Trump's Afghan War: No Mission, No Margin

More U.S. military dead in Afghanistan this year, and more U.S. troops are deploying to the world's most inhospitable place for foreign armies. /AP photo

With the Trump administration sending more U.S. troops to fight in Afghanistan, America's longest war is getting longer.

The commander-in-chief has yet to offer the country an explanation why Americans are dying under his watch during in the latest interminable Afghan war.

Borrowing and inverting a business-world motto that could appeal to President Trump, America's war in Afghanistan is now a "no-mission, no-margin" scenario. In business, even the best-intended enterprises are doomed unless they can turn a buck, generating the marginal income necessary for long-term financial survival. No margin, no mission.

It is impossible to turn a buck--or generate any other gain--if there is no mission to execute at the outset of any enterprise.

What is the U.S. mission in Afghanistan under President Trump?

Trump loves to win. If winning is the mission, then Americans should brace for a long struggle and consider making Afghanistan the 51st state.

Editor's Note: More to come