Day 89 – Afghanistan

Saturday April 17, 2021

President Biden announced we are getting our troops out of Afghanistan. Well, is that good idea? What will happen there once we are gone? 

Here’s the thing. That country was last conquered by Genghis Khan’s grandson. 

They have been fighting ever since. It’s sad. It’s terrible. We’ve made some progress, but the cost to win is too high. Is that even the right kind of statement to make. What is winning in this case? How can you win when your opponent lives in another country and only comes over the border to fight? 

I heard a person speaking about it this morning. He’s a reporter, an Afghan. His insights were helpful to me. He said that we gave up on defeating the Taliban a long time ago. We pushed them back into some of the more remote and rugged areas (and northern Pakistan.) We have made progress in that people are getting educated. They have elections. It is a democracy. And he said that they can even hold their leaders accountable – somewhat.

He said once we leave the army we have trained, which he said there are parts that are quite good, will come face to face with the Taliban. It will be a civil war and it may go on for months or years.

That is all for the moment.

Carry on.

PS Buddha picking the dirt from under his pinkie fingernail. (Maybe not?)