Make no mistake, the war in Afghanistan was a war between men and women. Women lost.
It didn’t have to be that way, President Trump had put conditions on leaving, part of that would have been some concessions on keeping the current government in power or at least with some influence in keeping a more modern outlook for women. Maybe he would have succeeded, maybe not. But Trump is a compassionate man, he could see what was going on, even if our mission there was hopeless.
But Joe Biden just gave up. His State Department understood nothing about the culture, the factions or the conditions on the ground. He asked for no concessions, in fact, he put himself at the mercy of the Taliban. It was ugly, it was incompetent.
But let’s step back a minute and look at the culture here. It is a Muslim culture. We seemed to see some progress in women’s rights and stature in the Kabul community. The vaunted women’s robotics team at the University, girls accepted as having the right to education, women playing roles in government, burkas not required. This should have stuck.
But over the last twenty years, boys were still going to Madrassas being trained in Sharia laws and principles. By some estimates over 2 million boys were educated in this manner in that time frame, in a country of only 38 million.
In essence and in fact, this was a battle between men and women.
Why did the Afghani army just give up? Very simple.
- The numerical and weapons advantages touted by the Biden administration were a myth. It wasn’t 375,000 to 175,000 as the Biden Administration told the American people. It was 375,000 lukewarm soldiers with no will to fight against 175,000 soldiers supported by 2 million indoctrinated military aged males willing to provide assistance, logistics and more fighting men at any time they were needed. Our military on the ground knew this, the CIA knew this, and any analyst worth his salt knew this. Somehow the State Department didn’t.
- The soldiers in the military had nothing to lose by surrendering. Remember the Afghani military is made up of men. They do not suffer the brunt of Sharia law, and in fact, they have been indoctrinated that women are inferior and should be kept in servitude.
- The soldiers had nothing to gain by fighting even if they could win. If they fought and won, what would be the advantage to them? From their limited perspective, a U.S. style society may benefit women, but it also puts them in competition with them. It gives women choices, and they are less likely to choose a soldier as a mate. They are better off letting their parents bargain and trade for them for a wife.
These same arguments apply to the male civilians in power. They had nothing to lose, and everything to gain by allowing the Taliban to take over. And most of them would not really have a choice anyway since the military refused to fight.
And in 21 years, we did nothing to change their perceptions, we did nothing to provide support for a more modern Kabul. Their education system and economic system are the same as before, and perception of women has not changed for 90% of men.
Now we hear the cries of Afghani women to the men of the Western World. They have tasted freedom, they want to be rescued from the culture that is about to engulf them.
Among their own men, the “beta” males are the only ones on their side, the “alphas” are all indoctrinated to prefer their servitude. Western men are not answering.
Sorry, ladies. We screwed up. And Joe Biden put the final nail in your coffin.