Today, the fall of Afghanistan is news everywhere. The rapid dissolution of the government we supported demonstrated the folly of the enterprise. This was an American disaster and there is plenty of blame to go around.

Democrats had a chance to withdraw under Obama, but the military thought they could succeed with more troops. They were wrong. Republicans under Bush thought they needed to provide military support to Afghan “leaders” who proved to be as feckless as our propped-up government in Vietnam. Trump wanted out but didn’t have the stomach to buck the Pentagon and, finally, Biden did.

The results are terrible, but perhaps inevitable. It has been noted by many that Afghanistan has proved ungovernable by any outside force. We are just the latest country to face the inevitable.

A sad fact is that there were only bad choices and, perhaps in time, we will see this as the least bad choice.

What I do not understand is why this administration is not facing the reality of what is happening on the ground and leveling with the American people. A large majority wanted us out. This was a bipartisan desire. It does remind many of us of the last days in Saigon as we helicoptered people to safety. To act like it is very different is disingenuous.

The prior administrations from both parties contributed to today’s outcome. I fear it would have been the same if we had waited another year or five. And while I am certainly no military expert, our leaders in the Pentagon over the past 20 years have not exactly covered themselves with prescient predictions.

Hopefully we can learn from this. And it should also humble the braying of the sunshine patriots who always support such military interventions. But I can already hear the sounds of politicians wanting to make political points off the suffering of the people in Afghanistan.

There are serious people who disagree and are not calling people names, like Liz Cheney. Perhaps we should find more like her to listen to in the days ahead.