The United States is finally pulling out of Afghanistan. I don’t care who’s saying it’s too soon to leave Afghanistan and we’re allowing the Taliban to take it back because 20 years is more than enough time to spend on that nation. How much more is the United States supposed to sacrifice for that nation?

We were in Iraq and Vietnam too long, and never should have stepped one American soldier foot in either of those nations. Enough with the nation building. Afghanistan has to set its own course now. But what about the people in Afghanistan who risked their lives to help us? It seems we would have prepared for their safety before we left Afghanistan…not just talk about it after. Even before they get here, they’ll get a full taste of American bureaucracy. If you think standing in line at the DMV is a sonofabitch, oh boy.

President Joe Biden said we have approved about 2,500 special immigrant visas for the translators, drivers, escorts, guides, security guards, and others, which will allow them to come to the United States. But there are 18,000 applications from these personnel and their families. The number of applicants may reach as high as 50,000. On top of all that, there’s a congressionally mandated cap that currently means there are under 11,000 visas even available…so about 7,000 fewer than the applicants already waiting. Did I say, “Welcome to American bureaucracy”?

The U.S. is planning to house some of these Afghans in Guam (a U.S. territory) and are in negotiations to temporarily set them up in nations like Qatar and the United Emirates Republic. They say there is an immediate focus to get about 9,000 of the 18,000 out of the nation quickly, but what happens to them if while they’re waiting, they’re in territory recaptured by the Taliban? It’s not like the Taliban is known for leniency and compassion. Why are we just now talking to these other nations about accepting refugees? Maybe we were planning on staying in Afghanistan forever.

After the fall of Vietnam, the United States accepted close to 120,000 refugees (one of them was a best man at my wedding). As you saw from the historic photos, refugees were climbing aboard helicopters with U.S. troops during the withdrawal…and escape before Saigon fell. President Gerald Ford said at the time, “To ignore the refugees in their hour of need would be to repudiate the values we cherish as a nation of immigrants.” But since we’re a nation that allowed Donald Trump to become its leader (sic), and so many of us are demanding he be “reinstated” over democracy, what exactly are our values?

We are a nation of immigrants which is something we need to keep in mind when it comes to immigration and people seeking asylum and refugee status. We also need to keep in mind our international reputation.

After Donald Trump pulled forces out of Syria, breaking a promise to the Kurds who trusted us enough to fight with us only to eventually be abandoned to the wrath of Turkey, our word isn’t as good as it used to be. We can argue that was more Donald Trump than it was the United States, but unfortunately at that time, Donald Trump was the United States. Unfortunately, Donald Trump was the president (sic) of the United States of America. Quite frankly, just the fact Donald Trump was president and over 74 million voted for him in 2020, has hurt our reputation. As many of us have learned from personal experience, you can not trust anyone who supports Donald Trump or enter into any agreement or relationship with them.

People who support Donald Trump don’t have values, morals, ethics, principles, or integrity. They will like and burn you. Cruelty is their shits and giggles. When the international community looks at the United States, that’s what they see. They see an old racist narcissistic billionaire laugh while throwing babies into cages.

We were in Afghanistan for 20 years. That war is almost old enough to legally drink. It seems to me that at some point during those two decades (in case you’re a Republican, ten years is a decade and ten plus ten equals 20), we would have started the asylum process for those who were risking their lives to help us.

Over the past four years during the Trump presidency (sic), we abandoned our Kurdish allies, we bailed on a nuclear treaty with Iran and a climate treaty with the word. We bailed on other nuclear treaties along with the Trans-Pacific Partnership, pulled out of the United Nations Human Rights Council, and the U.N. Educational, Scientific, and Educational Council. We threatened to pull out of NATO while clamoring for Russia to be readmitted into the G7. We pulled out of several other organizations and treaties. Our nation criticized allies while buddying up with bullies. Our president (sic) gave secrets provided by allies to Russians. Our president (sic) hung out with Kim Jong Un while attacking Canada over its cheese. Our president (sic) called a female leader of a democratic nation “nasty” for not selling us Greenland. Our president claimed “good people” march with Nazis.

It’s our fault the world does not trust us. We gave them every reason they have to not believe in us. The world thinks our word is crap…and the world is right.

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