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Erik Prince: Contractors, Not Troops, Will Save Afghanistan
By ERIK PRINCEAUG. 30, 2017
In 1941, shortly after Pearl Harbor pulled the United States into World War II, a group of volunteer American aviators led by Gen. Claire Chennault known as the Flying Tigers fought Japanese aggression in China. They were so successful that many people believe they were decisive in holding back Japan, eventually leading to its defeat.
Although they were paid volunteers rather than members of the American military, they were not denigrated as mercenaries. The Flying Tigers who now would be called contractors fought for China and the United States and, like paid American contractors in theaters of war today, fought as bravely and patriotically as American soldiers.
As policy makers in Washington decide what to do in Afghanistan, they should keep the Flying Tigers in mind. Such a force could be just the solution Afghanistan needs.
The reasons are as obvious as they are compelling: Last week, President Trump announced his new strategy to end the war in Afghanistan, the longest war in American history. But in promising to add more dollars to the more than $800 billion already spent, not to mention more American troops to the thousands already dead or wounded, President Trumps strategy is sadly more old than new.
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https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/30/opinion/erik-prince-contractors-afghanistan.html
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Erik Prince: Contractors, Not Troops, Will Save Afghanistan (Original Post)
DonViejo
Aug 2017
OP
Phoenix61
(17,023 posts)1. Narcisism runs deep in this administration
Comparing anything he would be involved in to the Flying Tigers is disgusting.
mulsh
(2,959 posts)2. This sales pitch marks a new low for the NY Times editorial page.
Why they're allowing anything by this slimy bottom feeder to grace the editorial page of the "newpaper of record" is beyond my understanding.
JDC
(10,144 posts)3. The comments section on this piece in the NYT points out the nonsence of this
in almost every single post.
Skittles
(153,261 posts)4. translation: waste your tax dollars on his company instead of the military