Biden Afghanistan withdrawal marks the end of liberal interventionism: Rory Stewart interview

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The former cabinet minister on why there was no need for the US to withdraw from Afghanistan, why Joe Biden is “continuity Trump” and what the UK must do now.
There are few Western commentators who know Afghanistan better than Rory Stewart, who walked across the country in 2002 and who founded a charity, the Turquoise Mountain Foundation, in the country. In this video interview, we discuss whether the Afghanistan war was always doomed to fail, why the Afghan government collapsed so swiftly and what the return of the Taliban to power means for the region and the world.

[@NewVoiceMMI]

We Americans need politicians like Rory, at least listen to him a bit more.

[@shanethorson9602]

Watching American TV news for years now. I can't remember a in depth report on any of the 7 now 6 wars America is fighting right now. I have to look outside my own country to see anything

[@papabear90]

American and British politicians are as corrupt as each other.

[@RajPatel-oy4jg]

Notice Only Kabul is mentioned. Kabul is not Afghanistan. The rest of Afghanistan lived under poverty for the last 20years

[@RajPatel-oy4jg]

@@Eideric No maybe in his mind he is clear but that’s not the same as making it clear to the audience of this video

[@rmzidann]

Rory is a very capable, smart and well spoken man! This disaster was entirely avoidable!!!

[@whazzat8015]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/mqi4aZiXq7V8pNk Where He says the opposite.

[@hendrikbarboritsch7003]

A shame Rory is not Prime Minister of the UK.

[@Bawdale]

He would never be voted in. Too narrow-minded.

[@RGNELSON1]

100% agreement

[@stephenhathaway269]

@@Bawdale the Conservative party or the Tory electorate?

[@luckyapple2655]

Yeah. He will invade Afghanistan and will send more troops on the ground.

[@lesleyriseam1282]

Foreign Secretary Would be better . He would make much more intelligent decisions . But he wanted to be London Mayor . So is not even in Parliament .

[@bennewnham4497]

Afghan proverb: They have all the watches but we have all the time. The Taliban and other countries in the area were just waiting. The place should not be endlessly funded. We've spent a trillion dollars and discovered that these people don't care about their own country and are tacit supporters of the Taliban. We tried but they won't help themselves.

[@halligaliratzeputz3944]

An intellgent tory, makes a nice change from Boris.

[@TheBiggs1983]

His a centrist with a smidge to right and occasionally to the left.

[@topnobby]

He’s not a Tory any more, Boris kicked him out because he wouldn’t tow the hard brexit line

[@blardymunggas6884]

The US Intelligence and military strength is nothing but a big Fraud. The debacle in Afghanistan proves than any 5 year old asian kids could have planned the withdrawal better. The US are only a super power in Hollywood movies. Only Americans will not be shy in making shameless statements such as “the most powerful man un the world” in all their movies. 🤣🤣🤣 If that isn’t propaganda then I don’t know what is. In reality they fight their wars by putting their allies in the front line. The US are too afraid to fight any war they started alone. 🤣🤣 The US should be a man and fight alone if they like wars so much to enrich the Military Industrial Complex. Stop dragging your allies to enrich yourself while putting their people at risk.

[@muskepticsometimes9133]

@@blardymunggas6884 You are correct the withdrawal was a mess - an australian would call it a "mad woman's breakfast". That said US still capable - as Rory says with couple thousand troops we could hold country indefinitely w/ air power.

[@FatimaZahraHassan]

Rory is no doubt an intelligent and capable person. He knows the region well and has done a lot. He can be Britain's next prime minister. We need a leader, a statesman and someone who is sensitive.

[@leroyholm9075]

He talks with experience and authority well wortht a watch to get a blanced view.

[@jeffgriffith7087]

Just watched a lecture of his from 3 years ago saying that what the west was trying to do in Afganistan was a fools errand and an impossible mission. Yale lecture "Failed States and how not to fix them"

[@kennetw42]

I'm with you Jeff, and I'm confused. Perhaps as some experts do they have 2 bob "each way" then they are always 50% right. Nevertheless I admire his intellect.

