Rapid Taliban Takeover Shows How Little U.S. Understood Afghanistan — Joe Lauria

More Vietnam redux. The US learned nothing from Vietnam and repeated the same mistakes. The US also did not learn from the French defeat in Vietnam that the US had aimed to reverse. French author Bernard Fall explained this at the time. I read his work while in the military during the Vietnam era. Did anyone else, especially the general staff running the war. I doubt it. The same mistakes were made in Afghanistan and Iraq. 

Somewhat ironically, similar mistakes are being made by the elite in the US who live in a bubble and are out of touch with most of the people, whom they manipulate for votes. They can't be voted out since there are only two parties and they largely control the selection and financing processes.

I don't think that the Taliban takeover is going to be the disaster everyone in the West is imagining. I suspect they realize that to stay in power longterm they need to develop international relationships. The West may try to isolate them but their neighbors will not and likely won't cooperate much in the attempt to do so, which will fail. Afghanistan will need major investment and there is money to be made there, as well as access to resources. The West could have done this, avoiding the inevitable defeat of the US and NATO there, but it chose not to.

Strategic Culture Foundation
Rapid Taliban Takeover Shows How Little U.S. Understood Afghanistan

Joe Lauria

See also

Moon of Alabama
Afghanistan - Chaos Pictures Increase Fallout From U.S. Defeat

Opening a gate for China to drive through.

Sputnik International
US to Try to Keep Afghanistan’s Financial Reserves Out of Taliban Control

Significant in that the Taliban, like the rest of the "Islamist extremists" are Sunni, where as Iran is populated mostly by Shi'a. Shi'ite Muslims held march in Kabul today and the Taliban did not disturb it. Iran, which has a border with Afghanistan and therefore a national security interest in it, is hold out an olive branch.

RT
Iranian President Raisi says US ‘defeat’ in Afghanistan may be chance for new-found peace as Taliban takes over

TASS
Western media inadequately covering latest events in Afghanistan — Russian envoy in Kabul

Russia has no concerns that Afghanistan will resemble Islamic State — diplomat

Sputnik International
Beijing in Contact With Taliban Over Situation in Afghanistan

Why the country fell so quickly.

The Unz Review
Do a Deal with the Taliban or Flee – That Is the Choice Facing Afghans, by Patrick Cockburn