Reflecting on America’s Role in Afghanistan

If nothing else, 20 years in Afghanistan might have dampened U.S. appetites for war and nation-building.

Photo by Andre Klimke on Unsplash.

News broadcasts and social media feeds have been inundated with images, videos, and reports about the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, especially over the past week. The “forgotten war” has made a sudden and shocking reappearance in the psyche of the American public.

Critics of President Biden are calling the withdrawal a massive disaster. Political pundits are busily arguing about who is to blame. More than a few elected officials have publicly wondered how the Taliban were able to so easily take over Kabul and ultimately Afghanistan. Understandably, Americans are furious at how the war is coming to a close. Parallels between this conflict and Vietnam became abundant once the Taliban began encircling Kabul airport.

Many are frustrated that after 20 years and $2 trillion dollars, Afghanistan’s military forces and political leadership fell so quickly to the Taliban.

However, the writing was always on the wall. Whether it was 10 years ago or 10 years from now — the result would have been the same. The Taliban were always going to inevitably take back the country. They have been biding their time and have slowly been retaking territory for years.