And What About Afghanistan…?

And what about Afghanistan, alright.

You’ve been keeping up with the latest word out of Central Asia like it’s the Kardashians, right? Of how America has (finally) withdrawn, or begun to withdraw, from Afghanistan and the heretofore unending war George W. Bush started 20 years ago this October in the traumatic wake of 9/11. Of how a leading faction of the Taliban has gained control of Kabul, the capital of the so-called Graveyard of Empires, in a matter of days, ensnaring, displacing, killing thousands, and proving once again how needless wars are and can be.

Look, I don’t see Joe Biden going on 60 Minutes any time soon to try and make sense of what is happening – but he ought to, no? Someone has to summarize this costly 20-year campaign, and contextualize what is happening “over there,” and who better than the president, who kinda  sorta has been “there” with this war every step of the way. I do see him talking brass tacks and taking this opportunity to clarify, educate, and practically attempt to move us forward, not backward, on this one.

I understand that this mission in Afghanistan was never to build the country up as a nation (the goal was to “get” those who attacked the United States of America on Sept. 11, 2001, and disrupt al Qaeda’s – a different group of radical Islamic fundamentalists – hold on the region), but I am curious: What did America, beacon of hope and liberty that she’s been, do over there? How many trees did we plant, how many schools and hospitals did we help set up over there? Because we’ve been over there. For two decades. And, America, I know this a new fun feeling, but ya gotta take some responsibility for what you’ve attempted to tame.

One way or another, democracy, freedom, and equality are gonna eat it for this one, and we the people are going to pay the piper. That’s what sticks in my craw.

But I do see us achieving some clarity on this matter, continuing to stand against Islamophobia, and finding a way to coexist much more peaceably and successfully on this planet.