Policy doesn’t fit on a bumper sticker. This is doubly true for Afghanistan. Those who unquestionably support the effort to double down on the current Afghanistan disaster while saying this is somehow a new strategy are not paying attention to what’s going on in the theater. In this blockbuster episode of “The Conservative Conscience,” we invite Capt. Jarrin Jackson to discuss the reality on the ground in Afghanistan. Using his war stories as a company commander during the height of the previous surge, he demonstrates why what we are likely to do is more dangerous and costly nation-building that needlessly risks the lives of our troops in pursuit of a utopian goal.
While the president’s address was clearly aimed at appeasing conservatives by focusing on counter-terrorism and not nation-building, the conditions were too ambiguous. And given that the generals and the administration staff implementing this policy are all part of the problem, we are headed for the same results as the 2011 surge.
Jarrin, who says he is running for Congress in 2018, left the military because he was so frustrated about the political and military leadership not putting our interests first, following the Constitution, and having the proper regard for the lives of the troops under their command.
Key quote:
“Today’s generals are more political than politicians.” ~Jarrin Jackson
Show Links:
- Welcome to the new Afghanistan policy – same as the old
- What the political and military leaders don’t appreciate about sacrificing the lives of our troops
- Why Jarrin is challenging Mullin in Oklahoma
- 5 gigantic holes in the current Afghanistan plan
- 3 questions the president should ask his generals
Daniel Horowitz is a Senior Editor at Conservative Review, a Conservative writer, and a policy analyst focusing on the hot-button issues in Congress. He is the author of the new book, Stolen Sovereignty: How to Stop Unelected Judges from Transforming America.
Follow Daniel on Twitter: @RMConservative
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