Eighteen years and counting

On October 7, 2001, the United States invaded Afghanistan -- full of rage and ignorant, misbegotten imperial idealism -- in response to the 9/11 attacks on New York and Washington. Our unequaled military might would speedily overawe a bunch of primitive tribesmen wearing scruffy beards and funny hats, or so we thought. A week later, U.S. flyers began dropping this psyops leaflet threatening death from the skies -- an image repurposed from our imperial escapades in Korea, Vietnam, Gulf War I, and Kosovo.

Image via John W. Dower, Cultures of War: Pearl Harbor / Hiroshima / 9-11 / Iraq

Our troops are still fighting in that unhappy country and the killing continues. No, there was not much peace before we came crashing in. But the BBC summarizes the current "unrelenting violence":

An average of 74 men, women and children were killed every day in Afghanistan throughout the month of August, the BBC has found. ...

"The conflict has a devastating impact on civilians," says Fiona Frazer, human rights chief for the UN mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA).

"United Nations data strongly indicates that more civilians are killed or injured in Afghanistan due to armed conflict than anywhere else on Earth.

"Although the number of recorded civilian casualties are disturbingly high, due to rigorous methods of verification, the published figures almost certainly do not reflect the true scale of harm."

The US and Afghan militaries routinely deny or fail to report civilian casualty figures.

Last month, 32 Afghan pine nut harvesters — sitting around a fire after a day’s labor in the fields — were killed by a U.S. drone strike.

A few days later: 40+ guests at a wedding party — including 12 children — were killed in a raid by U.S. backed Afghan forces.

Last weekend: 5 more civilians were killed in a U.S. airstrike.

These events barely enter our news stream; the war in Afghanistan is just a few weak notes in the background soundtrack of the national cacophony.

There are rumblings in Congress about ending the "Authorization for the Use of Military Force" (AUMF) which legitimates the endless wars of 9/11. The House of Representatives has passed such a measure as part of the pending military budget. Will the Senate go along? Will the President sign a bill with such a provision?

Win Without War lobbies tirelessly toward that end. Somebody has to do it; they deserve our support.
... Speaking of those who need support, U.S. veterans of the endless wars of 9/11 are just about the only group whose unemployment numbers are rising in this full-employment economy. That damage persists, along with the war.