The Twenty Year War

I watch the news, like everyone else. What's been happening in Afghanistan this week is commonly called a "shit-show." Trump made a deal with the Taliban, but I think all that he accomplished was to give the Taliban advance notice and the time to prepare for a takeover. When Biden took over the presidency, he paused the plan in order for his people to have time to examine and understand the plan, and then he went ahead with it. I really don't know if the shit-show part of our exit could have been avoided. 

In the 20 years since September 11, 2001, the United States has spent $2.26 trillion on the war in Afghanistan. That's $300 million dollars per day, every day, for two decades. Or $50,000 for each of Afghanistan's 40 million people. We provided them with good weapons. We trained their military. But when the U.S. Army left the country and the pooh hit the punka-wallah, the Afghan army folded like a triptych. I really doubt that it could have ended any other way. 

When I say "we spent" more than $2 trillion on the war, I don't mean to imply that we paid for the war. No, we just put the $2 trillion on our credit card, a.k.a. the National Debt, where it will stay for decades. The debt will grow each year as it accrues interest, until one day there will come a day of reckoning. We probably haven't paid for the Vietnam war yet. The cost of that war is probably hiding in the $27.8 trillion in debt that America owes as of this date. 

Here are some more numbers from the Watson Institute at Brown University:

The Human Cost:

• American service members killed in Afghanistan through April: 2,448.
• U.S. contractors: 3,846.
• Afghan national military and police: 66,000.
• Other allied service members, including from other NATO member states: 1,144.
• Afghan civilians: 47,245.
• Taliban and other opposition fighters: 51,191.
• Aid workers: 444.
• Journalists: 72.

Afghanistan After Nearly 20 Years of U.S. Occupation:

• Percentage drop in infant mortality rate since U.S., Afghan and other allied forces overthrew the Taliban government: About 50.
• Percentage of Afghan teenage girls able to read today: 37.

America Used To Pay For Wars With Cash.

• Amount President Harry Truman temporarily raised top tax rates to pay for Korean War: 92%.
• Amount President Lyndon Johnson temporarily raised top tax rates to pay for Vietnam War: 77%.

But then:

• Amount President George W. Bush cut tax rates for the wealthiest, rather than raise them, at outset of Afghanistan and Iraq wars: At least 8%.
• Estimated Iraq war interest costs by 2050: Up to $6.5 trillion.
  
• Estimated amount the United States has committed to pay in health care, disability, burial and other costs for roughly 4 million Afghanistan and Iraq veterans: more than $2 trillion.

Lessons learned? We're leaving Afghanistan, but the bills will continue coming in for a very long time. We seem to have learned no lessons from the Vietnam War. I wonder if Afghanistan will teach our future leaders anything.