[@seanjaffe7767]

I saw the same lecture and had a different interpretation. I believe one of his major points, which he elaborates towards the end, is that if we are realistic about the nature of challenges in development and modest about what we as outsiders can accomplish, we can make achievable progress. Stewart himself would and has argued that a short intervention leading to a self-sustaining, independent, flourishing democracy is nonsense. However, a great deal of progress was made in Afghanistan to economic development economic, healthcare access, women's rights, etc., especially in major cities. Just because protecting these achievements required a limited, sustained presence, does not mean Afghanistan was a failure or that the effort was worth nothing. Stewart's modesty approach explains why he continues to work in the field despite his apparent pessimism. And Ken Whit, from the talks that I have watched of his, he is fairly consistent on this principle.

[@andrewroddy3278]

@@seanjaffe7767 yes, very well said.

[@pilotactor777]

Will watch now . Thanks.

[@robertwatson7987]

The whole project was misguided from the start, simply because violence and war are not mere policy tools.

[@shantkumarbhola7721]

A gold mine for the US military industrial complex and the corrupt US, Afgani politicians.

[@ahmedsaeed7632]

It is very sad to hear from young academic repeating old narrative of Kipling, the burden of the white man and civilizing mission.Look Taliban was able to capture all Afqanistan without Air cover and says the Afgan government army could only function with NATO air cover .

[@paulbangash4317]

You are clueless.

[@lesleyriseam1282]

He is not a young Academic he is a military man who has fought in a number of Wars . He is not to dismissed in this way . He argued the complete oposite of what you claim .

[@BirdArvid]

Afghanistan is a beautiful example of US foreign policy post-WWII; Carter and Brzezhinski effectively forced the Soviets into what Brzezshinski called "giving to the USSR its Vietnam war" during which what was to become the radical Islamists we now see running Afghanistan were armed and trained. The Bush administration then famously knee-jerked and invaded the country in its "War on the World" even though the Taliban were about to give them Bin-Laden; an offer Rumsfeld and Cheney refused. So after a long occupation Obama "the humanist" Nobel Peace Prize Winner (for things "he was about to do") realised how this all sat with the rest of the world, and A: focused on arbitrary executions all over the world via drone strikes, and B: in an attempt to "fix the unfixable" flooded Afghanistan with soldiers. Trump then wind-bagged his way through four years, and decided on a withdrawal date; one which our new liberal president has decided to honour. I DON'T CARE what this costs the US; that should have been thought about BEFORE the Invasion. Promises have been made, the country was flattened (after which US contractors made billions on contracts) and now the US wants out because of costs? Shameful. Just like Vietnam, and so many other more or less covert operations all over the world since WWII; shameful, unilateral, unlawful and morally bankrupt. I'm not the slightest bit surprised.

[@fakhriaw]

I didn't expect such a shallow analysis from him. Seems like he is only thinking about a handful of cities. the rest were already under Taliban control or were being seriously threatened by the Taliban. So, keeping foreign forces was not going to help any thing. it was only prolonging the inevitable.

[@philbewley7072]

0

[@whazzat8015]

@Chris Viking Never had happened before. They don't work that way.

[@psnaris]

Sorry.They took power by default; not by force.

[@samcarena4702]

The uk is completely insignificant

[@sebastianverney7851]

for those who want to listen without the muzak, it stops at 1.22m

[@muskepticsometimes9133]

Mr. Stewart if I did not know what you'd done I would watched this video for 30 seconds then stopped. But I read "the places in between, a walk across afghanistan" so no argument you should be listened too. An amazing book - holy cow. Sorry to repeat myself, but Holy Cow. You make very good points.

[@heem6619]

Liberal interventionism has been an unmitigated disaster for humanity. Let's hope we never suffer this delusion again.

[@neilwork5033]

Was it wrong to intervene when Nazi Germany invaded Poland ?

[@heem6619]

@@neilwork5033 That wasn't liberal interventionism LOL

[@neilwork5033]

It was the same principle surely, a moral obligation.

[@heem6619]

@@neilwork5033 No it was realpolitik, the principle was maintaining a balance of power in Europe and not allowing for one country to dominate and become the regional hegemon. Morality had nothing to do with it.

