Terrific piece by Ezra Klein in yesterday’s Times:

My heart breaks for the suffering we will leave behind in Afghanistan. But we do not know how to fix Afghanistan. We failed in that effort so completely that we ended up strengthening the Taliban. We should do all we can to bring American citizens and allies home. But if we truly care about educating girls worldwide, we know how to build schools and finance education. If we truly care about protecting those who fear tyranny, we know how to issue visas and admit refugees. If we truly care about the suffering of others, there is so much we could do.

“Let’s Not Pretend That the Way We Withdrew From Afghanistan Was the Problem” – New York Times, August 26, 2021

More than ever, I believe in America’s potential to do good for the world. What’s heartbreaking is how often we fall short of that fulfilling that promise — sometimes very far short.