James B. Cunningham: “I applaud President Obama's decision to maintain the U.S. military presence in Afghanistan through 2016 and beyond.”

The ultimate expression of political power in this country comes not from the branches of our government and those that serve as public officials in them, but from the people.

I do not think there is a strategy of attrition or withdrawal that will work in any timeframe that we would want to see, certainly.

The contest between these two visions is the defining theme of our age.

The United States is uniquely both a European and Asian power.