And now a little editorializing...

[tleberle]

Lisa: Hi, Mr. Flanders, I see you're reading the newspaper.
Ned: Yep! Everything but the opinion page. I don't need to be told what to think--by anyone living!

I admit it, I have two personalities. Most of the time, Opinionated, Taking the Nut View Travis is answering the phone, makin' copies and living life. But if you get me into a crowded room,

Comments

Can't let this one pass without a comment!

[shorann]

Okay--here I go! First, I am glad stepdad asked the question about Afghanistan. Why? Because not enough Americans give it a second thought. The only people directly affected by this endless war are the military and their families and the rest of us, indirectly, who will be paying for it for decades. Since stepdad and I were in late teens and early 20's during the Vietnam war, we learned one thing--don't trust the military brass to make the right decisions as they have their own unspoken agenda. Watch the mesmerizing documentary "The Fog of War" where Robert McNamara, defense secretary during Johnson's term, admitted point blank that they, meaning the feds and the military, made a huge mistake by occupying a country that resented us being there. Thankfully, people back then, mostly young draft aged guys questioned WTF are we doing in a far off land and the rest is history.

So saying that you trust the military bigwigs to make the right decisions is questionable. I could go on about the whole military industrial complex, oil, stay there to honor those who have fallen, nation building, forcing democracy in a tribal culture and so on.

Yes, I believe in helping the Afghans develop infrastructure, education, health systems. I don't mind paying taxes to help people who live in abject poverty and in medieval conditions. What I wholeheartedly object to is sending 19 and 20 year olds to fight the Taliban who will never wear down, not unlike the Viet Cong in Vietnam.

If the Afghans do not want the Taliban to be their government, then they are the ones who should repel them, not young Americans.

As for the Seattle Times editorial, yes it is someone's opinion who states the position of the newspaper. I make my own decisions about such things. However, at least the paper is making the effort to bring the issue to the forefront. I just happen to agree with the paper's view, just as I could easily disagree.