US troops have returned to Helmand, where their previous "victory" proved to be entirely transitory.

The US-supported Afghan government cannot defeat the Taliban. It can't even stand against the Taliban for more than a few years without US troops to prop it up. But US soldiers can't defeat the Taliban either. They can only push it down.

The Taliban are stronger than the corrupt Afghan government because the Taliban inspire real support from a segment of the population, but the Afghan government gets no support except what it pays for.

Is it worth a forever war just to keep the Taliban from winning in Afghanistan?