Stevens Point News

Main Menu

  • Covid 19
  • Sports
    • Sports News
    • High School Sports Scores
    • Wisconsin Rapids Rafters
  • Crime
  • Arts & Entertainment
  • Opinion
  • Obits
  • Contact
    • Subscribe
  • Classifieds
    • View Ads
    • Place Ads
  • Legal Ads
    • Our Legals
    • Statewide
  • E-Edition
    • Stevens Point City Times

logo

Stevens Point News

  • Covid 19
  • Sports
    • Sports News
    • High School Sports Scores
    • Wisconsin Rapids Rafters
  • Crime
  • Arts & Entertainment
  • Opinion
  • Obits
  • Contact
    • Subscribe
  • Classifieds
    • View Ads
    • Place Ads
  • Legal Ads
    • Our Legals
    • Statewide
  • E-Edition
    • Stevens Point City Times
Opinion
Home›Opinion›Kemmeter Column: Afghan war repeats US mistakes

Kemmeter Column: Afghan war repeats US mistakes

By Taylor Hale
July 26, 2021
722
0
Share:

By GENE KEMMETER
The United States is pulling out of Afghanistan, officially by the end of August, after 20 years there, the longest war in U.S. history. The war has also cost U.S. taxpayers more than $6.5 trillion dollars, the third most expensive in history.

News stories indicate that the Taliban are overrunning areas held by the Afghan troops, prompting some politicians to question whether the removal of U.S. troops might be premature because the action will create a Civil War.

At the same time, the U.S. is trying to help an estimated 70,000 Afghans, who helped the U.S. effort during those 20 years, leave the country and bring some of them to the U.S. to escape likely execution at the hands of the Taliban and other groups that are considered extremist.

Unfortunately, the history of the U.S. has been to go into countries to “help” them because they have been overrun by forces considered unfavorable to the U.S. and its support of democracy. The involvement has engaged the nation in long-lasting skirmishes that ultimately result in the U.S. abandoning their efforts after the extensive loss of American soldiers and many others to wage the war.

U.S. leaders decided the war had been going on long enough, and it was time for the Afghan government and people to assume control of their country.
The U.S. has supposedly trained the Afghan army and provided the latest in weapons and military equipment. But has it really grown the army and police forces in that nation to bring a democratic government to fruition?

U.S. troops left Bagram Air Base at the beginning of the month, and reportedly failed to inform Afghan authorities when they were leaving. As a result, Afghan troops had to chase looters from the base. Other news reports indicated Afghan troops were abandoning positions and fleeing to neighboring countries as Taliban forces claimed to control 85 percent of the country.

Throughout the years, U.S. leaders have failed to learn from previous experiences that they can’t impose a democracy on other nations. A democracy has to come from the heart and soul of each individual nation.

The U.S. can teach other nations about democracy, but it also has to inspire the residents of that nation about the benefits each person receives from individual freedom and rights, and how each person has to participate in that democracy to make it better. That inspiration has to be instilled in people that have never experienced it for generations.

Creating a monarchy or an autocratic government is much easier. Only a single leader and a handful of supporters are necessary to govern. Then the citizens need to follow what they are told to do. Those citizens can live the rest of their lives doing what they’re told to do and can stay out of trouble if they do just that.
The U.S. knows from previous engagements that those who supported the U.S. and were left behind were imprisoned or executed. Those left behind have lived in acute danger and need outside assistance.

In Afghanistan, many girls and women have been educated according to American standards,learning to read, write and function in jobs previously held only by men. Now those girls and women likely face persecution or death.

The U.S. has a horrendous track record in trying to build democracy around the world. The most tangible successes came at the end of World War II when the European countries, Japan and other nations turned to a more democratic government while also retaining vestiges of monarchies or prior governments.
Since then, the U.S. has intervened in several countries to stave off the slaughter of civilians, only to pull out of the country until another potential slaughter occurred. Efforts to change the government started out successful, but the country soon reverted to autocratic rule, restarting the cycle.

In the future, the U.S. is probably going to debate intervening in a country, and it needs to study its history and that country’s history fully before taking action. Any intervention means the U.S. will have to establish a plan to take care of the natives of that country who assist U.S. troops during that intervention.

And the U.S. needs to understand, changing a country’s thoughts about government and customs takes more than a decade. It takes generations.

TagsAfghan warColumGene KemmeterOpinion
Previous Article

City looks into prohibiting putting debris on ...

Next Article

Stevens Point Police K9 Unit announces logo ...

0
Shares
  • 0
  • +
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0

Related articles More from author

  • CommentaryNews

    Newspapers provide tool for real news

    October 10, 2017
    By STEVENS POINT NEWS
  • NewsTop Feature

    City’s revaluation impacts property taxes

    December 29, 2017
    By STEVENS POINT NEWS
  • Commentary

    Are more than white lies pervading among Americans?

    June 22, 2018
    By STEVENS POINT NEWS
  • CommentaryNewsTop Feature

    Immigration deserves to be addressed with new law

    July 13, 2018
    By STEVENS POINT NEWS
  • CommentaryNewsTop Feature

    More water tests show contaminates rising in Central Wisconsin

    July 25, 2018
    By STEVENS POINT NEWS
  • Opinion

    Toll from mass shootings just keeps rising

    August 8, 2019
    By jschooley

Leave a reply Cancel reply

High School Sports

Go to High School Sports

Free SP Newsletter

  • Sports

  • Commentary

  • SPASH names new head football coach

    By Taylor Hale
    May 4, 2022
  • Nelson’s walk-off sparks series win with three victories

    By Taylor Hale
    April 13, 2022
  • UWSP women’s basketball coach announces retirement

    By Taylor Hale
    April 9, 2022
  • Pitching dominates with pair of one-hitters as Pointers finish sweep

    By Taylor Hale
    April 5, 2022
  • SPASH trap shooting club hosts fundraiser

    By Taylor Hale
    March 16, 2022
  • Ice fishing contest Reels in $1,500 for Portage County Literacy Council

    By Taylor Hale
    March 17, 2022
  • Kemmeter Column: County celebrates year after quarantine

    By Taylor Hale
    July 12, 2021
  • Isherwood Column: Great engineering projects two

    By Taylor Hale
    July 11, 2021
  • Shoes News Graphic

    Show Column: Odd Jobs

    By Taylor Hale
    July 9, 2021
  • Looking ahead with Larry: July 2

    By Taylor Hale
    July 5, 2021

About Us


The Portage County Gazette is published every Friday by Multi Media Channels. It is locally-owned, locally-operated and locally-written. Subscriptions are $59 annually, delivered via the U.S. Postal Service.


To subscribe, go www.shopmmclocal.com/product/portage-county-gazette or call 715-258-4360

  • 2619 Post Road, Stevens Point, WI 54481
  • (715) 343-8045
  • News editor: [email protected]
Copyright © 2022 Multi Media Channels LLC.
All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication or any of its contents may be reproduced, copied, modified or adapted without the prior written consent of Multi Media Channels LLC.
×