Plan for Success in Afghanistan

A Simple (If Somewhat Devious) Plan For Success In The War In Afghanistan

Do the “ends justify the means”?  Oh, the depth of thought that can be inspired by that simple question, and the quasi-philosophy suggested by rephrasing the question as a statement – “the ends justify the means”.

The simple answer is, of course, “it depends on the ends, and the means”.  It is certainly possible that there are ends that are so desirable, so good, so just that whatever means are necessary to achieve those ends are indeed, justified.  However, it is just as possible that there are means that are so contemptible, so vile, so destructive that no ends – no matter how desirable those ends may be – are worth the despicable efforts to achieve them.

Oh, the arguments that have been waged throughout our history, the debates that are now taking place, and the controversies that are still yet to transpire … all over the question of means and ends.  If you are a person who, from time to time, contemplates the moral dilemma of “means and ends”, then I invite you to reflect upon the following suggestions for:

A Way Out Of The War In Afghanistan
In 5 (Not So Easy) Steps

1.  Throw Hamid Karzai under the bus (figuratively speaking).

We need a scapegoat, and he conveniently fits the bill.  I personally don’t know if he’s actually a bad guy or a good guy, but it doesn’t matter.  We need someone we can point at and say, “he’s part of the problem, and good riddance to the injustice he represents”.

The actual steps required to sacrifice him to expediency would be something along the lines of … Allow him to be arrested, tried for, and jailed for election fraud.

2.  Declare a “fair and honest” victor for the recent Afghan presidential election.  And, more important, stand behind that elected official and support their government.

And what are the criteria for official U.S. recognition of the newly elected president?  Well, I’m going to have to confess that I’m just not all that knowledgeable about the situation in that far-away country (and honestly wonder if we, the American public, are being given the “straight facts” anyway).  But a few relevant points do come to mind:

The winner needs to be able to effectively govern – navigate his/her way through what appears to be a contentious political landscape …

The winner should be recognized as a “champion for the Afghan people”; ready, willing and able to do what must be done for the benefit of the diverse Afghan population …

The Official Afghan government needs to be an ally to our interests (and that certainly implies a lot) …

3.  Capture and/or kill a large group of Al-Qaeda leaders.

This step of the plan actually allows for the use of dubious actions and claims of action.

If it is true that “war is hell”, then certainly some participants are going to suffer “fire and brimstone”.  And we need to be the “good guys”, and therefore we need to capture and or kill the bad guys.  I know that this is an overly simplistic view, but the reality is — we need to win this war in order for it to end.  And we can’t declare victory without being able to show that we defeated the bad guys – so, a significant number of dead or captured Al-Qaeda are required.

4.  Declare Victory.

Since the “War On Terror” is such a deplorable concept in the first place, all we need – at this point in the plan – is a leader with the audacity to officially declare victory.  AND, the fortitude to withstand the political ramifications of such a declaration.

For the politicos that would decry “our victory”, I highly recommend the “already-tried-and-tested” strategy of “don’t belittle our brave soldiers and what they have accomplished” – loudly proclaim that any and all politician and pundit nay-sayers are, in fact, expressing anti-American, anti-troops sentiment, and point them out with derision.

5.  Start Bringing The Troops Home.

At this point, I won’t engage in a debate about the “war on terror” other than to offer this observation – there absolutely must be a better way to fight our enemies than to invade and occupy some country where they happen to be hiding out.  Think about it.  Go on, think about it – we are smart enough to come up with a better plan.