All the Taliban has to do to prevail is tell the people in the villages that they will be there long after the Americans are gone. So why should they side with the Americans? We never seem to learn that a war against a dedicated local enemy with time on their side is not winnable. You would think that we would have learned that lesson in Vietnam.

The last war we won was in 1945, since that time, we've engaged in political skirmishes that proved nothing except our disregard for human life. We almost succeeded in the first gulf war, but politicians interfered and now they have no idea what to do next. How many football games would you watch if they all resulted in a draw?