October 7th marked the 12th year the United States has been in the war in Afghanistan. This is by-far the longest combat operation in American history, and is expected to continue for at least another two years. Aside from its record length, the war in Afghanistan has now has claimed the lives of over 2,000 US troops and wounded more than 17,000. In addition to the human sacrifice, the fiscal repercussions of this war have been exorbitant: now fetching a price tag of $1.172 trillion.
This has unarguably put a damper on the US economy. The $2 billion spent on the war each week is crippling the US government from being able to invest on its own soil, and it adds further bloating to an already looming debt crisis. Yet despite the fact that two-thirds of the American people oppose the war effort, the president continues to proceed with the status qua.
This was exampled when the president proposed his FY 2013 budget to congress, which requested another $88.5 billion in spending for the war in Afghanistan. President Obama has also been unwavering to make any changes to his, now archaic, Afghanistan plan that was developed in 2009. This is in spite of the fact that a new set a dangers and dynamics have unfolded such as: a surging amount of insider-based attacks from Afghani officials, the crumbling relationship with Pakistan, and the recently heinous assaults on US embassies and consulates throughout the many parts of the Muslim world, including Afghanistan.
But his opponent, Mitt Romney, offers no contrast to the president in this regard. This is because he is in lockstep with the president's plan, which he even neglected to mention during his RNC nomination speech. Hence reaffirming why he has had so many campaign troubles this year.
If the president wishes to recapture support for the war then he needs to update his three-year-old plan and explain a renewed vision to the American people. This is an inherent duty of every any commander-and-chief, because there should never be any doubt in the United States' interests and objectives for any war. Anything otherwise should prompt bringing our troops back home immediately.
