The Terroir of Terror

 And the seasons they go round and round
And the painted ponies go up and down
We're captive on the carousel of time
We can't return we can only look behind 
--The Circle Game, Joni Mitchell

You like potato and I like potahto
You like tomato and I like tomahto
Potato, potahto, Tomato, tomahto.
Let's call the whole thing off 
--Let's Call the Whole Thing Off,
George Gershwin
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Contrary to Ms. Mitchell's lyrics, we can and do return.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai complained last year about United State's efforts to openly negotiate with the Taliban. This year, it is the U.S. that's complaining about Karzai's efforts to open negotiations with that group.

Game on in a country mired in violence, where momentary stability will only be achieved by the reinstatement of another strongman, whom the U.S. will then embrace until he becomes another jilted lover. Round and round it goes.

If the U.S. is awaiting Karzai's exit in order to negotiate a security alliance with the next guy, this alone reveals our policies in the region as wasted efforts. If a security treaty depends upon the good graces of one man, it is clear that democracy does not reign.

What was achieved by the war? Did the American public benefit? Neither our near nor far security has been enhanced, so why the effort? Why remain in a nation which rejects our way of governing and does not even want our presence?

Clearly, al Qaeda is a borderless entity which can operate out of a suitcase without a physical home station. Al Qaeda no longer needs "Terror training camps" in Afghanistan, but the State Department is not keen on disseminating this information.

In fact, the entire region is a Terror training camp. There is no shortage of combat-trained and willing members to take up the fight, but these are not the near threats to the U.S. They are a FAR military threat that can only become a near threat with specialized advanced training and integration into Western societal networks.

However, the U.S.'s presence in Afghanistan is not going to lessen that threat. In fact, it can only bolster it by romanticizing the cause. So tell me, why do we wish to continue our self-delusional behavior by keeping a presence in Afghanistan?

Maybe it is that we are so acclimated to self-delusions, graft and corruption that Afghanistan seems as good a place as any to soldier on under these auspices.