[@mango4ttwo635]

But we will

[@dt-jy1ig]

He’s unhappy the US pulled out? This contradicts is prior position. In or out, it’s zero upside for the US. Either condemned for practicing imperialism or criticized for isolationist behavior, the US is in a no win situation. We’ll see how well the Chinese manage their relationship with the Taliban and their obvious nervousness about Xinjiang and the power of Islam

[@whazzat8015]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/mqi4aZiXq7V8pNk His prior position

[@andrewstubbings5628]

Why I agree with what you are saying I still find it hard that no one stepped in to help during the horrendous atrocities that happen in Rwanda in 1994, can someone explain why the world sat back and let 800000 people get slaughtered?!

[@stevenrickett4333]

Yes I can. It's called Somalia.

[@timothygeorge2530]

If anyone knows the area than Rory stewat I do t it Wonderful author: places in between, wonderful book

[@richardhasler6718]

Regardless of the levels of corruption in the Ghani or other Afghan governments, or the lack of a clear 'end date' that the Americans were determined should be established to their presence in Afghanistan, or the continued high levels of poverty or the lack of infrastructure in some regions, or sporadic terrorist attacks, there was remarkable progress in education, health care, and local governance such that the moderate Afghan people believed that their futures were positive and their lives valued. That has all gone, now, aside from the mistrust Afghans have with the West, Nato partners have with the US and perhaps the bewilderment the British people have with their Government's foreign policy, I am not sure what the future holds for Afghanistan, Nato or UK relations overseas.

[@mikeraymondwood160]

This man should be our foreign secretary !

[@michaelstapelberg7751]

he should have been the pm (if you insist on having a tory that is) but of course tory con artists would want something with a backbone.. how would Mogg make money in such a circumstance?

[@leroyholm9075]

A great point here is that we get the best and most intelligent refugees and that can only be a great advantage.

[@malcolmmcgregor8]

This video is out of date. Much has happened since it was recorded. Many of the thing he said were happening did not happen. And there is much yet to happen.

[@movingpicutres99]

Not taken by force but by Agreement made in 2020 in Doha.

[@andrewjohnston9115]

He’s a one trick pony, Afghanistan … he was our MP, pretended to live in the constituency, yet his young kids went to school in London, I had a meeting with him about a local issue and he was completely unengaged and quoted completely incorrect "facts" easily demonstrated incorrect. He made no impact on government apart from Afghanistan, he stood for the conservative leadership, completely deluded. He’s good on one issue and only one issue.

[@VincentRE79]

Yes he probably really had no interest in being a local MP, he has his eyes on bigger things.

[@andrewjohnston9115]

@@VincentRE79 the way it works, you secure your base and then build from there. He never held one of the great offices of state, because he hadn’t got the support of the party, or the leadership, he was ineffective in all his government roles, just because he can comment intelligently about Afghanistan does not make him anything other than one dimensional. He’s a scholar and a diplomat, he should either be in a great university or in the foreign office. He will never be part of government again. That doesn’t make him bad, he just over extended himself, he wasn’t a politician and since we’ve exited Afghanistan he’s even more irrelevant.

[@VincentRE79]

@@andrewjohnston9115 He is highly intelligent and a high achiever, am sure he would liked to have become our Prime Minister. I guess he would have been bored rigid listening to local constituents telling him about their problems and attending the local village fetes.

[@papabear90]

The end of Liberal intervention. This is good for the world!!!

[@papabear90]

@Chris Viking western foreign policy is the source of evil in this world today. If its not direct western armies, its likely a proxy supported by Western governments. Sadly, for most of the western public, they've brainwashed us to think that WE are the good guys.

[@jtr789310]

Sir Henry Dobbs was talking the same stuff back in 1921 as Rory Stewart is now just look at history how it turn out.

[@Bawdale]

Rory says very few military casualties, but he doesn't mention the Afghan army and civilian population casualties. The media covering Afghanistan (and Yemen) do not report the regular bombing going on whether it's drone strikes or militant suicide bombs.

