Remember the war in Afghanistan?

If you asked the average Joe walking down the street to name the longest U.S. foreign war, the answers would probably vary from the Vietnam war to the Iraq war to some war their great grandfather fought in way back when. When it comes to war and the public perception, there's a tendency on our part to be more influenced by the number of movies we've seen on the subject matter, rather than the number of books we've read. Personally I can't tell you off the top of my head how many American casualties we had in Vietnam or World War II, but I can provide you with details about Bradley Cooper's character in American Sniper. The stunning visual effects from the opening scene of Saving Private Ryan, a war drama drama based on the invasion of Normandy, still gives me goosebumps. Hurt Locker sticks out in my mind because, well, not only was it a great film set in Iraq, but it was the first time a woman won an Oscar for Best Director. I don't know if that's an indictment of American culture, or my own shallowness, but it's certainly revealing of the times in which we live. Point being, Hollywood filmmakers have had a tremendous effect on shaping our attitudes towards fighting wars, accounting for historical inaccuracies, and re-igniting national dialogue.

The war in Afghanistan lasted for thirteen years. That's three years longer than the Vietnam war and just shy of five years longer than the Iraq war. Think about that. The two wars in recent memory that continue to stir the most heated public debate are Iraq and Vietnam. In part, I feel,  because we're more visually connected to those two wars in particular. No politician has ever been pummeled by his opponents for authorizing the invasion of Afghanistan, yet it remains the longest U.S. foreign war in history. And now that the civil war in Syria is dominating international headlines, Afghanistan is pushed even further off our collective radars.

This is probably a good place to remind you that I have no intention of running for Secretary of Defense nor do I want to re-litigate the wisdom of invading Afghanistan. The truth is the country wanted vengeance following the attacks of 9/11, and President Bush was more than happy to oblige. So we are where we are. However the recent bombing of MSF Hospital  by the United States, which killed 22 people in Kunduz province, raises new questions about the future of Afghanistan and our policy for the region. For the first time since the invasion began in 2001, a major Afghan province has fallen into the hands of the Taliban. That's a major development. Not to mention that international watchdog groups are now calling this a war crime perpetrated by the United States. President Obama has since offered an apology, plans to compensate the victims -- and get this -- the White House is now rethinking it's withdrawal plans for the remaining 10,000 non-combat troops. It's unfathomable to think U.S. occupation of Afghanistan could extend well beyond Obama's presidency.

Maybe, instead of consulting with Pentagon officials and Congress about the future of Afghanistan the president should secretly commission a film directed by Kathryn Bigelow. Maybe we've exhausted all diplomatic and military options to stabilize the country. Maybe it's time to pull the plug on the whole damn thing and bring our boys and gals home.