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Lessons to be Learned from the Fall of Afghanistan
I think there are a few very broad lessons we Americans can learn from the rapid fall of the Afghan government over the last few days.
1. Any enterprise is in trouble when it is not informed by the boots on the ground.
The view from those doing the work on the ground is necessarily different from the more lofty view of those in charge. But when an enterprise is working well, there are ways for the working level view of reality to be taken into account by those at the top.
From what I’ve been able to glean, it was not any great surprise to many members of the American military who had served over there to see how quickly the Afghan army faded away.
I imagine that Biden was well informed on this point, and was not under any illusion that the outcome would be materially different from what we have seen play out in recent days.
2. Our American society is more complex and multi-faceted than any of us can know.
We all have our parts to play, and we all know a bit about our parts and a few others.
But if any of us thinks we know enough about our own society, and all its complex workings, to be able to…
