One of the amazing things about scripture is that, even after thousands of years, it continues to inspire. Many scholars believe that the prophet Isaiah lived in the 8th century B.C.E. Nearly 3,000 years later, his words in Isaiah 2:4 still give me hope.
[The Lord] shall judge between the nations, and shall arbitrate for many peoples; they shall beat their swords into ploughshares, and their spears into pruning-hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. (Isaiah 2:4)
While this day that Isaiah describes might still be a long way off, our work for peace is not in vain. In the past few months, I have seen some hopeful signs that we are getting ready to turn at least some of our swords into ploughshares:
Congress is fed up with the war in Afghanistan, and their turn against the war mirrors the quickly changing public opinion. Last week, an amendment offered by Jim McGovern (D-MA) and Walter Jones (R-NC) garnered the support of 204 members of Congress. This amendment calls for an end to the war in Afghanistan by requiring the president to provide a plan and timeframe for an accelerated drawdown of military operations in Afghanistan. The vote for a similar amendment in July 1, 2010 garnered only 162 votes in favor (McGovern-Obey-Jones). The growth in support was unexpected and puts pressure on the president to begin a significant troop withdrawal in July, and provide clear benchmark reports to Congress.
The country is fed up with the war. When the war started 10 years ago, the first Harry Potter movie edged out the first Lord of the Rings movie at the box office, and most of our current Sojourners interns were still in middle school. Today, 64 percent of the country no longer believes that the war in Afghanistan is worth fighting. The 10 years of war have shown us that terrorism isn't best fought and defeated by full scale wars, but rather by good intelligence, good police work, targeted actions, and draining the swamp of terror through focused and smart development.
Despite the lack of bipartisan agreement in Congress, many Republicans and Democrats agree that the war in Afghanistan is a waste of lives and resources. Congress is making cuts to programs that help people move out of poverty, while also voting to spend $100 billion a year on a failed strategy and corrupt government in Afghanistan. Cutting this needless military spending not only helps the deficit, but it will also save the lives of both Americans and Afghans. Politicians who are serious about both security and fiscal responsibility know that it is time for us to get out of Afghanistan.
Our exit strategy needs to be responsible and must focus on long-term stability, development, and security for the Afghan people. It needs to respect the long-standing traditions and realities of the country (through political tools such as power-sharing), while ensuring rights and education for women and girls, who are crucial to the country's future.
There is much work left to be done. The president has heard from Congress, but now he needs to hear from you. Tell President Obama it is time to end this war.
Jim Wallis is the author of Rediscovering Values: A Guide for Economic and Moral Recovery, and CEO of Sojourners. He blogs at www.godspolitics.com. Follow Jim on Twitter @JimWallis.
Follow Jim Wallis on Twitter: www.twitter.com/jimwallis
Glen Pearson: Peace on the Cheap
Joshua Gleis: Withdrawing From Afghanistan
Jim, I really like your writing. But you're just wrong about this. Afghanistan just is what it is (our ten year colonial occupation hasn't changed it one bit), and needs to find its own way on its own. We need to be out of there pronto, before we ruin ourselves along with the Afganistanis.
1 Thessalonians 5:3
For when they shall say peace is, and secureness, then sudden death shall come on them, as sorrow to a woman that is with child, and they shall not escape.
god bless america and our chosen christian nation status. we deserve that oil after all we are followers of the prince of peace. or was it the price of peace. forgot.
Halliburton/KBR
Blackwater
Lockheed/Martin
Until there is a consensus on what that means the presumption that 'Christian' values will inform inform a solution is naive at best.
The consistent trumpeting of military and business idolatry as fundamental 'American' patriotic values coupled with a small "c" manipulative 'christian' value system will ensure that any attempt to use 'Christian' values of justice and mutual human respect will be met with a vigorous dismissal as unrealistic.
Also, you gave me food for thought. I hadn't seen it that way yet. Let me be your 20th fan.
We should exit this unwinnable, draining war this afternoon.
That said, I do agree with your last sentence. End it now, but what to do with all those damaged kids, many of whom have committed atrocities on both their sisters-in-arms and the native population, and more likely than not will not be able to forgive themselves, as well as the many upon whom atrocities were committed, by their brothers-in-arms as well as by the besieged native population, and who will act out their terrors on the rest of us, especially their own families? No jobs!? No homes for the ones whose homes were foreclosed on?
A ticking bomb of epic proportions...
As if we needed another huge problem to juggle!
In the total absence of a better plan, that sounds like a decent model.
He who wishes to fight must first count the cost. When you engage in actual fighting, if victory is long in coming, then men's weapons will grow dull and their ardor will be dampened. If you lay siege to a town, you will exhaust your strength. Again, if the campaign is protracted, the resources of the State will not be equal to the strain. Now, when your weapons are dulled, your ardor dampened, your strength exhausted and your treasure spent, other chieftains will spring up to take advantage of your extremity. Then no man, however wise, will be able to avert the consequences that must ensue... In war, then, let your great object be victory, not lengthy campaigns.
That's our arrogance, and our fatal mistake.