10+ years, 20,000 human lives, and just under a half a trillion dollars and now the US Military brass are ready to accept the inevitable – they have to move on from Afghanistan.
Alongside the troop withdrawal will be a strategic agreement, to be discussed at an upcoming Traditional Grand Assembly, with any tribal elders and political figures willing to play America’s twisted game.
An early draft of the agreement would let the US establish permanent military bases across the country, with the option to set up more military bases whenever it deems necessary. The draft also requires Afghan airspace to be handed over to American forces after the strategic deal comes into effect.
Not much of a deal for the Afghans. But it was never about them, anyway. Al Qaeda and the Taliban are just unfortunate fall-guys in the US’s bid for global supremacy.
Too bad for the US, they’re still fighting a 20th century battle, leaving top spot in the new frontier – cyberspace – up for grabs.
This is where humankind comes in. The new superpower on earth need not be China or some other private entity. The top force to be reckoned with could very well be humankind itself.
While our common humanity can be lost in the fog of war, social media acts like a lifting wind, exposing just how united we really are.
When enough of us see armed conflict for what it really is – that we are only fighting ourselves – we’ll be strong enough to systematically dismantle the institutions responsible for perpetuating wars around the world.
When enough people get the Internet, the whole world could be just one Twitter trend, one Facebook group, one whatever the heck Google+ does, away from world peace.
