[americanophile]

I think by all accounts, we’ve won at both locations; it’s trying to build a post or nearly post-conflict peace based on western democratic traditions with tribal Muslims that’s impossible.

[Steel Wolf]

I spent much of the last 10 years in Iraq or Afghanistan. Our version of 'won' is basically an endless series of live fire training exercises with live fire opposition.

We win every season, and somehow nothing ever gets better, and no one remembers what it was we were trying to accomplish. Then the old unit rotates out, a new unit rotates in. The new guys try hard for a while, then they get frustrated and sit on the FOB until the new unit rotates in, and they can go home. I've seen it a hundred times at dozens of different locations.

We can 'win' fights like that until our printing presses run dry, if we deem that to be a prudent use of our billions.