Invest — in the Military

Brandon Stewart / June 24, 2011

Yesterday’s topic at the New York Times “Room for Debate” blog series was on the President’s Afghanistan withdrawal announcement and what to do with the resulting “peace dividend”. Heritage’s Mackenzie Eaglen weighed in:

Politics matters in war. It’s why the Army Chief of Staff after Vietnam tried to institute a doctrine where the nation only makes large or prolonged military commitments using all forces, including those in the National Guard and Reserves.

But the politically expedient path to draw down U.S. forces in Afghanistan more quickly than military commanders suggest—and at increased risk to a very small share of our population—could lead to unintended consequences. It could also lead to prolonged operations that would’ve otherwise been unnecessary, or jeopardize success made over the past year. (more…)