet Nam.

Both retreats show any insurgent organization can ultimately win if they are willing to keep fighting for years. The Taliban, many fought the Russians, are trying to outlast the war with us. Every time we come up with a new strategy they know it is just a matter of time until we leave.

President Truman “gave up China to the Commies”, Nixon “gave up Southeast Asia,” and neither Bush or Obama wanted to leave Afghanistan with the Taliban taking over. Trump will make sure we stay in as long as he is in office. So we will be there for at least the next three years.

As a student of military history I can say winning a guerilla war without getting very ugly is impossible. We go out of our way not to hurt non-combatants. The last World War had millions of civilians killed by our indiscriminate bombing of cities. (The Norden bombsite was a farce.) As long as the enemy can commit atrocities and we don’t then they can hide where we can’t get at them.

Do we have the will to kill more Afghans, lose American lives, and spend billions more to fight to a stalemate or maybe a coalition government? I’m on the fence, are you?