Y'all were saying the same thing about Iraq, too, not that long ago.
It is possible to win these things. But wanting to win is a necessary prerequisite.
HTG:
There isn't near as much quality human capital to work with in Astan. It is a country of cartographic convenience, stuffing variegated obnoxious ethnic groups who detest each other on to a spot on the map.
I wasn't kidding when I wrote that the native Afghans have not paved a mile of highway outside of Kabul.
It is the sort of country that makes
Haiti look prosperous by comparison. Hell, Haiti
is prosperous by comparison with GDP/capita of $1300 vs Astans $800. (Iraq: $3200)
LiteracyIraq 74%
Haiti 53%
Astan 28.1%
Haiti also (relative to Astan):
* Is more ethnically homogeneous
* Speaks the same language
Really, would you make the same argument about Haiti, that you are about Iraq? That the only thing lacking in Haiti is American Will and a "Haiti Surge" so we can unify the country, give it rational government, and put it on the path to modernity?
If not, I wonder where you get the idea that if only we polished the Astan turd hard enough and used enough Brasso, we'd end up with a gleaming token of our success, rather than just a turd with Brasso slopped over it.
Another way to think about it:
Iraq is a rough & rowdy 18YO male. There's some potential, but how do you know unitl you kick his ass and smack his head on straight? Might turn out to be a solid citizen after that. We see plenty of that type go enter the service as callow youth to emerge men.
Haiti is a "developmentally delayed" 12 year old. He's not so bright and if he graduates high school, it will be something worth celebrating. Never will amount to much and would need a waiver to get into the service because his ASVAB score is so low.
Astan is the 8YO who rides the short bus to school and wears hockey equipment...but does not play any sports. He still has to wear diapers and the only one who can communicate with him at school is an uncommonly patient special ed teacher who triumphed and managed to teach him to hold a pencil this year.
Now, I think it worthwhile to kill our enemies in Astan and to make it painful to those who support our enemies.
Thing is, there are plenty of other cesspools that deserve some of our attention: Yemen, Somalia to name just two. They are just as broken and doing what Astan did back before 9-11. Both could use some B-2 therapy and a short visit by our infantry to drain the swamp a bit.