Incredibly, as I heard Biden justify his quick exit from Afghanistan, and the ensuing chaos, the GOP seems to have total amnesia about what their own former guy was up to.
Trump wanted an even quicker pull out and evidence emerged that he’d tried to order full extraction of US forces from there and even some from NATO countries, in the final weeks of his administration. Whatever chaos and heartbreak the Biden exit precipitated, Trump’s plan was even more brutal without any followup — as Biden is doing- of a temporary surge to facilitate those US and loyal Afghans left behind.
Yes, it’s a mess, especially the footage from Kabul airport. But as Biden, uncharacteristically sounding harsh with: we won’t support (with dollars and soldiers) a fight for a people who continue to refuse to fight for themselves — these Republicans have suddenly grown a sympathy for helping a foreign people, even as they eschew the idea of helping people in need at home.
But where were these critics when Trump announced his quick pullout? (Yes, Lindsay Graham was a pretty lone muted voice of I-don’t-think-its a good idea)
What did they say when we learned that Trump probably knew of the Russian Bounties on US Soldiers?
And when Trump deserted the Kurds, loyal allies, did they rise up in anger?
I don’t agree with the pullout scenario myself, and even admire the Democrats who have voiced their critiques, but all I can imagine is that under Trump, this very scene would have drawn a whole other spin from the GOP.
When Trump would have announced (as Biden has done): we are through helping a people who won’t pay for it (Like with NATO) , and who want us to do their fighting for them — I bet these very GOP critics would be standing beside him shouting “Yeah, team! You tell’m Donnie. No more getting a free ride on America’s back!”
But Biden does it, and suddenly they have grown a very liberal sounding Bleeding Heart. How quickly they will drop this posture of ‘helping others’ when Biden tries to pass the next phase of “human” Infrastructure for the American People.