Can hardly let the anniversary pass completely without mention. 11 years ago Osama bin Laden attacked us. About a month later, we invaded Afghanistan, where he was based. We did that because his hosts, the Taliban, in the most overdone display of hospitality ever, refused to turn him over to us on the grounds that this would constitute bad manners towards a guest. One quick ass-whupping later, the Taliban were out of Afghanistan, along with their “guest.” 10 years later, we still are not.

Yep, we’re still there. We’re dying and bleeding and killing for jihad and the greater glory of Allah. Oh wait, that’s why the other guys are fighting. What’s our reason again?

I know we’ve got a reason running around here somewhere…Hmm…Oh yeah, right now it seems to be to fight the people who are fighting us to make us leave their country. And of course, we can’t leave until they stop fighting to make us leave. Bingo! That’s why we’re there. How dare anyone not want us to invade them and occupy their country! How else are they going to learn the meaning of democracy?

That’s what we think we’re doing. What we’re actually doing is

• Keeping the corrupt Karzai regime safe from the people he’s been robbing
• Keeping the drug-running warlords (who think that they should be the ones robbing the Afghan people rather than Karzai) safe from the Taliban
• Really pissing off the only nuclear-armed Muslim country (Pakistan)
• Alienating all the other Muslim countries and breeding jihadis by the truckload

With a little ingenuity, we can keep this fight (and the corresponding military/security contractor gravy train) going for ages. In the meantime, we’ll make Afghanistan a democracy if we have to kill every single person who disagrees with us.

Sorry I’m not funny today. I’m just pissed that we’re cutting funding for teachers, sick people and old people so that we can pay for our dumb-ass wars (oh, and the tax cuts for the wealthy) that cause more problems than they solve. We’re spending about $115 billion this year in Afghanistan (vs. $59 billion for Bush’s last year in office), and Obama will have spent $413 billion on Afghanistan during his first term. Interest and lifetime care of our wounded is extra. Some deal. Well, happy anniversary.