Historic moments are always apparent when viewed in retrospect, but they are less obvious at the time of the event, which is why one should always strive to behave in a manner that will not prove embarrassing when examined at a later date.

If I am right, and President Obama can pull it off, the direction of Americas history, and thereby much of the rest of the world, will be unalterably changed in the next few weeks, and our national course will be toward peace, not as a slogan but a policy reality going forward. Unlike the base calculations of the past half-century, dictated by a devotion to war as a measure of national power, there is every indication that the new president is turning away from expanding our military adventurism overseas and beginning to plan for the return of our troops from the far-flung battlefields of America’s neo-empire.

On Nov. 11, Veterans Day, President Obama made the traditional visit to the “Tomb of the Unknowns” at Arlington National Cemetery, where our war dead from the Civil War forward are buried. After the ceremonial wreath laying he diverted from his posted agenda and visited section 60, far across the cemetery, where the recent dead of Iraq and Afghanistan are buried, where he spoke quietly with a few of the visiting relatives and comrades tending the graves.

Later, on returning to the executive mansion, he convened the eighth in a series of “war council” meetings on the issue of how many troops to send to reinforce our NATO efforts in Afghanistan. All the nation’s policy and military advisers were there, including TV links to our embassy in Kabul.

Every segment of the meeting had prepared their own options for the troop deployment and this was to be the last meeting before the president would make his decision between the plans offered.

The meeting was short. After a brief review of the various options, Obama sent everyone packing, back to the drawing boards to develop plans focused on the rapid transfer of security duties to the Afghan police and army, and an exit strategy for the withdrawal of our forces. The president then packed for his weeklong Asian trip, giving his minions just over that time to come up with their revised strategic recommendations.

The new calculations will include the immutable fact that we cannot afford the war, much less 10 more years to fight to a draw. We haven’t the money or the time to try and create a rational central government in the land of local tribes, and spending the lives of our troops to try and do so is unforgivable. If the realities of the Afghan incursion are finally beginning to penetrate the political thinking of our political class there is hope that the ship of state can be turned from disaster.

Obama has the helm hard down, and the bow is beginning to swing away from the iceberg of Afghanistan.

“Travus T. Hipp” is a 40-year veteran radio commentator with six stations in California carrying his daily version of the news and opinions. "The Poor Hippy’s Paul Harvey,” Travus is a member of the Nevada Broadcasters Hall of Fame, but unemployable in the Silver State due to his eclectic political views.