An Anniversary

[libertarianhawk]

It's been twenty years since 9/11. I expected to be called back to active duty. When I wasn't, I called a recruiter. He wanted to know my weight and if I could use PowerPoint.

I did spend some time back in uniform with TXSG later. But that's not fighting.

I supported going into Iraq and Afghanistan for nation-building. Wasn't convinced it would work, but I felt we had a moral obligation to try. Civilizing the region was the only way I could see to prevent some bright jihad from committing a future attack killing millions.

America's response to such an attack would destroy nations. If that's going to happen, I want to be able to tell my grandchildren we tried to avert it.

Nation-building was a failure. I realized that ten years ago. Iraq is reasonably stable, but Afghanistan is what it always was.

At least when the bright jihadi conceives his genocidal plot, someone may smack him down out of fear of another twenty years of Americans running around blowing shit up and educating girls.

Comments

[ndrosen]

Well said, as usual; I remember your LJ posts years ago on how various scenarios might work out, including the Arabia Deserta result. One little point: I don’t speak Arabic, but I think that “bright jihad” should be “bright jihadi”.

[libertarianhawk]

Thank you!

And typo fixed, thanks.