For America, after failing to subdue and pacify its designated enemies in wars in Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan, none of which should have been fought, this government may have finally learned a painful lesson. If they finally have they should know that it's time to stop trying to dominate regions of the world by military force; it has not worked and it will not work. This government should realize that every major empire in history has ruled over nations of the world over a period of time and then its reign came to an end. America's military empire has lasted from the end of World War II into the beginning of the 21st century and now it is coming to an end. All empires end, and so shall America's.
There are two overriding reasons why America, when it finally leaves Afghanistan, should completely overhaul and transform its military policies and objectives. The amount of its national treasure that has been buried in the graveyard of empires, Afghanistan, as well as in the war in Iraq and military operations in Pakistan is absolutely staggering. Check out this article by Bill Moyers which reports on a research project carried out by Brown University's Watson Institute for International Studies that involved more than 20 economists, political scientists, lawyers, anthropologists and humanitarian personnel.
The stats are more than shocking and the question for all of us is this: were these military actions worth the loss of 224,475 lives, 365,383 wounded, 7,815,000 refugees and internally displaced people, and a cost to the U.S. taxpayer that will reach at least $3.7 trillion and could be as high as $4.4 trillion by the time that the U.S. ends its occupation of Afghanistan? I have one answer to that question and it is hell no!
In addition to those monumental costs, a large portion of which is obtained through governmental borrowing, there is another reason why America should begin the process of dismantling its world wide empire. While it is rarely if ever discussed in the national media, America's endless wars and its military outreach across all the regions of the world are generating more and more enemies while, at the same time, causing many other nations to begin to band together to distance themselves from America at every opportunity. China, Russia, India, Pakistan, Iran and other countries have been forming strategic trading alliances that use their own currencies to the exclusion of the dollar.
America keeps arriving at the same fork in the road and continues going in the wrong direction. It needs to decide, as it goes into the future, what it really wants to be. It can continue to try to dominate the world with its military power which, in the longer run, will take it to the point of financial collapse. Or it can face reality and accept the fact that the days of empire are over and move on to the huge task of rebuilding the foundations of our country.
To expedite this process, America must conclude a complete withdrawal from Afghanistan, leaving no troops behind; a withdrawal with no conditions attached. Next, this president must make it very clear to Israel that the constant drumbeat to go to war against Iran will be replaced by the U.S. taking the lead role in diplomatic negotiations designed to cool down and resolve the issues between all parties. He should also tell Israel's Benjamin Netanyahu that the continued oppression of the people of Palestine must stop and peace negotiations leading to a two-state solution must be initiated.
This could be a brilliant opportunity for this nation to look deeply within and cleanse itself of the scourge of war and empire. It's an opportunity that this nation must seize, a pivotal time in American history, one that if not taken may never come our way again.
Michael Payne
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