All I can say is after 15 years of military action not working to produce a successful nation, something has to be done about the broken state of Afghanistan. And, yes, Pakistan, another basically failed nation, has to be part of the solution. You can't fix Afghanistan if the Pakistani's don't control their own state, and groups like the Taliban are allowed to operate like a baby ISIS. The Taliban flow back and forth across the border like Americans and Canadians cross their border. And until Pakistan controls their border, there will be no military solution in Afghanistan.
So, Trump is right that their has to be a successful military in Afghanistan to fight the many radical Islamic groups that operate there and in Pakistan, and Pakistan needs to be part of the solution, but they also have to solve their issues. Remember, Osama Bin Ladin hid in Pakistan for many years before being found. And Pakistan sent terrorists to India. I don't know if the Taliban can be a responsible negotiating partner, I am not sure they are interested in governing a country in a manner acceptable to the West and India/China. But I am quite sure that we cannot defeat the Taliban as long as they can run back to Pakistan and regroup. And that is the state of that part of the world today.
I am a part of Indivisible Westchester, but I am not as liberal as many who are in that organization. Long time readers know I am open to the argument that market forces have a role in managing society. What I am not open to is what I read about in this week's NYT book review. James Buchanan, who won a Nobel Prize for his advocacy of the role for market forces as the most efficient form of managing society, also advocated a dark state of monied people doing what they can behind the scenes to prevent the democratic process from taking their wealth. He was obviously prescient as that is pretty much what has developed in the U.S. with Supreme Court decisions by Justices who have undoubtedly read him and met with him.
In today's column, David Brooks advocates why moderation and listening to both sides of the traditional socialist/market force debate is necessary for society to move forward in a balance manner. We are a long way from there today and there is no clear path for American politics to move from its current partisan path to a more moderate path.
Link to Brook's column on Moderates
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