US and allied forces should retreat from Afghanistan immediately.

Though your points are sound and convincing I did state I was not in favour of the method nor the continued method of the current failure in the White House. You say it is not our job to police the world, to liberate those in chains, to emancipate the oppressed from anti-progressive unevolved primitives. Yet that doesn't seem like a terrible policy to me. I have the fortune to be born away from conflict, away from terror and in luxury I feel that is no reason to forsake those who are not so lucky for monetary reasons. People deserve freedom, our freedom isn't an export but the ability to craft one's own should be. Bastards and talent less drug-barons and gang-leaders are clearly, objectively, inferior to an Allied intervention which slips up, which may get things wrong but when things go wrong it is unintentional. Under the Taliban the wrong was intended, it was gleefully enforced by sadists and crooks. To pick you up on one point, a Warlord in the Middle-East is not a village-elder it is someone with control over armed men whom blocks a road and charges for passage. Though village-elders are not a higher power either, they again are unreliable and have no mandate to govern except age and respect and support from the strong. The strong don't need help the weak do. The Allied Engineers are constructing schools, wells and basic medical equipment to the weak. If that aid was sent without the soldiers to dispense it, sent to the Warlords it would stay there; with the Warlords. The same goes for any beneficiary item or utility. You cannot rely on the goodness of these people's hearts when their hearts have shown to be black. I re-read my original comments on Karzai they were too lenient; he is corrupt beyond belief but he is an elected ruler, not justly elected but give the country a chance, that might seem pathetic to ask but lend some clemency to the quality of governance after the vitriol and violence of the centuries which came prior. Pakistan is another problem, another short-coming of how the war is being handled; India is the ally needed; multi-cultural, secular, democratic India. Though Pakistan has helped on occasion to make admittedly token sorties into the Spin Ghar range. Though there are no allied troops in Pakistan on the offensive per say as the nebulous quality of the border makes such a claim difficult to confirm. Though I'll concede is rather likely. Though I cannot see the wrong in fighting Al-Qaeda where ever they go. To conclude, I must take contention with your claim it is not a battle for ideas; it is. We have faulty democracy and they have barbarism and segregation and slavery to an appointed leader. To talent less murderers. Afghanistan was a war meant to catch Osama Bin Laden, to combat his desire to see an end to the Western way of life, to spread Islam through violence if necessary. The ideas of free-society and of social mobility need to be introduced to the people of Afghanistan, especially after 8 years of war. It is not a battle of ideas for diplomats for the enemy have no request; just a wish to see the complete end to us and our way of life. To fight these ideas those with them must answer to rifles not the telegram. To cut and run now would leave the people tripped as the rug was pulled out from under their feet. The promises to improve life replaced with the lamentable return of vandals who are frivolously cruel. I don't want my fellow human beings to suffer and I agree one cannot help everyone yet with the forces in Afghanistan we can help them. http://news.bbc.co.uk... http://books.google.co.uk...