After 12 years of war, now political solutions?

A few years back, Obama was defending his continuation and escalation of the Afghan war. He said “Martin Luther King’s nonviolent approach would not work with the Taliban. There are some people who will only listen to violence.”

Fast forward to the present, “The Taliban and the United States said they will hold talks on finding a political solution to ending nearly 12 years of war.” Why now is Obama going to talk to these guys who will only listen to violence? Is it because Obama sees that he cannot win a violent contest known as war against the Taliban? Yes, that is why.

What has stopped Obama and endless U.S. violence against “those who will only listen to violence?” Violence did — Taliban violence. It is violence that has got the U.S. to the table to talk “peace.”

I asked someone why they just didn’t sit down and talk this through 12 years ago, like they are doing now. The answer was “Because they were not in a position to.” But they were in a position to kill people?

They’re going to sit down now and find a political solution, so what was the point of 12 years of death and destruction? I see no other answer than both sides being fully aware that the other side will only listen to violence, or maybe they all had to prove that they were men. Either way they wasted a lot of time, money, lives and newsprint.

Frank Erickson lives in Minneapolis.