[@mango4ttwo635]

if they do - as Wikileaks editor has suffered to now - they will throw you into a deep, dank cell forever. The price of freedom, it seems

[@ravis.9937]

I'm sorry Rory but I disagree, USA had completed their mission in 2011 when they allegedly killed OBL their job was done but they continued? it was nothing about human rights the USA knew the Taliban would not give up and they were the only entity who could rule as the rest were corrupt, drug dealers, kidnappers, ransom merchants, war lords: Americans did not trust them Ashraf Ghani was their man or puppet to manage while they occupied all elections were rigged, Hamid Karzai was their first choice who was one of them a war lord he reverted to his old habits and took control of all the HEROIN sales Karzai brother was caught a few times red handed other warlords were pissed and demanded the Americans they wanted power also : for corruption and drug sales, hence Ashraf Ghani who was good for the window dressing but also very greedy but kept it on the quite, the question is why were they there for 20 years, India was the reason

[@patrickbrennan911]

Why can’t this man be Britains next prime minister! Now is the time!!

[@anubisplays1421]

Spoke to soon, now the American's are arming Australia.

[@jasonwright6823]

Does MI6 pay Rory by the interview? I'm half joking but he's been very busy getting someone's message out in recent days. He's a polished public relations guy for continuing nineteenth century imperialism camouflaged as humanitarianism. I respect him but I would respect even more if he were to be a little more forthcoming about the very particular nurturing framework that conditions his many and varied points of view on foreign policy

[@Dimera09]

I mean, he clearly cares about development of these regions for its own sake no?

[@jasonwright6823]

@@Dimera09 No I don't think it is. He and his class of neocolonialists are trying to architecture Afghanistan's society on a western model. They want to build a powerful middle class minority that will rule over the general population of the country to serve their interests and crucially to act as a proxy to serve the interests of the UK government in its geo strategic game of chess with Russia and China. This is the question to consider. If Afghanistan became a stable and prosperous nation under a powerful native technocratic middle class but one that aligned itself with Russia and China would Rory be happy? That is the true test of the credibility of his humanitarianism. His humanitarianism comes with very particular self serving conditions attached. I still respect him, but I don't trust him .

[@Valhalla88888]

His father from Scotland was deputy Mi6 Head Rory born in Hong Kong station

[@jasonwright6823]

@@Valhalla88888 Yes. He conditioning is absolute. He knows of no other way to see the world around him. Born to imperialism. Born to be an imperialist. He, like others of his background, is part of the problem, but he thinks he is part of the solution.

[@Dimera09]

Oh my God, I think you’re just consumed with an obsession, I mean sure he has his background- hardly his fault, but his charity has for example helped rural Afghans to sell £15m of their own craftwork for example, like… I think you’re a bit obsessed

[@mustafamajid7794]

The western imposed Govt was too corrupt and the rest of Afghanistan was dirt poor…the Taliban filled the vacuum and now its better to engage them as we want Afghanistan and the people to have a better life…sanctions will not help and running a country is not easy

[@timothygeorge2530]

I trust his voice more than any others

[@luckyapple2655]

Why don't mind your own business Mr Stewart. You still didn't learn the main lesson fron the outcome of this war. "stay out of Afghanistan"

[@JohnDoe-ze8wy]

Rory should know 1) Afghanistan has NEVER known a central government as we know it 2) Afghanistan has NEVER known western concepts of gender equality 3) Afghanistan has never known a " decisive" battle that we understand in the west. 3) Afghanistan has NEVER known western concepts of military discipline, force cohesion or metrics of battlefield performance. Rory is like all western politicians - the only life worth living is one by western standards so all Afghan progress MUST be measured against western values. Traditional Afghan values can be disregarded. Why does Rory not mention the rampant drug abuse in the Afghan Army, how according to the SIGAR Report the Afghan government we supported was constantly involved in major crimes against the people including child exploitation of the worst kind. Why does Rory NOT mention the " vote for women's rights" in the Afghan Parliament was achieved only with bribes and bribery , alack of security of the individual, "Rampant major Mafia style crimes against the people [ the SIGAR Report's wording] and corruption were the reasons the Taliban walked to Kabul. The man either did not study Afghan history or refuses to acknowledge it is different than ours and we cannot bring democracy at the point of a gun.

[@chriswatson3464]

He said we could make Afghanistan better and said we CAN'T make it like Switzerland.

[@terry3893]

Oh so this is George Eton, the weasel that set up Roger Scruton.

[@alkante2962]

Do not insult weasel, noble intelligent animals they are. edit : What do you mean by set up? edit 2 : ok, I have done my homework, ty for making me aware of this.

