THE FORGOTTEN WAR – AT 9:44 A.M. ET:  The men and women fighting in Afghanistan won't like this story, but it confirms what they probably already know – their effort is being forgotten by the American people.  From The New York Times:

It has been going on there for nine years and counting. Nearly 100,000 American troops are currently deployed there. More than 1,300 American service members have lost their lives there. The United States has spent over $300 billion on the effort so far. Yet polling suggests that the war in Afghanistan is barely a blip on voters’ radars as the midterm elections approach.

Given the condition of the economy and the high unemployment rate, the fact that most Americans largely cite those problems as the nation’s top issues is not surprising. What is surprising is that hardly any Americans cite the war in Afghanistan at all.

In a nationwide New York Times/CBS News poll conducted last month, 60 percent of Americans said that the economy or jobs were the most important problems facing the country. A mere 3 percent mentioned Afghanistan or the war.

It's so sad, because the war in Afghanistan is so important.  But voter reaction is typical of the American experience.  Fox Conner, the Army general who was Dwight Eisenhower's intellectual mentor, gave Eisenhower three rules of war for Americans:  1) Never fight unless you have to; 2) Never fight alone; and 3) Never fight for long.

Americans are an impatient people, and our history shows that we do not accept long wars.  Americans turned against Vietnam in large measure because it dragged on.  (Another factor was monumentally incompetent press reporting that failed to pick up our victories and the enemy's desperation.) 

Although our action in Afghanistan was a direct response to the 9-11 attacks, those attacks took place nine years ago.  It's too long, and public support and interest have waned.  I'm afraid it will take another shock to bring us back to reality and urgency.

October 16, 2010