The British spent the better part of a century obsessing about Afghanistan. When the real war came in 1914 Afghanistan’s part in it didn’t amount to more than a dog turd. This is typical of late empires. They focus on the lesser and ignore the greater. The real threat to the U.S. is not terrorism but economic collapse due to too much spending and not enough production. Getting out of Afghanistan would make the U.S. stronger not weaker.