Even if we had fully committed to the conflict, could we have convinced a majority of the Afghan people to pivot their culture in any reasonable timeframe to be self-sustaining as an American-style democracy, or anything close to it, with security forces strong enough to protect it? To say yes is more hubris. To say no is to admit the effort was doomed from the start and the withdrawal is long overdue.
There are no grand lessons here, only ones we should have known: be very wary of foreign wars, don’t expect them to be easy, match the resources to the goals, account for the local culture, get out as soon as you can. As obvious as those lessons are, they are equally difficult for the United States to follow.
This is what losing a modern American war looks and feels like. Washington is not burning. Most Americans’ daily lives are not altered. Those are the advantages, and perils, of engaging in war half a world away.
Losing is hard. Heartbreaking. But that’s what happened. We need to admit it, own it, and maybe learn from it. Sadly, that last part is doubtful.