Politicians suffer identity crisis, should let veterans lead instead

Back when the Soviets really were the “evil empire” Reagan said they were, Democrats attacked Reagan for his aggressive stance. Today, Democrats demand hostility toward Russia, now that they’re no longer Communists.

Republicans in recent history championed a strong military, not hesitating to use it against enemies real and imagined. But Reagan’s “peace through strength” doctrine — successful in collapsing the Soviets — no longer delivers the “peace” dividend it once did. With the strongest military ever, we haven’t had peace for two decades.

Idaho’s U.S. Sen. Jim Risch, who despite his rhetoric won’t actually support bringing our troops home, favors relocating Kurdish troops to America instead, even though the FBI says we can’t vet refugees from those lawless regions sufficiently to ensure we aren’t bringing Islamic terrorists to live in Boise or Twin Falls.

Some believe Trump got elected by pledging to end U.S. involvement in endless wars, and recent polls find strong support for that pledge. An Economist poll found 57 percent of Republicans support withdrawing U.S. troops from Syria.

Astoundingly, 76 percent of Democrats oppose withdrawal.

In explaining why he opposes withdrawing U.S. troops from Yemen, a Democratic state legislator told me the question is “whether we hang on two more years in hopes that we get a competent president who can chart a decent course in Yemen.” In other words, American troops should remain in harm’s way because this guy doesn’t like Donald Trump.

Similarly, Democrats who opposed endless wars under President George W. Bush went silent when President Barack Obama took over, notching 540 drone strikes in his presidential belt, which along with intended targets are documented to have killed 324 innocent civilians.

“Turns out I’m really good at killing people,” Obama said, according to Mark Halperin and John Heilemann in their book, “Double Down: Game Change 2012.”

In our upside-down world, Republicans now support ending America’s endless wars. Democrats — who supported ending them when Obama was president — now want to continue them when it’s Trump who’s trying to end them.

The price our troops pay in life and limb for this partisan pique is unconscionable, and America’s military has had enough. Rarely left-leaning politically, they also support ending our endless wars.

A Smithsonian poll found 84 percent of America’s military and veterans believe our occupation of Afghanistan and Iraq has “been going on too long.”

Pew Research Center found 64 percent of veterans believe the Iraq war wasn’t worth fighting; 58 percent agreed about Afghanistan.

So while political “leaders” sort out their identity crisis — doves who are now hawks, hawks who are now doves — it’s those who’ve seen the horrors and atrocities of war for themselves who have the ability and opportunity to lead. A group of Idaho veterans founded an organization to do just that, and it’s grown quickly.

“BringOurTroopsHome.US is already spreading around the country at a wildfire’s pace,” wrote radio host Scott Horton, Austin, Texas, author of the book, “Fool’s Errand: Time to End the War in Afghanistan.” “They have the president’s own words to invoke when stating their case that 18 years of this is enough. Their movement has the potential to serve as the greatest anti-war force in our society.”

For this combat veteran, and a majority of those who’ve served or serve, we can’t say it loud enough. End the endless wars and bring our troops home.

Dan McKnight, 44, of Meridian, served in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserves, three years active duty with the U.S. Army at Ft. Stewart, Georgia, and ten years with the 1/183rd Aviation Battalion of the Idaho Army National Guard stationed at Gowen Field in Boise, including a one-year deployment to Afghanistan in 2006.