Danny Sjursen explains why President Trump could end the war in Afghanistan if he wanted to. When it comes to foreign policy, the president is basically a dictator, and Trump in particular is pugnacious enough to cover his right flank at all times, just like Nixon was able to meet with Mao in the 1970s. Negotiations with the Taliban have also continued without falling apart, which is a good sign for the possibility of ending the war on agreeable terms. By the same token, Hillary Clinton felt that because she was a woman and a democrat, she had to be extra hawkish, and Scott and Sjursen agree that as president she would not have accomplished what Trump has with respect to negotiations in Afghanistan and Korea.
Discussed on the show:
- “Could Donald Trump Actually End the Afghan War?” (The Nation)
- “A Majority of Military Veterans Think the Wars in Afghanistan and Iraq Were a Mistake – Mother Jones” (Mother Jones)
Danny Sjursen is a retired U.S. army major and former history instructor at West Point. He writes regularly for TomDispatch.com and he’s the author of “Ghost Riders of Baghdad: Soldiers, Civilians, and the Myth of the Surge.” Follow him on Twitter @SkepticalVet.
This episode of the Scott Horton Show is sponsored by: Kesslyn Runs, by Charles Featherstone; NoDev NoOps NoIT, by Hussein Badakhchani; The War State, by Mike Swanson; WallStreetWindow.com; Tom Woods’ Liberty Classroom; ExpandDesigns.com/Scott; and LibertyStickers.com.
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