Hubris

There's a rule that every boy learns on the playground at a young age: never get into a fight that you don't intend to win. Sparring just gets you hurt and sets you up for the next fight, which will come if your opponent sees you don't have the will to win.

The american people are tired of the war in Afghanistan and don't think it is winnable. Considering the strategy and goals of this administration, I have to agree. Aghanistan is not ready for a central government nor a modern nation state. These 7th century people want tribal governance and to live like their ancestors 1400 years ago. We should let them.

Trying to bring civilization to Afghanistan is a fool's errand. The US should announce that it will fortify and occupy the Bagram air base forever then station a minimum number of troops to secure it for drone missions against those who would bring harm to the West.

War, like playground fights, is about breaking your opponent's will to harm you. If you demonstrate to your opponent that you have the will and means to harm him, he will leave you alone. Instead of rules of engagement that protect Afghani non-combatants, we should be wiping entire villages out. If Afghanis are willing to put their people in harms way, why should we care about them more than they care about them?

Every war up until Vietnam, enemy civilians were killed because of the actions of their leaders. That has always been the way of war. But the West went stupid after WW2 and forgot history. Now we can't win any war.