[@dvt6778]

Several problems with this: Foreign occupation of Afghanistan won't work because it has never worked. Rory knows this better than anyone -- he knows the history of British occupation in the region. He still can't explain or justify how a garrison of 2000 or so American soldiers (no support from NATO allies) would be expected to protect the entire population and defend all the gains while being surrounded by 100k hardened Taliban fighters and thousands of ISIS-K terrorists. Does Rory really think that those soldiers would be safe? What about cost? It cost U.S. taxpayers approx $300m per day and $45b per year for 20 years. How much of that did the NATO allies cover? What about trillions in foreign aid? The U.S. gets criticized no matter what yet no one else wants to commit the blood or treasure. It was time to end the war and I still don't know what genius solution there is to solve Afghanistan because it can't be fixed from the outside or by outsiders. The only way forward now is to work through the INGOs to help the population and use foreign aid as a carrot and stick to ensure that the Taliban honor basic human rights (a tall task). The Taliban needs foreign aid and want to secure international recognition and build a new reputation so they have some self interest. Let's work with the current situation...not some idealized fantasy.

[@alexcox7525]

That was great. Thanks George

[@ZubairAhmed-od2xv]

And in Europe Hungary is resisting ,saying no to degenerate liberalism, just as the Pashtuns have been doing for the last half a century .. The integrity of ones race language and culture , well done to the Pashtun people.

[@IsntTheInternetGreat]

Oh no, the scary liberals, waaah! Hungary is turning into an ultraconservative homophobic authoritarian dicatorship stepping on values like freedom of expression and speech.

[@gailcarey3597]

Every country deserves and should preserve its identity.

[@michaelrch]

@@gailcarey3597 You know that countries are basically just lines on a map right? The people are the things that matter, not the imaginary boundaries that have been created as a matter of historical accident.

[@gailcarey3597]

@@michaelrch Yes, of course. Here in the US the only difference between Mexicans and American natives was a line on a map and their individual cultures. My point is a homogenous world is not desirable. Countries that preserve their individual heritages are critical assets to history and our civilization. You can have both diversity and cultural preservation without losing a country’s identity.

[@michaelrch]

@@gailcarey3597 What I see is that culture preserves heritage, not nation states.

[@uyd]

After 20 yrs and how many trillions of dollars spent....why couldn't the Afghans stand up for themselves?

[@whazzat8015]

Because they couldn't do it from Dubai.

[@bertramharbour4166]

why the whispered questions..sound as if from another room & very bad audio reply shouted into a buget mic

[@danielwaddington7817]

Unfortunately, the Afghans didn’t want to fight for the freedom that they have enjoyed for the last 20 years. Nobody gives you freedom, you fight for it.

[@shelleyphilcox4743]

@Daniel Waddington Before making statements like this and regurgitating Bidens shameful words, watch a few of these documentaries and bear on mind that hundreds of thousands of Afghans have died defending their country since 1979, have been at constant war since then. 70,000 soldiers have died in just in the last decades. Witness documentary following a troop in the Afghan Army kzbin.info/www/bejne/jpuylaOVnNWEq7c DW documentary about Afghanistan history and stories of several women kzbin.info/www/bejne/gmjIZ6ebn9GHhNk

[@danielwaddington7817]

@@shelleyphilcox4743 yes many have died, and those that threw down their arms wasted the sacrifice of thousands before them. When you love what you have, you protect it at all costs.

[@shelleyphilcox4743]

@@danielwaddington7817 I think that you've hit the nail on the head. Those soldiers had to make a decision...do they carry on unpaid, not able to feed their families and carry on fighting with no proper command structures, government in place and the Taliban sweeping across picking up dumped USA equipment and having decimated air support, or get the hell away to their families and do what they can to protect them and get them out of harm's way if they can...particularly when it transpires the USA have allowed biometric data of all Afghans working with the military to fall into Taliban hands. So... people have to make pragmatic decisions about how they continue to fight and what way they focus the fight in the circumstances. There is a resistance movement taking shape under the Vice President of Afghanistan who is still in the country and trying to resist...although the USA, UK and other NATO allies are now all leaving. You might be interested in listening to his interview with WION...certainly no USA or NATO countries seem to be wanting to interview him because it doesnt suit the narrative Amrullah Saleh interview link kzbin.info/www/bejne/fX68iqOKmptmbKM

[@mariyabiswas3391]

There were 34% Afghans living below extreme proverty & now 59%. In last election,1.8M out of 37M voted & Ghani got 51%.Btw,Ashraf Ghani is an American citizen, he studied, grown up & worked in USA.

