Conduct a post mortem (after the fact examination) of the U.S. war in Afghanistan. You will need to select 1 perspective below and write a TedTalk draft. You may also write
a TedTalk on your unique perspective on the war in Afghanistan. The questions under each perspective are there to help guide you through your TedTalk draft, you do not have to answer them. I am always hesitant to suggest what other people/countries should do or how they should feel. Please do your research and keep in mind cultural norms. (There is a debate on whether using Afghan to describe a citizen or someone from Afghanistan is the correct term. I am using Afghan based on reading several articles from Afghans now living in America.)

1) U.S. War in Afganistan: U.S. Perspective

How does isolationism impact U.S. diplomacy and domestic policies?

Was nation-building an effective strategy? Did the U.S. get lost in domestic issues (women/children/economy)?

Was Afghanistan a repeat of the Vietnam War?

Was the war necessary, would another tactic have garnered better results?

Could the funds spent on this war be better spent in the U.S.?

2) U.S. War in Afganistan: Military Perspective

How does isolationism impact U.S. military interventions and training?

Did the soldiers receive the necessary training to nation-build or act as diplomats?

How did fighting 2 wars at the same time, impede military resources?

How did the terrain and cultural norms hinder the mission?

Should the U.S. have relied on the Afghan government and army?

(You may want to visit Rise to Peace (Links to an external site.).)

3) U.S. War in Afghanistan: Perspective of the Afghan People

How does U.S. isolationism impact the Afghan people?

For 20 years, Afghans have experienced many freedoms, how has the withdrawal impacted their current lives and future?

Did the U.S. invade their country and then leave? Did the U.S. leave them worse than before 9/11? Should the U.S. have stayed Afghan?

Joya, Z. (2021, September 8). ‘They came for my daughter’: Afghan single mothers face losing children under Taliban. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2021/sep/08/they-came-for-my-daughter-afghan-single-mothers-face-losing-children-under-taliban (Links to an external site.)

Zitser, J. & Shoaib, A. (2021, August 21). Men from Afghanistan’s secret gay community say they are living through a ‘nightmare’ and fear that the Taliban will execute them at any moment. Business Insider. https://www.businessinsider.com/afghanistans-secret-gay-community-is-living-in-fear-of-taliban-terror-2021-8 (Links to an external site.)

(You may want to visit Rainbow Railroad (Links to an external site.))

4U.S. War in Afganistan: Global Perspective

How does isolationism impact the global world (financial, poverty, Covid, etc.)?

Should the U.S. have gone to war in Afghanistan? What were the global implications?

Should the U.S. be a moral authority on human rights, when they have their own internal human rights violations?

There are vulnerable populations around the world, what makes Afghanistan different?

“The question is should we have stayed there forever to protect those advances? … there are really awful, despotic regimes all across the world & the US does not make the decision to send troops into every single one.” U.S. Senator Chris Murphy on the plight of women & girls in Afghanistan

“Many of the same people attacking the Biden Administration for leaving women’s rights behind in Afghanistan are eager to control women’s bodies and choices in the United States.” Unknown

5) U.S. War in Afghanistan: Share your own unique perspective

How does isolationism impact your perspective?

Questions to Think About

Is it possible to bring democracy to a country with military force?

Did we accomplish the mission to defeat Al Qaeda, defeat and remove the Taliban from power, “kill terrorists, and establish an Afghan army”?

After 9/11 did America react too swiftly?

Was counterinsurgency (nation-building) too tall of an order?

Did former President Trumps’ isolationism policy hurt U.S. relations with other countries?

Why did former President Trump broker a peace agreement with the Taliban and not the Afghan government? Was this the right decision or the best decision at the time?

When should the U.S. become involved in foreign affairs? How has the media tampered down or inflated the issue? How much of our fate is actually tied to the fate of people abroad?

How do you feel about the use of drones?

Suggested Reading

Brooks, K. J. (2021, September 10). Muslim Americans still face hostility 20 years after 9/11. CBS News. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/arab-muslim-americans-discrimination-islamophobia-terrorist/ (Links to an external site.)

Richards, A. & Simon, S. (2021, September 2). Afghanistan Was a Ponzi Scheme Sold to the American Public. Foreign Policy. https://foreignpolicy.com/2021/09/02/afghanistan-ponzi-scheme-united-states-war/ (Links to an external site.)

Sanchez-Paramo, C. & Munoz-Boudet, A. M. (2018, March 8). No, 70% of the world’s poor aren’t women, but that doesn’t mean poverty isn’t sexist. World Bank Blogs. https://blogs.worldbank.org/developmenttalk/no-70-world-s-poor-aren-t-women-doesn-t-mean-poverty-isn-t-sexist (Links to an external site.)

Sicard, S. (2020, June 25). A brief history of the Korean War. Military Times. https://www.militarytimes.com/veterans/military-history/2020/06/25/a-brief-history-of-the-korean-war/ (Links to an external site.)