Little to gain in staying in Iraq, Afghanistan

Ed Dornlas, Las Vegas

Thursday, Aug. 27, 2009 | 2:05 a.m.

With the nation preoccupied with financial bailouts followed by a massive stimulus bill and the fiercely expensive energy bill, culminating in the wildly expensive health care bills, it’s no wonder the nation is not much focused on the Afghanistan and Iraq wars that Bob Herbert of The New York Times ably described in his column published in Wednesday’s Las Vegas Sun, “At war as nation slumbers.”

Our new president candidly states that our nation is broke. We are borrowing half of what we spend and face massive debt for us and our children — debt so massive it is inconceivable and probably can never be paid back by tax revenue.

So let’s ask ourselves now: What is really important to us?

With no money, we must ask ourselves why we are risking our precious children’s lives and going further into debt. What is there about teaching the Afghans and Iraqis to vote that is going to actually enhance our national security?

Someone should remind the president that 120,000 Soviet soldiers lost to the Afghans. How many of our brave troops would it take to subdue the country, and what would be gained?

How long should we hang around Iraq before we realize it’s time to go? What do we really gain by staying and bleeding our nation to death?