Military families cry out: Stop asking us to pay the price of hubris

I agree with Bill Mahre that the members of congress are the dumbest people on earth. When well we learn that you can' win a war in the middle east when the people there find it ok to kill each other. You may kill everyone in their armies but you can't kill a belief or a way of life.

Those in favor of the 'war' generally cite the desire to spread freedom and democracy to countries where both concepts are as alien as sliced bacon and baby-back ribs. I urge them to lay down their flags and take up their brains. If Afghans want democracy, let THEM fight to achieve it.

Those who would have the United States re-evaluate its military and political positions vis-a-vis the moral imperatives incumbent upon a leader among First-World nations must unite to deny this government further aid and comfort in its ill-conceived, costly, unlawful and immoral intrusions in the affairs of Second and Third world countries and economies. There a numerous justifications for such act of defiance in the document we all purport to hold dear; our Constitution.

I definitely unstand your article and think its time for our troops to come home. My husband and I both deployed, unfortunately at different times. He is currently away and even though we are a strong couple, it is hard. The friends I have made who are spouses have to be strong as well. They have children who hardly know their deployed loved one, children who are depressed or act out in school because they don't get to see their soldier, spouses have to play the role of both parents, and like you said "live in a constant fear". There's only so much a spouse can do to stay busy (work, take up a few hobbies) but at the end of the day, a cold bed, and an empty heart is all we feel we have. I hate the fact that the soldiers have to pay for internet there, when it's not even 100% reliabe. The system will shut down for no reason, or if god forbid something happens, the military has to do a "blackout", and block internet and phone usage until families have been notified that their soldier has passed or been injured.
There's a difference between supporting the war and supporting our troops. I don't believe making more sacrifices will help our families or the soldiers of our families. I'm extremely proud of my husband and our friends who are serving, but we also extend it to our friends who are our tour number 3...4..5 and have kids they barely see and a spouse that they are losing touch with.

Well said and I agree more then 100%. Many do not realize the huge sacrifices and cost to the family as well as our nation. If we continue to stay over there, we may no longer have a nation of our own to protect. We blew our chance when we ignored the military pleas for more help and went to Iraq. Afghanistan is out of control now and the real problem behind it all, is drugs, that we cannot stop . Drugs /poppies being grown over there are not a real threat to our nation as much as the problems we are facing with the attacks on the American people from the now super powers that have grown thanks to the previous administration. Our being there was not pointless, our staying when we are no longer a big enough force and funds would be a bigger disaster and injustice. Killing our military and people over there over drugs is pointless. We need to come home, beaf up so to speak, and get the help from our neighbors if we have any left.

I would like Tim Bishop to sponsor the Mc govern Bill and have It signed. I would like to have congressman John Boehner sponsor the Mc govern Bill and have It signed and also the Lee Bill.

i think congressmen are the dumbest people on earth tooand let the those afgans fight their own battles and get our troops out of ther and it is target p ractice for the taliban killers they are overjoyed to be killling American kids and lets send the guys in congress to fight there most of the do nothing senators too.ive seen wars sincse ww2and now our so called friends the french germans and all that garbage across the ocean hate us after wasting tons of money on them.Let me say again this government thinks americans are dumb and lets show them and fire them all

Catherine T Woods

I understand both sides of the argument, should we stay or should we go, but I think people get confused about what "victory" means for this mission and how other people define freedom. For me to say what it would take to be victorious in either war means I understand why we actually are at war. So for people to say that we should stay in Afghanistan until we are victorious is an abstract idea that is rooted in nothing. I also think that people in America seem to think that other people around the world want to embrace our system of freedom and I don't think that's the case. The people of Afghanistan are so far from our modern reality that it's hard to comprehend. Most don't read, write, even have electricity or plumbing. The live their lives by rules of religion that shape everything they do. Besides, isn't it up to the people of Afghanistan to decide how they want to define themselves? Isn't that freedom?

I am a military spouse and my husband spent 15 months in Afghanistan and did not come home the same man he left as. He has since been overseas on other missions and has not been home in the 4 years at our current duty station but for a few months. My daughter is 4 and barely knows her father. To say the separation is hard is putting it mildly. I know our military men and women take their jobs seriously, but it is just a job. I'm glad to see an administration give some deep thought to the situation instead of blindly reacting. I don't know if my marriage will make it or if this war will end soon but i do know that I'm proud of my husband and everyone that serves.

Leaving aside that our efforts in Afghanistan are really best described as an "occupation" rather than a "war", we will eventually accomplish nothing because of three factors, any of which is sufficient by itself to guarantee failure:
1) Most experts agree that you need a ratio of troops to civilians of 1:50. This requires 1/2 millions reliable (not Afghan) troops on the ground in country. This will never happen.
2) The countries bordering Afghanistan provide safe haven for the insurgents.
3) The local government is not widely supported.
If we left today, only one thing would change. The insurgents would resume fighting amongst themselves rather than against us. I think this is a good thing, don't you? Oh, at least one more thing would change. Lisa would get her life back. That has got to be a good thing.

Dear CNN, I believe John Roberts is so talented, knowledgable, articulate that he should be considered for the ABC anchor news after Diane Sawyer' ratings sink further. I know that this is not your company–but he is that good and everyone else pales next to him regarding what he knows, where he has been and what he has accomplished. And he is calm and non-plussed.

So please tell him. He should go for that job. He is also soothing and reliable. he could easily replace Charlie G.

Thank yu much.
Jayne age 54