20 Mar the U.S. war in Afghanistan

Discussion Overview

The decision to wage war against another country is complex. Can the conflict be resolved with diplomacy? Is military intervention necessary? What would be the cost of war? What will be the human toll, financial impact, resource depletion? Is there support from allies? Should the War Powers Act be enacted? 

As you complete the assignment, I ask that you keep in mind that America has conducted its own share of atrocities. I am not just speaking of things that have happened within U.S. borders. Gaining superpower status comes at a cost. For many of the countries that are now in distress, America has profited off of them and contributed to their weakened or limited infrastructure. Some atrocities have occurred indirectly through inter-country agreements and some directly. The U.S. may have supported country leadership that was in Americas interest but destructive to the countries people. Many times the targeted country has been left without natural resources to earn revenue and with a fractured infrastructure. Countries with limited infrastructures have been depleted by reducing natural resources, restrictive tariffs, supported invasions, the subjugation of people, economic harms, etc. 

How has imperialism, colonization, and spreading democracy impacted the limited infrastructures of countries? By living in America, do we intrinsically benefit from Americas harmful practices? What responsibility do we have to those harmed? Have America’s past harms created current-day enemies and assisted in global poverty rates? 

CrashCourse. (2013, September 5). American Imperialism: Crash Course US History #28. YouTube. [Video].  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QfsfoFqsFk4

Assignment

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.)

Submission Requirements: 

1) Each TedTalk must discuss the impact of U.S. isolationism on your topic and the war in Afghanistan (good, bad, or neutral). You do not have to introduce yourself in your TedTalk and you must include data. 

2) Citations 

 

Perspectives 

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.)) 

 

4) U.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 womens rights behind in Afghanistan are eager to control womens 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 worlds poor arent women, but that doesnt mean poverty isnt 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.)