Afghan schoolgirls are weeping as they finish sixth grade, knowing their education is over. Under Taliban rule, they are unlikely to ever step foot in a classroom again.
Man, we spent 20 years trying to end it. Arguably we could have had success if it wasn’t for the Iraq War interrupting things, but that’s besides the point now - we don’t have the political capital to go back in, we don’t have a reason to go back in (as bad as Afghanistan is, oppression is not actually grounds for intervention despite what Bush will tell you), and we have limited resources. We have to use our limited resources on objectives that are obtainable, justifiable, and have a good outcome relative to investment. Right now, that’s the Ukrainian War. After 20 years in Afghanistan? Afghanistan is at the very bottom of the fucking list, man. We can’t just say “Here’s another trillion, let’s try again”
Man, we spent 20 years trying to end it. Arguably we could have had success if it wasn’t for the Iraq War interrupting things, but that’s besides the point now - we don’t have the political capital to go back in, we don’t have a reason to go back in (as bad as Afghanistan is, oppression is not actually grounds for intervention despite what Bush will tell you), and we have limited resources. We have to use our limited resources on objectives that are obtainable, justifiable, and have a good outcome relative to investment. Right now, that’s the Ukrainian War. After 20 years in Afghanistan? Afghanistan is at the very bottom of the fucking list, man. We can’t just say “Here’s another trillion, let’s try again”