Mattis says war in Afghanistan needs to end: '40 years is enough'

[nil desperandum]

5. I always liked

Mattis, as a leader he was tough and fair and realistic.

That realistic part matters a great deal, and is often lacking for a variety of reasons in today's general officers. Not through any generic fault of the officer corps, but more through a risk adverse leadership style that's required these days to maintain promotability for those officers.

There was no scenario under which the Afghans were going to become a consumer oriented democratic republic, there's probably no scenario under which Afghanistan is ever truly peaceable internally for a host of reasons. We'd need a century of occupation and commitment to nation building we don't possess to make anything close to that happen.

Here's hoping we heed his advice and bring those young men and women home before we lose anymore of them.