With the fall of Afghanistan, I'm thinking of my friend from college tonight.

[no_hypocrisy]

She's a Gold Star Mother. Her son joined the Army and was shipped to Afghanistan where he died as a result of a roadside bomb. He's buried in Arlington.

She's never recovered. I think all she had to keep going was that her son didn't die in vain. And that's just been taken away from her.

[Hugh_Lebowski]

1. Well ... there are girls who were little in 2002, who've now graduated from College in Afghanistan

If you have occasion to speak with her, you might bring that up.

In fact, a lot of Afghanis got to live much better lives for almost 20 years, much more free lives.

And who knows what the impact of those years of freedom among large swaths of the population there might be in the longer term.

Sorry for your friend in any case

[madaboutharry]

2. I'm so sorry for the loss of your friend and

for the pain suffered by his mother. All the lives lost and the lives that have been broken are tragic.

But I think the truth is that there never was a different ending to this story.

[Tetrachloride]

3. I'm still in the general region. My bucket list will have to adjust.

If you see your friend, give her my regards.

[Baked Potato]

4. Please don't think that way. She's still a Gold Star Mother.

Her son died honorably for his country. His mission was not to ensure Afghanistan would be a changed State. Military members never die in vain.

As Hugh Lebowski said above, the USA helped many Afghanis have a better life.

She should be proud forever, no matter what happens.

[Solly Mack]

5. Did he serve honorably? Then his service was not in vain.

His service is not to be confused with the motives of leadership in government. Serving honorably is not contingent on outcome. It's contingent on the decency and integrity of the individual.

I think the whole was in vain because of the leadership behind the decision to engage in the first place. Their motives, their lack of decency, their lack of integrity, their embrace of political expediency over doing the right thing. Their desire to appear big and tough at the expense of others. For a future campaign slogan to hold on to the reins of power. As an excuse to expand that power. The hypocrisy behind claiming to spread democracy as a justification while eroding said democracy at home.

But I'd never tell grieving parents or spouse their soldier/sailor/marine died in vain. I couldn't do it.

Even if I believed it true overall.

Did they serve honorably?

Then their service was not in vain.