“Keeping up with the Kardashians”
For those who have forgotten, this country is at war. In the 10 months since my release from active duty, I have not seen any indication of it in American society. I have even been asked, by multiple fine citizens, if the Afghanistan war is still being fought. In contrast to wars of the past, the burden of our present one falls solely on the shoulders of our military members and their families. Despite the untold number of threats we currently face both at home and abroad, many Americans give more concern to pressing issues such as the love lives and wholesome values of the Kardashian sisters.
The separate conflicts of the global war on terrorism are sometimes generalized under idealistic notions such as “a war to spread peace and democracy.” In reality, they are much more involved and each has distinct political causes, strategic considerations and potential legacies. Although our remaining forces are being withdrawn from Iraq, their story is just beginning and the conflict’s legacy is now in their hands. At present, the situation is unsound and any form of unrest could potentially undo what was established there. It is an enormous, expensive and dangerous gamble.
If the primary cause for invasion was the fear of weapons of mass destruction, where was the invasion of North Korea? The Iraq conflict is often called an oil war, but I believe this is only partially true and only a piece of the puzzle. We never stole a single barrel of oil, but having a strong democratic ally in Iraq promotes Western interests in this volatile and increasingly vital region of the world. It also guarantees the availability of their oil to the global market. Although the basis for invading Iraq may be questionable, we had a clearly defined cause to become involved in Afghanistan after September 2001.
On the ground, our military has proven capable of fighting the insurgency in Afghanistan. Iraq provided ample education in counter-insurgency operations, but there are deeper aspects to consider. We can continue battling them for another decade but the real cause for our struggles will remain unchecked. Our failure is that we are using similar strategies in two very different scenarios.
Iraq had oil revenues, modern cities and literate people essential to assuming control of their government and its security forces. Afghanistan has opium, decentralized villages under tribal warlords and a mostly illiterate population. This is the base on which we are trying to build a Westernized democracy. It lacks the prerequisites. Applying the Iraq strategy demonstrates an absence of understanding for the Afghan people and their history of resenting foreign occupation.
Our presence alienates most of the Muslim world and persistently fills the ranks of the insurgency, and they have no shortage of manpower on reserve. The insurgents we fight are not the men who took down the Twin Towers. They are the same men we applauded for resisting the Soviets. If I were to find America occupied by a foreign power, I would also become labeled a resistant insurgent. The common notion that people should want to be Westernized is a fallacy. The simple way of life these people live has more dignity than the countless and meaningless pleasures many Americans indulge in. For those with a short memory, the former Soviet Union committed similar failures for nine years until they were forced to withdraw in 1988. The following year, the U.S.S.R. collapsed.
At this point, complete withdrawal is not an option. It would reopen the country as a staging ground for future attacks on the West. It is not my place to make a claim toward the appropriate course but the current one makes a sinkhole out of the conflict in to which we throw hundreds of billions of dollars annually and, more importantly, priceless lives on either side of the conflict. Our entire strategy needs to be reevaluated, especially in light of our current economic situation.
Due only in part to our defense budget, our national debt is skyrocketing to unprecedented levels. At the same time, the pockets of greedy and unnecessary defense contractors are fattened. Our overall military spending suggests preparations for, albeit impossible, a massive war against half the planet. The nuclear deterrent needs to be good for something. Our Navy, for example, has a fleet tonnage greater than the next 13 combined, many of which belong to our seemingly forgotten NATO allies. In addition, our defense spending outweighs that of China tenfold. We have global interests that need protection, but the current level of spending is beyond excessive. The arms race of the Cold War and the necessity of grossly large standing military forces have long since passed.
As we bear witness to the combined effort of NATO and the oppressed people of Libya, we see that nature corrects itself when it needs to. Whether we take the helm or not, it also gives America the opportunity to participate in removing an oppressive dictator as one member of an actual coalition. The world is accomplishing, in short order and with minimal casualties, what took eight years of war, over 4,000 American lives, 318 Coalition member lives, over 100,000 Iraqi civilian and enemy combatant lives, and trillions of U.S. dollars in Iraq. Our dependence on firepower is proving less effective than we once thought. As we have seen since our own revolution, the will of a unified people outweighs the might of any military force.
21st century America is in its 11th year and has known 10 months without war. We successfully stood up Iraq under questionable pretense but have become indefinitely bogged down in a misunderstood conflict in Afghanistan. If there is one lesson to be taken out of the global War on Terrorism, it is that wasteful and enormous military machines have lost their place in dealing with the threats of the modern world. Given our nation’s current challenges, such failures are more dangerous than ever. Few Americans seem to notice. Who wants to think about war or the world’s future when little Kardashian’s fiancé is being a complete jerk? He shouldn’t treat her like that!
-Bryan Jiencke is a sophomore at the College of Arts and Sciences and a Seargant in the United States Marines Corps. He can be reached at bryan.jiencke@gmail.com.
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