I have not had much positive to say about old Joe recently, or old people in general. However, one thing about old people: Once they make up their mind, good luck with changing it. Assuming Joe sticks with his decision to pull all US combat troops out of Afghanistan, it's the right decision, although ten years late. He is doing something that Johnson, Bush, Obama and Trump failed to do. That is; pull the plug on US military involvement in a foreign entanglement in which they have no mission. I have no doubt that Afghanistan has many problems...like Sudan...Somalia....Myanmar...etc...etc...However, any US assistance should not involve the military. State Department...CIA...USAID...Peace Corps...NGO's...knock yourself out. I'm sure there is much good work to be done there.
Stand Firm Joe
Joe also did something very few of his predecessors did....told his generals and military advisors...your recommendations are noted...now shut the fuck up! Trump and Obama seemed to get a zap in their eyes whenever some clown in a uniform started pontificating on US strategy in Afghanistan. The US military is very good at what it is trained to do: fight and win wars. It is not trained to formulate government strategy....conduct nation building....or train forces. Contrary to popular belief, by law, US military general forces are not authorized to train foreign military forces. Only special forces are allowed to do this under very special circumstances. Should the military have a seat at the table when the US discusses a potential strategy in nation X? Sure...but they should not have much to say really. Putting US troops in harms way is always an option with a professional military, however, it should be a last resort and I would argue that when it happens, it is a failure of both imagination and leadership. Unfortunately, for the last 30 years, we have spent to much blood and treasure on foreign entanglements that should have never occurred.
Riding The Storm Out
Since Joe's announcement, a cacophony of paunchy retired generals/admirals (Stavridis etc.) have harrumphed how this decision is "imprudent" and the US withdrawal from Afghanistan should be "condition based". We've heard this wrongheaded screed from these misfits for years...and Joe has also. I will have to admit that having a professional Washington creature like Joe in office was perfect for this decision. He has heard all the same crap from these assclowns for far to long also. Don't listen to them Joe...they are about as relevant as a whale bone corset.
I hope Joe follows through. We have been in Afghanistan too long and accomplished too little.