Make love not war

The U.S has spent 17 years waging military operations in Afghanistan. The costs have been staggering, not only in taxpayer dollars but in lost and shattered lives and destroyed property.

▪ In 2001, about 75 percent of Afghanistan was considered Taliban controlled. Today it is about 50 percent.

▪ Cost of war in Afghanistan to U.S. taxpayers since 2001: $1.07 trillion.

▪ Population of Afghanistan in 2001: 23 million.

▪ Per capita income of Afghanistan today: $618.30

What if instead of expending U.S. tax dollars towards military operations in Afghanistan we had simply given each man, woman and child in Afghanistan $46,521.74? The cost to U.S. taxpayers would be the same in either case, $1.07 trillion.

In simple terms: We invaded in 2001 because the Taliban controlled most of the country and was giving sanctuary to Osama Bin Laden and Al Qaida. In simplistic terms: we invaded Afghanistan because those people didn’t like America.

Seventeen years of military operations to win the hearts and minds of the Afghan population. How do they like us now?

What might we have won instead had we spent our treasure to improve living conditions of everyday Afghan citizens? What if instead of military operations we invested in infrastructure, including schools, libraries, hospitals, and affordable housing? What if instead of focusing on military solutions we focused on transforming the rural economy from reliance on opium production to other legitimate means of income production?

What if we had made love instead of war?