Digby writes:
Head on over to Crooks and Liars at 3 O'clock for the live blogging session on Afghanistan. And if you have a couple of bucks to spare, you can donate here to Congressman Massa at the "No Means No" campaign.
Okay. Sorry. Too late. But before I realized that, I admit hesitating. Just not sure about Afghanistan. No question that -- like so many -- I want us outta there. Nor any question about the probity and intelligence of Representative Massa who recognizes that we've never had a real goal in Afghanistan. But (shhhh!) there is an element of "uh-oh, the 2010 elections."
As with Iraq there's something that troubles me about going into any nation for whatever good or bad reason, making a mess (yes, we did), and then hauling ass without much thought about what sacrifice we owe the people there.
We accomplished no goal. We did a little bit of good -- "good" in our terms. We killed more civilians than we admit.
Before we take off, what can we do to make up for what we've done and what we haven't done? Above all, how can we get outta there while changing our own future ? What can we do to excoriate, eliminate, eradicate our tendency to think we know how others should arrange their lives?
Somehow we manage to see the people of Afghanistan as inferior, underdeveloped: they just need a hug + some violent intervention from our City on the Hill to make them, well, let's not kid ourselves, More Like Us.
Look at us, for god's sake ! Is that what we really wish for Afghanistan?
Update: Bob Herbert wants us outta there too. He writes that if the situation were "as crucial to American national security" as to require more of our resources well, then, Obama should be out here making the case and not spending time on health care. (That, coming from Bob Herbert!) But if not, we need to get out: "Let’s explore creative alternatives to endless warfare and start bringing the weary troops home."