I don’t know how to put this delicately, but I don’t give a damn what happens to Afghanistan after our troops leave. Maybe that’s controversial to say, I honestly have no idea, but I don’t care either. They’ve had 20 years and a fortune spent on them by us; if they can’t get their act together after that, they get what they deserve.
I know it’s not fashionable to say among the “intelligentsia,” those who love war, and many think tank conservatives who’ve never held a job not dependent upon who their parents are or some rich guy cutting a check to fund their vanity projects while providing them with a tax write-off, but who cares? To those people, war is an exercise, an excuse to write papers and speak at expensive conferences. In other words, it’s a pretty sweet deal.
There’s “stolen valor,” and then there’s “heroism by proxy.” The latter is worse, in my opinion. With the former, you can at least kind of understand why they’re doing it, as stupid and wrong as it is. But with heroism by proxy, there is no good reason a normal person could live with. They aren’t serving, they haven’t sacrificed, they’ve simply burped up an opinion popular in the war-dependent inner-circle. Whether that opinion was the chicken or the egg doesn’t really matter, it’s set on a spiral - a perpetual motion machine - that builds upon and celebrates itself. It’s job security, funding security, or whatever else you need it to be.
I don’t claim to understand the mentality of people who are desperate to keep the war in Afghanistan alive. I just don’t give a damn about them. They make the rounds on cable talk (can’t call any of it “news” anymore) while predicting doom and gloom for the people of Afghanistan, the people “left behind.” Who cares?
How long does the United State owe the people of Afghanistan? These activists seem to think “forever” is the only answer. In reality, we don’t owe them a damn thing and never did. Their country fell under the control of the Taliban all on its own, then the Taliban welcomed and protected al Qaeda without any input from us or the rest of the world. That we routed their weak military after 9/11 was not done to rescue their citizens from their fate, it was justice.
Their liberation was a byproduct that should have never been a factor in any decisions regarding our actions. Yet, thanks to perpetual war inc., it became the focus and justification.
They asked, “What if the Taliban return?” Well, after 20 years of training and exposure to the concepts of individual rights and liberties, not to mention the weapons we’ve supplied them with, if the people of Afghanistan can’t hold off the Taliban, or aren’t interested in trying, they deserve to be oppressed again.
I get that women are significantly better off there now, as is everyone else, but if you’re not willing to fight to maintain the ability of girls to go to school…that’s on them. How many Americans have to stay behind to ensure the Afghan people aren’t monsters? Were it not for 9/11, they would have never had this chance, but it’s a risk they alone have to shoulder after this long.
We aren’t responsible for their wellbeing for the rest of time, two decades is enough. If they don’t see freedom as something worth fighting for, then they’ll get what they deserve. No more Americans should die or get wounded so Afghans can be free. We don’t need to be there - we can bomb the hell out of just about anywhere, should the need arise. It’s time to bring our troops home and let the people of Afghanistan determine their own fate, even if it’s ultimately a return to the oppression we liberated them from.
All we can do is give people a chance, and they had it; what they do with it is entirely up to them. If the people of Afghanistan want to remain free, they will fight for that. If they simply don’t care, then they will fall back under the boot of the Taliban. Honestly, after 20 years, I don’t give a damn. And if those cable talk pundits can’t get over the failure of their dreams, they’re free to go over there and pick up a weapon. I’m just kidding, we all know that will never happen.
Derek Hunter is the host of a free daily podcast (subscribe!), host of a daily radio show on WCBM in Maryland, and author of the book, Outrage, INC., which exposes how liberals use fear and hatred to manipulate the masses. Follow him on Twitter at @DerekAHunter.