Two guys are standing in a parking lot. One says to the other:

"Here’s a car. It’s pretty state of the art as long as you stay on the highway. No off-road stuff, though. And here’s a credit card. It’s one of those rechargeable types where you call and have more money put on it as you need it. Now, get in the car and drive."

"Where am I going?"

"We’ll tell you later. Now listen. Any time you need to buy gas, need supplies, or need to have the car fixed, you have to use the credit card. Okay? No cash. No personal credit cards. Just this one."

"Do I need to get a receipt for what I buy with the card?"

"No. Don’t worry about it."

"What happens if I run low on money on the card?"

"You call me. I’ll convene a committee and we’ll decide how much more to put on the card."

"That could take a while. What do I do in the meantime?"

"Stay put until the committee decides how much more money to put on the card. And, by the way, you have to call in to the committee every so often to give them an update on your progress."

"Okay. But where am I going?"

"We’ll tell you later."

There are several serious problems plaguing the U.S. effort in Afghanistan. Problems that the United States has seen before in places like Viet Nam and Iraq. Problems that, if left unresolved, Read more »