Rethinking Afghanistan with Jonathan Bydlak

We are now on our third President acting as commander-in-chief in the “Forever War.”
George W. Bush started it. Obama continued it. And Trump promised to end it, but hasn’t.

Ready for some depressing numbers? Take a deep breath:

2.5 Trillion – the total cost of the War in Afghanistan (including indirect costs such as military benefits and medical expenses), as estimated by the Institute for Spending Reform

2,400 - The number of U.S. military casualties since the start of the war.

18 - the number of years we’ve been in Afghanistan (note that babies born after 9/11 are now eligible to serve in the “war on terror”)

21 - the number of veterans who commit suicide every day.

For those who were paying attention, the recently released “Afghanistan Papers” showed that all of this has been for virtually nothing. They also revealed the extent to which we’ve been lied to with each extension of our military presence in the region.

The one silver lining is that it’s not too late to get out of Afghanistan – or at least to draw down troops to a bare minimum. Jonathan Bydlak, President of the Institute for Spending Reform, released a report that puts the costs of the War in Afghanistan in perspective, and proposes potential savings of up to $400 billion over the next four years.

President Trump take note: Americans and military alike support an end to the War in Afghanistan. Drawing down just 5,400 troops would generate massive savings for the American taxpayer. What are you waiting for?

I discuss the new report, and the broader implications of the Afghanistan Papers (which went largely unnoticed by the media at large).
Learn why Ron Paul called the War in Afghanistan the “Crime of the Century.”