It has struck me over the last year and a half, or so, that we just don't seem to be hearing much about the war in Afghanistan. During the previous presidency, I can sort of understand that, because the media (and public) seemed to be concentrated on the war in Iraq. But now, Iraq has more or less settled down, major combat operations have come to an end, and our collective national attention can refocus on Afghanistan.
But we haven't. Why?
It seems to me that during the Bush Administration, during good times in Iraq, and bad, President Bush was constantly talking about the war. This seemed altogether reasonable as the people's support of the war waned prior to the success of the surge, and, as President, he followed the strategy of many other US wartime presidents by getting out in front of the people, and spoke forcefully about his decision for sending troops to war, and cheering on the hard fought successes of the troops on the ground (and in the air).
This was a constant drum beat from President Bush. It was so often and so repetitive that even George Bush supporters were pleading for a change in script, a change in talking points, a newer explanation, or something different. But he continued on, unrelenting in his message. This could have been helpful to the cause, or perhaps hurtful - I'll let each of you judge for yourselves.
President Obama's approach to the war in Afghanistan seems to be the opposite. He seems to be utterly, and thoroughly silent on the matter. This is not to say that he mourns the loss of troops any less than President Bush, nor is it to say that he isn't taking the war any less serious than his predecessor. Maybe, maybe not. I have not been granted the opportunity to peer into his soul and converse with him on the matter, so I don't want to put myself into the dangerous position of judging his soul.
Who knows? Perhaps he hasn't said much on the matter (since his own surge speech) because the public seems to recoil when they hear the horrors of war, and it is difficult to maintain support. Sometimes, I confess, I could see how it is better that the gritty details of the war are not known in realtime, and by speaking on the topic less, people tend to have less curiosity about it. Can you imagine if we had the realtime gritty details of WWII like we do today? Good grief, we never would have kept public support beyond the North African campaign.
However, I can observe that there are certain results from keeping very quiet about the war in Afghanistan. Public support doesn't get lost by observing disappointing set backs in the field of battle, it gets lost by disinterest. The next (of many) domino that falls after that is that all of those soldiers, and their families, who are fighting and dying for the cause of liberty...are forgotten.
I'm reminded of Rudyard Kipling's words:
"For God and the Soldier we adore,
In time of danger, not before!
The danger passed, and all things righted,
God is forgotten, and the soldier slighted."
A Marine recently informed me that the "Darkhorse" 3rd Battalion 5th Marines have lost 12 Marines in 4 days. Their names are: Justin Allen, Brett Linley, Matthew Weikert, Justus Bartett, Dave Santos, Chase Stanley, Jesse Reed, Matthew Johnson, Zachary Fisher, Brandon King, Christopher Goeke, and Sheldon Tate.
A President must weigh whether or not the spotlight he can throw on a war (and all that goes with it) will, in the end, help or hurt the war's cause, and then pursue the path that will help the most. I don't know what President Obama's calculus is in his relative silence. But in the meantime, let us not forget these Marines, and the many other folks in the military who have fought, bled, and died for freedom.
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Update: A "3/5 wife" notified me that "the Darkhorse Marines who have given their lives in Afghanistan recently are: LCPL Sparks, CPL Cain, PFC Dew, LCPL Rodewal, LCPL Vinnedge, LCPL Catherwood, LCPL Ceniceros, LCPL Lopez, LCPL Boel,; SGT Tawney, LCPL Pearson, LCPL Broehm LCPL Braggs, 2LT Kelly, LCPL Stack, 1LT Donnely IV, SGT Abbate, PFC Rusk, CPL Wyatt, SGT Peto, LCPL Maldonado, LCPL Corzine & CPL Nguyen."
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