The dam breaks in Afghanistan
The horrific bombing in Kabul on Thursday was a stark reminder of why the United States has remained at war in Afghanistan for 20 years.
When terrorists murder civilians or American troops, there must be justice, punishment, and deterrence. But after a particularly heinous attack, it is difficult to ever feel safe enough to leave, and the mission can quickly grow beyond what is militarily achievable.
Precisely because the nation-building failed so spectacularly, there was always the risk of ugly scenes after withdrawal. Our forces in Afghanistan were like Hans Brinker, the little boy who tried to save his country by putting his finger in the leaking dike. No president wants to be in office when the dam bursts.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
President Biden appears willing to risk drowning to end the facade. Officials under him understandably find it hard to take criticism from predecessors who allowed this war to morph from the pursuit of the 9/11 murderers into a futile attempt to remake Afghanistan and then lied for years about how well that project was going. Biden is trying to complete the incremental shift away from this policy begun under both Barack Obama, the Democratic president he served as vice president, and Donald Trump, the Republican president he unseated.
Execution, optics, and politics all matter, nevertheless. The administration wants credit for a mostly successful airlift that has so far proceeded mostly without casualties. But the fact that both qualifications are now necessary — some people will not be evacuated, while others have now been injured or killed — forces them to argue the chaos was not their fault or that it could have been worse. Neither argument inspires confidence, which is a prerequisite for the patience the public will need to sustain a withdrawal from a forever war not just when it is easy and popular but also when it is difficult and controversial.
Biden did not prepare the country for the tragedies that would inevitably unfold as this sad chapter ended, perhaps because, despite his decades of public service, he was unprepared himself. We enter these wars to keep foreign nationals from killing Americans only to end up with Americans dying to keep foreign nationals from killing each other.
It's a cycle that should be broken, but when the dike springs a leak, there is always someone who comes along promising to build the wall.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
W. James Antle III is the politics editor of the Washington Examiner, the former editor of The American Conservative, and author of Devouring Freedom: Can Big Government Ever Be Stopped?.
-
Cicada-geddon: the fungus that controls insects like 'zombies'
Under The Radar Expert says bugs will develop 'hypersexualisation' despite their genitals falling off
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
'Voters know Biden and Trump all too well'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Harold Maass, The Week US Published
-
Is the Gaza war tearing US university campuses apart?
Today's Big Question Protests at Columbia University, other institutions, pit free speech against student safety
By Joel Mathis, The Week US Published
-
'Voters know Biden and Trump all too well'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Harold Maass, The Week US Published
-
Who will win the 2024 presidential election?
In Depth Election year is here. Who are pollsters and experts predicting to win the White House?
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
'Elevating Earth Day into a national holiday is not radical — it's practical'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Harold Maass, The Week US Published
-
Is the Supreme Court about to criminalize homelessness?
Talking Points The court will decide if bans on outdoor camping are 'cruel and unusual'
By Joel Mathis, The Week US Published
-
Myanmar: the Spring Revolution and the downfall of the generals
Talking Point An armed protest movement has swept across the country since the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi was overthrown in 2021
By The Week Staff Published
-
'Republicans want to silence Israel's opponents'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Harold Maass, The Week US Published
-
'A direct, protracted war with Israel is not something Iran is equipped to fight'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Harold Maass, The Week US Published
-
'Good riddance to the televised presidential debate'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Harold Maass, The Week US Published