Should we leave Afghanistan? Yes. Should have long ago.
But the heart breaking scenes of Afghan allies being left behind, desperate to get accepted into the airport are shocking. You would think Trump was in charge of this pullout, not Biden. Biden's entire brand is that he and his team of expert and experienced governmental employees know how to do things and do them well. The rollout of the vaccines with the sharp declines in COVID-19 hospitalizations and deaths was proof of that.
So, what is going on? The departure date has been known for months. The way things get done is through bureaucratic organizations, systems, bureaucracies. Logistics, food, transportation, paperwork, protection, checkpoints, etc. What the hell?
OK, so the government collapsed in 11 days and the administration thought they had months. Why did they wait to put things in place?
LBJ had a stunning domestic agenda and accomplishment from Civil Rights, to Medicare and Medicaid, etc. But his presidency was crushed by Vietnam. Biden can't be blamed for losing the war in Afghanistan, it was lost from the beginning because it was trying to do something impossible - set up a democracy in a War Lord country riven by religious conflict.
So, good, leave. The country wants you to leave. But do it well, not like a bunch of unprepared amateurs.
I hope the administration can solve this very difficult situation and get our collaborators out before they are tortured and killed by the barbarians now in charge.
This takes the shine off of the Biden administration, and it may effectively kill his presidency. That is certainly the goal of the Republicans, the Russians, the Chinese, and the Iranians - to kill the Biden presidency and thus weaken the United States so as to clear the field for their plans.
