Most Americans have more or less ignored this twenty-year war: let's take a moment to talk about the enormous cost of this stupid, and failed, 2001 decision
When Obama first became president in 2008, I sent him a letter urging that he withdraw United States troops from Afghanistan. I wrote that “The Brits couldn’t do it, the Soviets couldn’t do it, and we can’t do it” and by “it” I meant liberate that nation from its debilitating customs. I think I was and am correct. Afghanistan was and remains a nation of war lords. It has always oppressed women, far more than its many Muslim neighbors. The Afghani burka covers women completely, from head to toe, and even hides their eyes, installing a mesh fabric over them so that they can see out, although dimly, and others can’t see in. If they want to discard these customs and get rid of the Taliban, they have to do it themselves. Do you believe that they can’t? Then who can? Societies must create their own changes and ways. No one else can do it for them.
Many years ago, in the early part of this century, I and others supported Afghani women’s groups. We received a letter from them, saying “Please don’t support us anymore. When you do so, the men of our region say that we are being supported by the West, and that diminishes our power.” I believed them then and I do so now. I really admired Biden for pulling us out of there; I was dismayed this morning to learn that he putting more U.S. troops back in. Stay the course, Mr. President! You were right the first time.
The figures you cite are heartbreaking and overwhelming. The human and financial losses are staggering. The thought of the Afghans visiting family in Kabul right now who are desperately hiding their green cards and passports and the women who are burning their diplomas and erasing their hard disks to avoid being summarily executed gives me nightmares (literally). As the Beatles sang back in the 60s, "Money can't buy me love", and apparently it can't buy me an army that will fight for its country or a functioning democracy either. This tragedy was utterly predictable and it emerges organically from the neoliberal insistence that white is right, money is strength, and arguments can be solved with guns. This tragedy proves definitively -- as if the planet and our hearts can bear more doomed experiments like this! -- that western countries that refuse to reform their own societies cannot hope to lead the world. Amerikkka, where we refuse to face down our own racism, misogyny, violence, and fascist history and instincts, cannot lead undeveloped countries to a brighter future but only to doom. Wasn't it Bush -- your description of his way of speaking is right on! -- who quoted Vietnam campaign General Curtis LeMay and said we were going to bombs the Afghans and Pakistanis "back to the stone age"? He was wrong: we SPENT them back to the stone age and all that money turned into corruption and death. The Taliban's hatred of women ironically gives them so much in common with the Amerikkkan evangelical right! Misogyny will end human life on this planet more men don't mend their ways. Women can't heal this earth as fast as men are destroying it. Tears and more tears for the women, LGBTQ community and good people of Afghanistan. Tears without end.
There can be no success in a situation like Afghanistan without first understanding religious zealotry. History has shown us that religious zealots are some of the most formidable foes -- both those who merely use religion for purposes of gaining political power and those who are true believers. And yet the US approach continues to ignore powerful religious and cultural forces as if they are merely side issues. I laughed at the time when it was reported that Trump and Pompeo were "negotiating" with the Taliban. Their "negotiations" with the Taliban did not surprise me as Trump and Co. have proved themselves to be a version of them. With Pompeo it was merely an American Taliban leader speaking with Afghanistan Taliban leader differing only in a matter of degrees. I will go (even though I would rather not) to my niece's wedding over Labor Day weekend to see her take vows that will fully subjugate her to her husband as her master in the Lutheran Missouri Synod tradition. The cruelty inflicted upon women in Afghanistan is a crime against humanity equal to the worst of any that have come before. This is why we should be in Afghanistan. Full stop. Today, I weep with Malala.
The US may not now be at war with Afghanistan, but we have military forces and bases in how many countries? This was a bi -partisan and media support for this horrific and criminal invasion, occupation, and now a defeat for US imperialism. (Not gloating over this defeat). Only reaction and revanchism will come from this. I am distraught and in despair.
