Problems Aplenty

You'd think that the war alone would be the all encompassing problem for the American troops in Afghanistan. But in fact, there are many other things that plague troops fighting the Taliban in the harsh desert lands of Afghanistan. Four problems that seem especially significant to me are as follows:

1. There is a lack of American ground troops in Afghanistan.

Due to the unstable situation in Afghanistan, and the possibility of a failed state in its neighboring nation, Pakistan, The US is "forced" to continuing fighting a war in the region. Unfortunately, the amount of troops needed to fight that war far exceeds the number of troops actually ready and willing to transfer overseas. In short, we don't have enough troops to fight to our fullest capacity. And this is dangerous for several reasons. First, the troops already there are in more danger and have less backup. Also, if we don't have enough troops to accomplish what needs to be accomplished, the war will drag on, costing more money and risking more lives.

2. The potential for Pakistan to become a "failed state."

The Pakistani government is currently in a very weak state. As a country, violence is prominent and many are unhappy. In fact, things are so bad there that many are predicting that Pakistan will soon become a "failed state," meaning that the Pakistani government is failing to do its job correctly. If Pakistan were to become a failed state, the door would be open for a group like the Taliban to enter and take over things. That kind of control could be extremely dangerous, as Pakistan is the proud owner of many nuclear weapons. Basically, one of the world's most predominant terrorist groups could have a supply of nuclear weapons. Also, that would mean the already thinly spread American troops would have even more ground to cover, and an even greater deficit of soldiers.

3. Any Taliban leaders that are killed by US soldiers become martyrs.

Even if US soldiers manage to take out key Taliban figures, their death will not divide or disperse the Taliban as the US had previously hoped. The fallen Taliban will instead be looked at as a martyr, and worshipped for dying honorably for the cause. Instead of death decreasing Taliban morale and determination, it does just the opposite. It makes them want to fight even harder, and makes them that much more of a threat.

4. The psychological aspect of the warfare alone takes a huge toll on US soldiers.

Bombs, blood, and blurs. I'm glad to say I've never had to be in a situation where killing someone would be necessary. Nor have I been part of a war. So I don't know what its like to see corpses lining streets, to see beheaded children, or to have to shoot someone. I don't know what that would do to a person, but I imagine it would difficult to deal with. One of the biggest problems facing soldiers returning home from war is struggle re-adapting to normal life. War leaves imprints on your brain. It changes you, in some ways for the better, in some ways for the worse. So I might even argue that the hardest part of war is the psychological toll it takes on the soldiers fighting in it. Thank god that the draft no longer exists as it used to.

These are four big problems I see. To be honest, war confuses me more than most things. I have a difficult time even thinking about it, but I know its incredibly important that I know why we are at war, and that I appreciate that all of what I take so often for granted. That's all for now. Tune in next time for my commentary on Obama's plan for Afghanistan.