Josh Marshall, TPM, good read "A Few Thoughts on Afghanistan"

[NewHendoLib]

https://talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/a-few-thoughts-on-afghanistan

snipped the intro

"Point 1

There’s no question this is an unfolding catastrophe for many Afghans, particularly the residents of the major cities, for women and perhaps most immediately anyone tainted by collaboration with the United States. I hope we are doing everything we can for those who have worked directly with the US military – translators, clerks, contract employees, etc. We don’t have a responsibility to bring or impose our system of values and rights on Afghanistan. But we do have a direct and deep responsibility to protect those who are endangered by their association with us. I really hope we are acquitting ourselves of that responsibility.

Point 2

big snip

"Yes, failed states can become the breeding grounds for asymmetric threats against the US and other established, powerful states that are unassailable by conventional means. But there are lots of failed states. We can’t occupy all of them. And really Afghanistan was and is just one failed state that happened to be one that caused a grave attack 20 years ago. If such a thing happened again it could easily come from at least a half dozen other places.

Point 3

big snip

"The idea that it was just mishandled or poorly planned also seems wrong to me. And I’m pretty sure I’m not saying this out of a general desire to defend an administration I support. I don’t think you can finesse this. I think people who claim otherwise are either fooling themselves or actually don’t support withdrawal. The government is propped up by the US military. The Taliban believes that. So with a US military departure they are trying to conquer the country. Perhaps even more critically the government army clearly believes that. And thus when the Taliban conquest comes to their province they are unwilling to fight against what is essentially a foregone conclusion. Why would they? This is all highly logical for all the players involved if you operate from the premise that the government is propped up by the presence of the US military and cannot survive without it.

snip

Point 4

snip

"Several readers have written in telling me this will erupt into a political crisis for President Biden when Kabul falls. I don’t think that’s true. I don’t think Americans care that much about Afghanistan. In many ways, that’s been the story all along. The American public is highly insulated from our deployment in Afghanistan. That’s why we’ve been there as long as we have. Having said this, I’m also concerned about the political fallout to the administration. Republicans will try hard to make it an issue and it will fit tonally for Republicans trying to create a narrative of weakness, decline and chaos. But I’m not that concerned about it. And I’m not concerned enough to make me second guess the core policy decision or to believe that more planning and preparation would have made a difference.

[Tetrachloride]

1. If Stacey Abrams was in charge, .... nt

[regnaD kciN]

2. Relax, everyone...it's only women...

There’s no question this is an unfolding catastrophe for many Afghans, particularly the residents of the major cities, for women and perhaps most immediately anyone tainted by collaboration with the United States.

[Thomas Hurt]

3. The christofascist only care about Afghanistan as a political weapon...

Bush's social engineering project to show how tough he was.
The Pig used it as a campaign device, then ignored it for years.
The Pig then uses it as a campaign ploy for his putative second term, which failed.
Now the fascists are using as a means to attack Biden as if Bush and Trump had nothing to do with what went before.