Imperialist gasps from the provinces

Get a load of this pompous windbag:

This argument sounds compelling because it’s a lie. The US hasn’t taken casualties in Afghanistan recently because Trump cut a deal with the Taliban. We agreed to leave & they stopped attacking US troops. That would’ve ended if Biden decided to stay. https://t.co/GQJh4kUOQ0— Tommy Vietor (@TVietor08) August 21, 2021

Here’s the thing. If Stewart actually believes that it would be possible to keep the Taliban out of Kabul without any risk to occupying troops — that you could get the benefits of the withdrawal deal Trump made without actually withdrawing — nothing is stopping the UK from taking over. Indeed, if the Taliban can be kept from power without risk, it would be immoral not to! But of course nobody actually believes this horseshit, least of all the people saying it.

Tony Blair, as always when dealing with foreign policy, disastrously wrong, but at least he’s honest about what he supports (i.e. the war was actually going great and should go on forever, and the instantaneous collapse of the Afghan state is central to his point):

He described the decision to withdraw troops from the country as “tragic, dangerous and unnecessary”.

Mr Blair, who sent troops into Afghanistan 20 years ago, said UK involvement in Afghanistan was not a “hopeless endeavour” despite the Taliban takeover.

And the sacrifice made by British troops “was not in vain”, he added.

Mr Blair said achievements in the country over the past 20 years – including a generation growing up without Taliban rule – was a “good cause” that “matters today”.

Speaking to broadcasters, the former Labour leader shared concerns, not only for the Afghan people who he said stood to lose out, but also for the security of Western countries.

I’m not sure “man who is wrong about every foreign policy issue is wrong again” is really news, but anyway.

Maybe if you got all the wars wrong you are not an expert for a TV show but just a person who keeps getting foreign policy wrong.— Brian Schatz (@brianschatz) August 22, 2021