Facing the Inevitable

Facing the inevitable

Is not always easy to do.

Call it facing reality;

That is what it's tantamount to.

 

For almost twenty years American

Troops have been in Afghanistan.

Propping up an unstable system

And fighting against the Taliban.

Now we are going to pull out our troops

And stop maintaining the status quo.

Many people feel we should

Have done it many years ago.

 

Cracking down on Al-Qaeda was

Our original reason for being there.

But after all this time it's hard

To handle what we now are seeing there.

 

Talks between the Taliban forces

And our previous administration,u

Without including Afghan officials,

Have led to a tenuous situation.

 

Resulting from all the "cease fire" deals,

The Taliban were able to seize

All the regional capitals,

And then take over Kabul with ease.

 

Yes, the Taliban takeover has

Happened with a speed that is numbing.

Didn't our experts anticipate it?

Afghan forces saw it coming.

 

Some people say that we should stay there

To fight for the Afghans. The reason's clear cut.

Others say that that is complete

Nonsense--stay there and fight for what?

 

Giving the Afghans a certain amount of

Stability has been a huge endeavor.

But most Americans do not want

To stay there and fight insurgents forever.

 

While the country has made advances,

It is depressing to watch it careen

Into utter chaos. And now,

What happens next remains to be seen.

 

What's crucial at this moment, however,

Is that it's incumbent on us to conceive

Of any possible way to help

Afghans who fear for their lives to leave.

 

What a mess we find ourselves in

When leaders make unwise decisions!

Then others have to clean up the mess,

Which leads to even greater divisions.

-by Bob B (8-17-21)