Afghanistan: Should we ever leave?

Most progressives do not advocate staying for the long haul in the Middle East. We get that. When you remind people that we still have bases in Europe, Asia, and the Americas and there has been no major conflict in these areas in decades, one sees some pause. The problem with American intervention is the goal. If it is to topple a government so we can run and exploit their economic resources like we did in countries in  Iran and Guatelemela in the 1950s, that is bad and has led to long-term global headaches for our country and the world. If it is to promote peace, order, and evolution to democracy-republicanism like Germany, Italy, and Japan following World War Two, then that is preferable provided we put the necessary resources and realize we are in for the long haul. Having token forces in the Middle East is not going to get the kind of region we want. We have to treat the area like we treated Germany and Japan after World War Two. Yes, it will cost billions more and unfortunately, it may cost lives but to take the short-sighted approach has not worked. We need to take the long view.