The End of an Era
While initially going to continue my discussion on Philippa Foot’s book Natural Goodness a few things have happened this week that have made me want to discuss current events. Philosophy, politics and art are some of the reoccurring themes of this blog. Well this week was a huge week for two of those three.
Afghanistan has collapsed like a house of cards in a desert storm. The Taliban have at this point taken most of the country and the US backed regime is almost nowhere to be found. The Taliban has swiftly conquered large swaths of territory so rapidly that the Afghan President has had to flee to an undisclosed location. Perhaps the most staggering fact is that little bloodshed has happened.
The ramifications of this are sure to be a rather sore spot for years to come. I must admit, however, some relief that we are finally leaving Afghanistan. While the departure was nasty brutish and short, it was an eventuality. These nation-building exercises are almost always failures in the long term. You cannot impose a regime from outside and expect the people to pay fealty to it. Especially if the reports of widespread corruption and election fraud are true.
We have expended far too much money in Afghanistan and unfortunately it seems to little avail. The largely bloodless capture of Kabul and other major zones in Afghanistan warrants close inspection. If the Taliban are so evil, so cruel and horrid, why would the last regime not even deign to put up a fight? This probing question seems to strike the heart of the issue. Whatever the faults of the Taliban, the US imposed regime inspired so little confidence as to warrant a full retreat in the face of a less well-armed and populated Taliban.
The Taliban thus far has said that they want a multi-coalition government. Pledging that girls will be allowed to attend school and no retaliation will befall the government officials that return to work. These are some rather high-minded ambitions for a regime that is known for its YouTube beheadings. Whether they are serious or not is to be determined, one thing is for sure 20 years is a longtime and perhaps the Taliban has heeded the need to join the 21st century.
One thing is certain, Biden doesn’t seem poised to reverse his decision. Biden in his speech Monday[i] night basically said it was the right decision. Even going so far as to say that the collapse of the regime is evidence that our time there was over. While astonished, I agree. While I am no fan of Biden, he is shaping up to have a far more consequential presidency than I anticipated.
[i]8/16/21