when asking whether we should invade, or more specifically for the cash to invade - are we thinking through the commitments we're asking to finance?
Steve McCurry took Sharbat Gula's photo in 1984. She turned 50 this month...
the commitment isn't an invasion and "regime change".
the commitment is to protect citizens, their nation's future, and ultimately stability for the region and wider world.
to ensure that, the commitment is changing a nations culture.
and that's a 50 year cost.
5 years to build a new education system
45 years for enough 10 year olds entering education to have replaced the incumbant politicians and bureaucracy.
will the Afghanistan withdrawal make us re-think what undertaking war really means?
will we commit to Ukraine fast enough?
just thinkin.
Notes/Stream
is anger over the withdrawal from Afghanistan misplaced ?
Biden's administration should take some heat but not all of our anger - Donald did the deal to withdraw (normally he's doing deals after withdrawal :-).
It's all very well blaming Biden, but Democrats, Republicans and the rest of us could have done better.
Donald J Trump (the J stands for genius) did the deal in Feb 2020 and scheduled the withdrawal for May 2021.
Both sides had reneged on the former US president’s deal - neither Taliban or the US had stuck to the terms.
The media didn’t mention the failure (presumably because they didn’t feel it newsworthy… or at the very least weren’t briefed by any gov involved).
By Jan 2021, Biden had a only 2,500 troops on the ground.
The US and Nato agreed to withdraw all troops within 14 months if the militants uphold the historic deal.