Would anyone be surprised if the French were to pose this question to Americans now after the ignominious capitulation to the Taliban in Afghanistan?
After 9/11, and as the U.S. was preparing to invade Iraq, France’s refusal to join the coalition of forces led some Americans to refer to the French as “cheese-eating surrender monkeys” and to rename French fries as “freedom fries.” Given the debacle in Afghanistan, could anyone not expect Afghani women to wonder what happened to the “freedom” in those fries?
What a defeat for the U.S., and for the West. What a victory for the Chinese, who – having zero regard for human rights whatsoever — have already recognized the Taliban government.
After Iraq and Afghanistan it’s clear that the U.S. is incapable not only of “nation-building,” but also of training a national army to battle insurgents. It’s also clear the U.S. can’t keep its word to foreign governments.
This defeat is more squalid than Vietnam, worse than the Russian defeat in Afghanistan. How can the U.S. be expected to confront China when it cuts and runs from a ragtag group like the Taliban.
In just over half a year in office, the Biden administration has turned the U.S. into a laughingstock. It is a country, as Ayaan Hirsi Ali wrote in an Unherd column recently, that is more concerned about pronoun use than protecting basic women’s rights in Afghanistan. (To be fair, this isn’t just true of the U.S. but of all the countries that comprise the Anglosphere.)
Since taking office, the Biden Administration has:
· Re-opened the floodgates at the southern border more widely than ever.
· Taken steps to re-institute “believe all women” in campus rape accusations, thereby eliminating due process.
· Instituted so-called “equity” policies that discriminate on the basis of skin colour, not need.
Ironically, “sleepy Joe,” as his political adversaries call him, has become America’s first woke president. A good night’s sleep would appear to be desperately in order.
This is a guest post by Vildechaye
