As Gen. George C. Marshall, the great World War II chief of staff, once put it, if you assign a problem to the military to solve, don't be surprised if you get a military solution.
The nation's founders never intended the country's military forces to be global peacemakers or a foreign policy "tool" of first resort. The military’s deficiencies in this regard are especially apparent when warriors are given highly calculated and politically sensitive missions requiring delicacy and nuance.
The nation's involvement in Afghanistan is a good example of this mismatch. That country's politics are so complex as to seem unfathomable. Its terrain—physical, cultural and human—is well beyond difficult. And American and NATO resources —financial and political—are limited.
Yet many Americans still expect our soldiers not only to hunt down the enemies of the United States there but also to pacify the country sufficiently to justify a departure not far in the future.
By: Brant
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