So Many People Busy Denying Paternity

“At each point in the post-9/11 story big US decisions have been based on conditions on the ground — the ground in Washington DC, that is.” Me on how at every stage, including this last one, US presidents have chosen short term politics over statecraft. https://t.co/w0I8Fls3UA

— Edward Luce (@EdwardGLuce) August 17, 2021

Start there, then add this:

Biden on Afghanistan pullout: "I don't think it was a failure"@clarissaward: I think a lot of people outside that airport, particularly those taking the kinds of extreme actions we're talking about, would like to know if this isn't failure - what does failure look like exactly? pic.twitter.com/t3CGgyMB6E

— Brianna Keilar (@brikeilarcnn) August 19, 2021

But which failure? The failure of a lot of Americans un Afghanistan to get out before U.S. troops were finally out? The faikure (ultimately) of the Afghan people to take responsibility for their own government? How does one withdraw from a situation where the standing army dissolves itself and the head of government flees the country under cover of darkness without the situation devolving into chaos?  People panicking when they realize their worst fears have finally been realized tends to be chaotic.  Is that the sitting President’s fault?  Or is there more than enough blame to go around?

Today would be a great day for journalists to be able to ask the president of the United States questions about Afghanistan. Aside from yesterday’s ABC interview, he hasn’t taken questions on Afghanistan (or anything else) since last Tuesday.

— Kathryn Watson (@kathrynw5) August 19, 2021

Heaven help us all!

WASHINGTON (AP) — AP-NORC poll: Roughly two-thirds of Americans say they don't think the war in Afghanistan was worth fighting.

— James LaPorta (@JimLaPorta) August 19, 2021

But the pundits are very upset! And the DC journalists! And 3 out of 4 foreign correspondents.

WASHINGTON (AP) — AP-NORC poll: Roughly two-thirds of Americans say they don't think the war in Afghanistan was worth fighting.

— James LaPorta (@JimLaPorta) August 19, 2021

NPR just reported that 7000 people have been flown out of Afghanistan today, 10-15,000 Americans remain in Kabul, and 5000 troops are now on the ground controlling the removal of people who finally want to go.

But the persistent narrative is going to be the “chaos” which “Biden caused.”

Because “Fair and balanced,” you know.  And “objective.”

And, of course, how does this play politically?

If there is anything that could help Biden politically in the short term it’s the repeated popping up of the former president on this topic, as well as some of his advisers making claims like the one about the sincerity of the deal Trump struck with the Taliban

— Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) August 19, 2021

Then again, if 2 out of 3 Americans think we shouldn't have been there anyway, how upset are they by the way we're finally getting people out who have finally decided it is time to go?