Forum Post: Defending health care, education and freedom of speech... in Afghanistan... until 2024.

Oh, feds... I see what you did there... pretty clever!

http://news.yahoo.com/us-defend-afghanistan-decade-drawdown-112505244.html

"Washington has pledged in a newly agreed strategic pact to help defend Afghanistan militarily for at least a decade after the country formally takes control of its own security, an Afghan official said Monday.

The draft agreement signed on Sunday also says the U.S. will only take such actions with Afghan agreement. The United States also pledged it will not launch attacks on other countries from Afghan soil, according to sections of the accord read out in parliament by Afghan National Security Adviser Rangin Dadfar Spanta."

"The agreement also says the U.S. will help support Afghan economic development, health care programs, education and social initiatives, and stresses that the U.S. remains committed to defending human rights and the right of free speech."

So let me get this straight - Anybody that we allow to have power becomes the de-facto 'government' and anybody that contests that power becomes an 'insurgent'. The people we put into political positions have generously agreed to let us keep our military in their country for an extra 10 years past when we were supposed to pull out. We promise not to attack anybody from their country without their permission. Of course, the US military is the only thing standing between these politicians and the howling mob of angry citizens they have betrayed... I bet they'll be pretty flexible about our military directives.

Or, to put it another way, let's say I take over your town. I have the biggest, baddest army in the world, so why not? Over the course of a decade, I fill every government position with people that are on my payroll. When people protest, I call them insurgents and kill them. Then, I have your newly reformed city council vote to maintain my (military) presence for another 10 years. Awesome, right?

I have an idea! Let's make an international law that an occupying force can only stay if they get permission from the people through a direct popular vote. If your citizens are seriously so afraid of their neighbors (Bosnia, anyone?) that they embrace our military involvement, let's give it to them. On the other hand, if your citizens don't want us there and will never stop trying to kill our troops, let them vote us out and deal with their own problems.