Angst About Afghanistan

Traditionally, the American people have been very slow at realizing they have been duped by their government. Time and time again, they are sent off to war on the flimsiest of excuses, only to find out years and many casualties later that they were lied to about the reasons behind it. Not daring to question what the political leaders tell them, they suffer through the wars, until it becomes evident that they have been taken advantage of.

Afghanistan is a case in point. It has taken Americans more than ten years to finally become convinced, by a two-thirds margin, that the war there wasn't worth fighting. The percentage of Americans who believe so has been increasing since 2010. Mindless patriotism has finally been replaced with a realistic assessment of the situation. Had they thought things through, with a healthy dose of skepticism regarding the U.S. position, they wouldn't have gone through this tragic experience once again.

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