August 2021
Our country didn’t deserve this. Our soldiers and their families didn’t serve this, neither did our allies or those Afghan nationals who supported us for the last 20 years.
Our departure from Afghanistan was inevitable. After 20 years it’s taken the same toll on the US as it did on Russia before they stopped beating their heads against the wall and retreated back to the Motherland in 1998. Most Americans somewhat understood the reasoning in 2002 for us to go there in the first place but this reasoning had evaporated a decade later. The end game was nebulous and never assured nor was it properly explained to the American people as time went on let alone delineated in milestones for what counted as success. What most Americans only knew about Afghanistan was that it was a god-forsaken wasteland of a country on the other side of the world best known for its terrorism sanctuary, opium production and medieval warlord society.
Saigon 1975 
Afghanistan 2021
From the outset, the US realistically had virtually zero chance of success in a nation-building effort or whatever it was we were doing over there. Sure, we made some allies, kept the violence to a dull roar, exposed some bad guys, and merely sedated the enemy. The problem is the enemy has played this game on their home turf for centuries, they are very patient, and knew from the start that all they had to do was wait for their time. They also knew Americans would eventually grow tired, restless, and would demand their politicians find another way to spend their money.
Their century’s old strategy beat the most capable and technologically advanced military in the world. Lives lost, bodies and minds irreparably damaged, and trillions of dollars is a terrible report card for our effort.
This is not new stuff. Sun Tzu (circa 500 B.C.) wrote:
“If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.” (emphasis added)
It doesn’t take much hindsight to recognize the intel specialists, strategists and tacticians sitting in their air-conditioned Pentagon conference room never really knew the core of the enemy in Afghanistan; Taliban or Al Qaida, their culture, their history, and how they succeeded in previous battles. Sadly, anecdotal evidence will show the soldiers on the ground knew the real story but their unique understanding and perspective became perverted as it was passed up the chain to DC where it was edited to fit the changing political narrative. Over the last 9 months our military leaders have concentrated more on gender, equity, and diversity in the military when they should have been focusing on the peaceful and successful transition out of harm’s way.
I simply wish those Americans who reflexively say to a veteran, “Thank you for your service” really understood the sacrifice made by our soldiers that got us to the point of futility where we watch helicopters pulling Americans off the roof of the US embassy – again. If you’re younger than 45 years old you may not even know we’ve been down this exact same road before when we left Viet Nam.
The ruling class, politicians and their advisors, along with factions within the intel community are solely to blame for what has transpired in Afghanistan over the last 30 days. As well, any military brass that advised the course of action taken by the administration needs to be exposed. Our officers and enlisted men and women deserve much better.
Commander in Chief Biden is in a tough spot but he’s the one that put himself there. He and his team will likely try, but they cannot be allowed to cast this epic failure of leadership, policy, and decision-making on his predecessor.
I am in the camp of those who thought it was past time to terminate our Afghan policy and applauded President Trump for beginning the process despite the warnings and abject haranguing he took from the professionals at the Pentagon. There was a plan in place on January 20, 2021. Trump and Secretary of State Pompeo had given Afghan leaders and warlords distinct milestones for the process and consequences that awaited for violating the terms of retreat and security. The Biden team disregarded everything and did it their own way. It was their right to do but as it turned out, it was a terrible decision of epic proportion.
Former Defense Secretary under President Barack Obama, William Gates once said of Joe Biden “…he’s been wrong on nearly every major foreign policy and national security issue over the past four decades.” Afghanistan in August 2021 pretty much solidifies that assertion.
It was another American ignominious departure and while we’ll survive as a nation there needs to be an accounting for this disastrous chain of events. Pay attention Americans, the smartest guys in the room are making some pretty poor decisions.
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tagged: Afghanistan retreat, Biden policy failure |
BasicMan Perspective 
Hey Lips sir, very well said. You would think we would have learned something from Vietnam, Benghazi. Being that we had months if not years to formulate an exit strategy, this was easily forseen and unforgivable. All the Afghan people who helped us and their families will suffer horrible torture and deaths. We could have set up facilities to protect them and flown them to the U.S. we seem to find housing and millions of dollars to house any illegals that come here. Biden broke our word and lost the trust. Like the border, he owns this.