War and Numbers
The war in Afghanistan continues to dominate US foreign concerns while, on the domestic front, we are, understandably, fixated on three sets of numbers.
The war has run its course long ago and has, predictably, turned sour for the United States. Whatever good we hoped to do - such as bringing down the Taliban controlled government of that Middle East country - was accomplished long ago. The Afghans have grown tired of our presence, especially after the recent accidental burning of the Korans and the tragic shooting of Afghan civilians by a US soldier. To be perfectly honest, the US efforts in the country are probably now counterproductive; we may well be doing more harm to US-Afghan relations than good.
This is the almost certain result of an undeclared war, entered without following the Powell Doctrine. We could not define "victory" when we entered the war and we did not have an exit strategy. Consequently, we now have a mess on our hands, one that is proving difficult and bloody to wash away. It seems to be a lesson we have to learn each generation and this time we learned it twice over - in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Meanwhile, back in the US, we are focused on three numbers: the number of delegates Mitt Romney has gathered, the price of gasoline and the unemployment rate.
Romney's struggle to acquire delegates has proven more difficult than I predicted. At this writing, he has just lost the Mississippi and Alabama primaries to Rick Santorum. I still believe Romney will, in the end, earn the nomination, but it is proving to be a difficult struggle.
Most people, however, are more concerned with the price of gas. Every time they fill up their tank, they are keenly aware of the sacrifices that will need to be made for the purchase. Entertainment, savings and, in some cases, even the quality and variety of food must be placed on the altar as people make financial sacrifices to get to work, home and school. This obviously cannot be good for the economy. The rising price of gas could easily stall an already shaky recovery.
But even the price of gas pales in comparison to the unemployment figures. The cost of filling your gas tank is important, but not as important as your job. Whether or not you have a place of employment trumps just about everything else and, in fact, I am willing to predict that the unemployment rate will, in the end, decide the next president. If the unemployment rate continues to improve, President Obama will be reelected. However, if the current 8.3 percent unemployment rate should begin to rise again toward double digit figures, the Republican nominee will stand a very good chance of occupying the White House.
The war has run its course long ago and has, predictably, turned sour for the United States. Whatever good we hoped to do - such as bringing down the Taliban controlled government of that Middle East country - was accomplished long ago. The Afghans have grown tired of our presence, especially after the recent accidental burning of the Korans and the tragic shooting of Afghan civilians by a US soldier. To be perfectly honest, the US efforts in the country are probably now counterproductive; we may well be doing more harm to US-Afghan relations than good.
This is the almost certain result of an undeclared war, entered without following the Powell Doctrine. We could not define "victory" when we entered the war and we did not have an exit strategy. Consequently, we now have a mess on our hands, one that is proving difficult and bloody to wash away. It seems to be a lesson we have to learn each generation and this time we learned it twice over - in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Meanwhile, back in the US, we are focused on three numbers: the number of delegates Mitt Romney has gathered, the price of gasoline and the unemployment rate.
Romney's struggle to acquire delegates has proven more difficult than I predicted. At this writing, he has just lost the Mississippi and Alabama primaries to Rick Santorum. I still believe Romney will, in the end, earn the nomination, but it is proving to be a difficult struggle.
Most people, however, are more concerned with the price of gas. Every time they fill up their tank, they are keenly aware of the sacrifices that will need to be made for the purchase. Entertainment, savings and, in some cases, even the quality and variety of food must be placed on the altar as people make financial sacrifices to get to work, home and school. This obviously cannot be good for the economy. The rising price of gas could easily stall an already shaky recovery.
But even the price of gas pales in comparison to the unemployment figures. The cost of filling your gas tank is important, but not as important as your job. Whether or not you have a place of employment trumps just about everything else and, in fact, I am willing to predict that the unemployment rate will, in the end, decide the next president. If the unemployment rate continues to improve, President Obama will be reelected. However, if the current 8.3 percent unemployment rate should begin to rise again toward double digit figures, the Republican nominee will stand a very good chance of occupying the White House.
posted by dlh | 6:53 AM
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