Afghanistan: how about no boots on the ground?

President Obama is conducting yet another of his public decision making ordeals, this time agonizing over Afghanistan. As I have written previously, Obama instinctively tries to split every problem, even those that cannot be split. Instead of agreeing to the request of his hand picked U.S. general for Afghanistan for an additional 40,000 troops, Obama would like to send 40,000 half troops, maybe some waist up, some waist down.

We should eliminate the U.S. Army. That would deprive the commander-in-chief of the option to occupy someplace. We would still have the Air Force, Navy and Marines. That's plenty for what is practical. Oh, and of course, plenty of nuclear warheads on ICBMs and nuclear submarines.

When he was the general in charge of the Persian Gulf war in 1991 for President Bush the elder, Colin Powell popularized the phrase "boots on the ground" as in how many troops do we need. He also popularized the concept of overwhelming force. That's good for winning a war and President Bush the elder had both the common sense and restraint to win and leave Iraq. However, President Bush the younger wound up occupying Iraq and lacking the common sense to know when to leave. He engaged in nation building, even though he stated during the 2000 presidential campaign which gave Al Gore more popular votes that he, Bush the younger, abhorred nation building. Bush the younger did the same in Afghanistan with the same lack of success.

Now these are Obama's wars, despite the amazingly annoying practice of Bush haters to continue to call them Bush's wars. Obama must end them. Obama has shown no inclination to do anything very different so far. He won't do it but it's pretty simple: get the heck out. That's how you end them. Occupation is no longer an option for a civilized country. Too much publicity. Scandals and brutality are inevitable. Even the Russians would have difficulty and they don't care what anybody thinks. To occupy or impose a Pax Americana as President Kennedy phrased it during his inaugural address requires force and plenty of it. No matter how gently one tries to use such force it is always resented. Resentment is the best reaction to hope for. Insurgency is more likely.

Don't do it. Don't occupy. We currently occupy both Iraq and Afghanistan. Neither occupation will work well for the United States. We need to leave ASAP. No boots on the ground.