The War Unseen, Unheard & Unplanned

I remember my first introduction to Barack Obama. The man who was against invading Iraq from the start. One of the only politicians of any national recognition (as of primary season) who had voiced his opposition while it wasn't politically expedient to do so. One of the few among his newfound colleagues who hadn't fallen for fabrications and manipulations, who had ignored the lies and considered the facts (a brief montage below, for the memories):



This man, I thought, this man stands for reason. Here is someone who's studied their history, who understands the lessons Vietnam should have taught us. Here is a man of the 21st century, who is not mired in the zero-sum games of the past.

On the campaign, though it was understood he needed to look tough, Obama still reinforced this image. Debating a war veteran, he needed to emphasize he would not be afraid to use force and, to support such a position, he advocated a more aggressive plan in Afghanistan. At the same time, he continued to question our actions in Iraq and drew up timetables for a structured withdrawal. Most importantly, he placed a great emphasis on the need for diplomacy, on the necessity of being open to talks with leaders in states like Iran, North Korea and Venezuela.

We can trust this man to lead us, I thought. We can trust him because he won't commit American lives to an unnecessary war with no exit strategy. Here's someone who will exhaust all avenues of diplomacy before looking to a military solution. Here's a Commander-in-Chief who will carefully consider the human cost of war, the civilian casualties that will result, the lives that will be forever changed, before making such a commitment.

Fast forward to present.

We've committed 17,000 more troops to Afghanistan. General McKiernan, currently in command, asked for 30,000, a doubling of our presence. Just last week, a U.S. air strike killed over 100 civilians. In the midst of all this, President Obama cannot provide a plan coherent enough to even outline our goals or withdrawal strategy. Meanwhile, the Taliban strikes deeper into Pakistan - a country funneling billions in American aid meant to safeguard its nuclear weapons to build more... because 100, of course, isn't quite enough.

We now have soldiers returning for 3-4 tours of duty. That's unheard of. The strain the horrors of war place on the human mind is exacerbated by prolonged exposure. According to a recent story in Time magazine, "For the first time in history, a sizable and growing number of U.S. combat troops are taking daily doses of antidepressants to calm nerves strained by repeated and lengthy tours in Iraq and Afghanistan." Fully one-in-five of returning veterans are suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, if not more. That number's 300,000 and growing. People sacrificing their lives for our country are returning home and hanging themselves. Why are we ignoring this? What's the matter with us?

Hardly a peep can be heard from the national press corps and mainstream media. Instead, the hot topics are credit cards, Notre Dame and Ms. California's implants.

With all the press conferences he's been holding, why is Obama not focusing the discourse on this war? Where is the "support for our troops"? For the first time, there really is a threat a terrorist organization could get its hands on WMDs - actual, launchable nukes. Why is the media not seriously talking about these issues? Why are we escalating in Afghanistan and what are we planning to accomplish there, and how? How are we working with Pakistan on this? How are we working with NATO and our allies?

This war needs to be talked about. This war needs to be in the national headlines. The psychological strain being demanded of our servicemen should be on the minds of every American. We should be debating the ramifications, the consequences of war in Afghanistan. We should be discussing Pakistan's security. We should be calling for a detailed plan of action.

Why aren't we?