Abandoning the Afghans who Helped Us is Unconscionable*
(*Beware: I’ll be using some colorful (a.k.a. foul) language in this article)
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I don’t normally write about politics or world affairs. I’m keenly interested in them, but I just don’t consider myself expert enough in anything to draw myself into heavy arguments, or worse, the insatiable jaws of the endless supply of trolls out there. However, there’s a first time for everything (and a last, I’m sure), and I’m so overwhelmed by what is happening in Afghanistan right now that I just had to put it to “paper.”
Seriously, Joe. What were you (and your people) thinking?
Anyone who knows me is well-aware that I was no fan of our previous Administration. My hopes for a calmer, more measured, appropriately experienced, adult group this time around were not, I think, overly lofty.
Perhaps that’s why I’m so angry and disappointed over the current Administration’s utter failure to plan for honoring our promises to the legions of Afghan citizens (and, by extension, their families) who risked literal life and limb to help us and our allies over the past 20 years. Putting aside such a colossal fuck-up in planning and logistics for the moment, however, I’m compelled to ask a pointier question: now that the magnitude of this horror is loud, clear, and obvious, why are we not jumping through hoops to fix it?
Why aren’t we hearing more from our leadership about the importance of the sacrifice of these people and the greater importance of the honor of our word?
Was the failure to create a separate channel for expedited processing of visas for these heroes just a ridiculous mistake made by the “don’t you worry world, America’s back” clan? Or worse, was it willful — some horrid budgetary decision made with complete disregard for what America was coming “back” from?
But wait, there’s more?!?
The anger and disappointment I was feeling until this afternoon, however, pale in comparison to the avalanche of rage and bewilderment swirling in me now. With the news that our Afghan diplomatic corps had been sounding loud warning bells about just this issue for months, we’re left to…
