In light of what’s happening in Afghanistan, I may have made this statement 12 years ago in reference to health care but it still stands.
If the government is going to get into the business of doing something – health care, utilities, etc. – then it has a moral obligation to do it right.
We can make all of the arguments in the world about why and whether we should have been there, but once we were there, we – and ALL of those involved (allies) – owed it to the people of Afghanistan to do it right. We clearly failed.
Already there are those who served alongside America who are suffering and dying for fighting for something even the Afghani government didn’t believe in.
And the Taliban’s historical treatment of women and ethnic and religious minorities hasn’t changed in twenty years so the tragedy there is only going to grow.
Of course, it’s easy to sit and rant on Twitter compared to those who have had to figure out an optimal solution over the last 20 years. It’s just hard to believe that the best outcome was what we’re seeing now.