As unpopular as this view of this war in Afghanistan is, I grieve for the women and children who are left to endure Taliban repression and abuse. I think of them and know just how ugly things will get for them. Yes, I know we started a untenable situation there but we leave it to this horrible fate. We never consider exit strategies until it’s too late. In this case, 20 years …
Afghanistan and Elsewhere
When Obama first became president in 2008, I sent him a letter urging that he withdraw United States troops from Afghanistan. I wrote that “The Brits couldn’t do it, the Soviets couldn’t do it, and we can’t do it” and by “it” I meant liberate that nation from its debilitating customs. I think I was and am correct. Afghanistan was and remains a nation of war lords. It has always oppressed women, far more than its many Muslim neighbors. The Afghani burka covers women completely, from head to toe, and even hides their eyes, installing a mesh fabric over them so that they can see out, although dimly, and others can’t see in. If they want to discard these customs and get rid of the Taliban, they have to do it themselves. Do you believe that they can’t? Then who can? Societies must create their own changes and ways. No one else can do it for them.
Many years ago, in the early part of this century, I and others supported Afghani women’s groups. We received a letter from them, saying “Please don’t support us anymore. When you do so, the men of our region say that we are being supported by the West, and that diminishes our power.” I believed them then and I do so now. I really admired Biden for pulling us out of there; I was dismayed this morning to learn that he putting more U.S. troops back in. Stay the course, Mr. President! You were right the first time.
The figures you cite are heartbreaking and overwhelming. The human and financial losses are staggering. The thought of the Afghans visiting family in Kabul right now who are desperately hiding their green cards and passports and the women who are burning their diplomas and erasing their hard disks to avoid being summarily executed gives me nightmares (literally). As the Beatles sang back in the 60s, "Money can't buy me love", and apparently it can't buy me an army that will fight for its country or a functioning democracy either. This tragedy was utterly predictable and it emerges organically from the neoliberal insistence that white is right, money is strength, and arguments can be solved with guns. This tragedy proves definitively -- as if the planet and our hearts can bear more doomed experiments like this! -- that western countries that refuse to reform their own societies cannot hope to lead the world. Amerikkka, where we refuse to face down our own racism, misogyny, violence, and fascist history and instincts, cannot lead undeveloped countries to a brighter future but only to doom. Wasn't it Bush -- your description of his way of speaking is right on! -- who quoted Vietnam campaign General Curtis LeMay and said we were going to bombs the Afghans and Pakistanis "back to the stone age"? He was wrong: we SPENT them back to the stone age and all that money turned into corruption and death. The Taliban's hatred of women ironically gives them so much in common with the Amerikkkan evangelical right! Misogyny will end human life on this planet more men don't mend their ways. Women can't heal this earth as fast as men are destroying it. Tears and more tears for the women, LGBTQ community and good people of Afghanistan. Tears without end.
There can be no success in a situation like Afghanistan without first understanding religious zealotry. History has shown us that religious zealots are some of the most formidable foes -- both those who merely use religion for purposes of gaining political power and those who are true believers. And yet the US approach continues to ignore powerful religious and cultural forces as if they are merely side issues. I laughed at the time when it was reported that Trump and Pompeo were "negotiating" with the Taliban. Their "negotiations" with the Taliban did not surprise me as Trump and Co. have proved themselves to be a version of them. With Pompeo it was merely an American Taliban leader speaking with Afghanistan Taliban leader differing only in a matter of degrees. I will go (even though I would rather not) to my niece's wedding over Labor Day weekend to see her take vows that will fully subjugate her to her husband as her master in the Lutheran Missouri Synod tradition. The cruelty inflicted upon women in Afghanistan is a crime against humanity equal to the worst of any that have come before. This is why we should be in Afghanistan. Full stop. Today, I weep with Malala.
The US may not now be at war with Afghanistan, but we have military forces and bases in how many countries? This was a bi -partisan and media support for this horrific and criminal invasion, occupation, and now a defeat for US imperialism. (Not gloating over this defeat). Only reaction and revanchism will come from this. I am distraught and in despair.
As unpopular as this view of this war in Afghanistan is, I grieve for the women and children who are left to endure Taliban repression and abuse. I think of them and know just how ugly things will get for them. Yes, I know we started a untenable situation there but we leave it to this horrible fate. We never consider exit strategies until it’s too late. In this case, 20 years …