Today’s Minneapolis Star Tribune front page, above the fold, says it all:

Afghanistan is no stranger to this blog.  Three times so far in 2021 I’ve made mention, most recently in “The Zip to Zap” post on August 14 (see especially comments from John, Joyce and Sue, and my responses at that post).

The other recent posts are April 7, 2021, and July 7, 2021, which include a link to the CIA Factbook, not yet updated to the recent events, but still useful.  I’d encourage you to at least take a look at the relevant parts of these posts.

Ironically, one of the other posts shares attention with the country of Haiti, now beset with another tragedy – the recent earthquake.  Unfortunately, it is too hard to imagine these other places and their people are irrelevant to our daily life.  Not so….

I have many comments.  To suffice, for now, will be the other referenced posts, and the below:

Here’s the pdf of the above article that got me “off the couch” and into activism: Afghanistan Bombing Oct 10 2001.  (The bombing actually began on Sunday October 7; October 8 was Monday).  Responding to violence with more violence didn’t make any sense to me then, nor does it now.  But, as a society, we almost unanimously approved retribution and it was an exploitable emotion and here we are, 20 years later.  WE are the problem, and the solution…whatever that turns out to be.  Always.

Of course, there is endless chatter about whose fault this disaster is:  all fingers point at someone else.

This is a policy matter at the level of the U.S. government, which has a legislative branch, House of Representatives and Senate, who have the ultimate responsibility for the U.S. policy on everything.  And, of course, we the people elect these folks.

Some time back for my own enlightenment I made a chart of which party was in charge, when.  I have published it before.  Here it is again: U.S. Government001.  The tally does not include the 117th (current) Congress of 2021.  President Biden has been in office for 7 months.  The current House is Democrat 223-213; the Senate is 50 Republicans, 48 Democrats and 2 Independents who caucus with the Democrats.

If you qualify or will qualify to vote, YOU are the GOVERNMENT.  Period.  All the rest is editorial.

Back to you….

COMMENTS (see also end of this post):

from Joyce: I wish you could have met my late husband, also Dick. He died in early 2003 and he spent his last months cursing GWB for launching two unnecessary (and destined to be disastrous) wars. He was an army veteran (JAG, like my son) who had also opposed the war in Vietnam.

from Brian: Dick, thanks for sharing.  President  Biden is totally correct in getting us out of Afghanistan.   He had the conviction and courage to do it.

from Len: Does it really make a difference “who is to blame”? The ugliness of a protracted war  is about to be history for us and the hardened will rationalize this as “it is what it is”. From one perspective it is success for the Taliban and failed policy for the West. I hated it when I heard of our casualties each time they were reported over the 20 years, and I hate it and am d saddened when I observe the events of the day . I like peace and despise war. I thank and recognize those who  those who worked toward a peaceful place there. it seems we are incapable to change the place.Security for evacuation is a tall order. Thank you to those now  in harms way attempting to make that possible. Let us give credit and cease the blaming. Let us work toward the possibilities.

from Chuck: “If there is a sin superior to every other it is that of willful and offensive war. Most other sins are circumscribed within narrow limits, that is, the power of <b>one</b> man cannot give them a very general extension, and many kind of sins have only a mental existence from which no infection arises; but he who is the author of a war, lets loose the whole contagion of Hell, and opens a vein that bleeds a nation to death”.  – Thomas Paine The American Crisis.  [March 21, 1778].  Things haven’t changed.