US entry into Afghanistan tied to failed policy of Bush presidency
Afghanistan part of Bush legacy
The American exodus from Afghanistan will be a black mark on President Biden’s foreign affairs record, though I doubt any other chief executive could have done much better under the circumstances. The real blame for the debacle in that country, which has defeated every army that had the temerity to invade, is the president who ordered our troops to Afghanistan in the first place.
The first rule of war is to “know your enemy.” Had President Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, etc. made any effort to understand the traditions of the Islamic culture they would have understood that Osama bin Laden was a guest in Afghanistan. In Islam, a guest is honored and, as such, not to be handed over to an enemy.
We will never know if some form of negotiation would have accomplished the goal of getting our hands on the mastermind of 9/11. We never tried. We demanded. They refused. We invaded. Once our troops were in-country, like armies before us, there was no good way to get out.
The same administration made the same mistake when we invaded Iraq. George W. Bush and his advisors neither understood nor cared that the two sects of Islam - Sunni and Shiite - had been at war with each other since the 7th century. Throwing another army into this volatile mix was a serious mistake. Our invasion in 2001 and the colossal mismanagement of the aftermath set the stage for another war we should not have started in the first place.
We are out of Iraq now and almost out of Afghanistan. Present and future administrations should consider that the goal of foreign relations should be to accomplish our objectives without going to war.
- Jeffrey Kovite, Myrtle Beach
Welcome vaccine, mask support
As a Sun News E-subscriber, I appreciate the articles you print supporting mask and vaccine mandates. We now have the SC Department of Health and Environmental Control and school officials supporting the same thing. The state Supreme Court has given universities the ability to mandate masks. How can we still have a Governor who is only doing what he thinks is politically correct? The courts will overturn him as they should and the voters should send him packing.
- Bradley Bayman, North Myrtle Beach
Enforce current traffic laws
Our state recently passed a law in which drivers in the left lane can be fined $25 for driving slow in that lane. I was curious. If I am driving in the left lane and going 70 mph in a 60 mph zone and several cars pull up behind me going 80-plus mph, as one sees every morning on roads around Columbia, do I get the ticket? Who is going to issue the ticket? The SC Highway Patrol has all but disappeared from our roads, so I am not really sure who would issue the ticket. Drivers have little or no fear of getting a ticket for speeding, improper lane change, or pretty much any other traffic violation. Traffic deaths each year continue to climb as roads get more congested and more drivers are driving very aggressively with no fear of any consequences. Maybe in lieu of continuing to pass highway laws such as this one, which I have to assume was likely proposed by some in state government who don’t like their speed limited to those driving 70 mph in the left lane, it might be more beneficial and save more lives if current laws were enforced.
- Dan E. Reider, Lexington
History shows vaccines work
When I was a baby in the 1960s, they jabbed me in the shoulder with a piece of sharp glass to administer a vaccine. If you know anyone over 55 or so, ask them to pull up their shirt sleeve and show you the round small smallpox vaccine scar. Why were we jabbed? Listen up all you anti-vax folks. You probably didn’t get the small pox vaccine-jab. You know why? Because everyone got vaccinated and It went away. It went away just like polio and measles and mumps, etc. I had the mumps, you didn’t. You know why? Because everyone got what? Vaccinated! If you are a 40-year-old American, you probably have 14 or so vaccines pumping through you right this second. Older folks haven’t had as many because our brilliant American scientists had not made them yet.
Get your shots now. Do not think you know more than the brilliant scientists and physicians that have been able to make the 14 or so vaccines you have on board right now.
Please get your two, painless Covid shots.
- Gary W. Schwab, Mount Pleasant
Support child care funding
My 3-year-old grandson just started an early education program in Kershaw County. Through him and my work as a teacher in Richland County, I see how vital investing in child care and early education is for everyone in our state. President Biden’s Build Back Better Plan does just that and it is time that we all see the benefits to his plan. This plan includes a once-in-a-generation investment in our nation’s child care and early education systems. It is beneficial to each and every person living in our great state whether they have young children or not. Supporting the day care industry and early education programs not only contributes to a safe place for our young children, but also provides jobs that help our economy grow. Join me and the Save the Children Action Network in urging Senator Lindsey Graham and Senator Tim Scott in prioritizing our nation’s future adults, our children, by supporting the Build Back Better Plan. It is the right thing to do for South Carolina’s families and our state’s future. Everyone wins with the Build Back Better Plan.
- Judy Ryan, Elgin
This story was originally published August 29, 2021 at 6:00 AM.