Caren, we had managed to get our involvement in Afganistan to minimal U.S. casualties -- one lost life in the last 12 months I believe. Although a normal country was a long way off if not impossible to achieve, the place was relatively stable at our ongoing costs that we could easily afford. A good deal of the brunt stuff was already shifted to the coalition of NATO forces (but these needed our presence for their commitment to stay).

Biden's decision to cut and run has placed thousands of Afganistan civillians (and military personnel) in peril that was completely avoidable. The situation now is not a mess. It is a tragedy -- the images of which will continue to play out on our screens should we care to look. Of all our efforts, blunders and going into Afganistan in the first place, we now have decided to come away with ZIP. As opposed to protecting small but significant achievements. Although far from ideal, life for many people of Afganistan was significantly better than before we entered the country. Particularly for women, there were remarkable changes and something we could be proud of should again we have taken time to look. Thanks in big part to Biden, Afghanistan women face a inevitable calamity to their well being. All women around the world now will suffer more because of this.

Biden's cut and run, backed by a consensus of most Americans (invigorated with Trump's declaration to pull our troops home no matter what) will absolutely cost us more in the short term and all too likely in the longer term as well. Cost in lives, dollars, a diminished America and a much less secure world. The U.S. again (after the Syrian equally non-sensical departure) shows itself to be an unreliable partner to our allies and to our foes.

There is another disturbing aspect to this. We consider so many other lives in the world as being much less valuable than our own American lives. This is very dangerous for us.