The U.S. war in Afghanistan began in 2001, shortly after the 9/11 terrorist attack. That was 16 years ago, and our war there threatens to drag on for many more years. The endless war is a pointless exercise in death and destruction, yet there is little public discussion about it. Neither Democrats nor Republicans seem particularly interested in talking about whether we ought to stay there forever. Our current political arguments over “culture war” flashpoints seem to interest partisans more than the basic question of whether America should be endlessly at war. If you are at least willing to...

The U.S. war in Afghanistan began in 2001, shortly after the 9/11 terrorist attack. That was 16 years ago, and our war there threatens to drag on for many more years. The endless war is a pointless exercise in death and destruction, yet there is little public discussion about it. Neither Democrats nor Republicans seem particularly interested in talking about whether we ought to stay there forever. Our current political arguments over “culture war” flashpoints seem to interest partisans more than the basic question of whether America should be endlessly at war. If you are at least willing to...