[@jtr789310]

Rory Stewart is a very intelligent man he give great lectures. However he never stayed at one job long enough to demonstrate any of his theory’s he lectures on. He talk a great line has written many books but never completed anything he talk about. Did William Travis leave the Alamo with bags of money like Ashraf Ghani left Kabul? Freedom is not cheap you have to stay and fight for it, not run from if you want to rally the people for change. Rory show us what you talking about, go to Afghanistan stay there till you turn everything around like in your fancy talks.

[@stevecunningham6537]

Think Conservative party made major mistake voting for bojo, an not Rory.

[@freemanol]

He contradicted himself about afganistan being a terrorist haven. In another video he mentioned that the taliban is highly unlikely to allow al qaeda to reestablish themselves.. apart from that great analysis

[@stephenhathaway269]

This bloke is the only tory I'd vote for.

[@user-nx6ji9tk8i]

@ Stephen Hathaway, keep up. He resigned from the Tory party, refused to work under Boris, and now lives in Jordan. Parliament, the press and everyone failed to listen. We were so dumb, we,ve lost him. ( and a good few other right thinking folk )

[@webbess1]

This guy should debate Tulsi Gabbard.

[@jtr789310]

The people of Kabul have been fight for change for the last 100 years. However the people of Afghanistan have been fight against change for the last 600 years. That what the fancy intelligent talk people never can grasp. The only real change in Afghanistan in the last 100 years that all the people of Afghan can agree on has been transportation.

[@karenroberts526]

Another Tory plant we don't need.

[@AnthonyLilley]

Someone doesn't like comments that aren't sympathetic to Stewarts analysis....

[@Johnconno]

Charlotte Gainsbourg's let herself go.

[@liebedich7680]

There was no afganistan national army. It was an optical illusion. 10 to 20k soldiers magnified as 300k! Under what law, moral or civil, is there a duty of West or East to provide for Afgans. A distant duty could be fastened on Britain ( no more great) arising out of flirtations in the remote past.

[@Borishal]

A lot of assumptions are being made about the situation in Afghanistan. Both about the Western troop actions and the future.

[@joedonnelly6721]

The problem here is this guy's OBE. The order of the British Empire, yes that's right, the British Empire. That's where his head's at.

[@afgor1088]

if you listen to him talk he's clearly not the sort of guy that thinks the British empire or western chauvinism are good things. just because he's received honours doesn't mean he's a snob

[@brianjones5221]

Great man he wants to bring half a million Afghanistan familys over to the UK and give them a free house

[@andrewwalsh2755]

... and when Afghan refugees are housed in damp, festering UK flats, surrounding by drugs gangs... will they see a lucrative business opportunity, involving their family contacts back home? ( Liberal intervention in Afghanistan causes more drugs misery in UK... Did you think it through Rory? )

[@sedorador4967]

Charity? Afghans: "The useful idiot brings us money. Tell him what he wants to hear."

[@Logic78600]

The best PM uk did not get

[@enamullahmohammadi5172]

i want some person help me i want go fom afghanistan please sir

[@ianwelch8935]

History repeating itself watch his documentary’s

[@mrsporty9669]

Afghanistan don't like occupation or bases.

[@MrElliot808]

Is this the unedited interview where you didn't lie and cheat about everything he said, George? Nice to see that you got away with it and that your career is back on track.

[@eliasblum753]

Someone make this man Prime Minister.

[@michaelrch]

Afghanistan has broken every empire that had the hubris to invade it. Let's hope the American empire gets added to the list.

[@webbess1]

Good China bot.

[@michaelrch]

@@webbess1 Lol. Why? You support western imperialism then?

[@jezalb2710]

America has not lost the war.

[@michaelrch]

@@jezalb2710 Sure thing buddy 🤣

[@musthaveacamel2157]

Vietnamese are not doing random terror attacks

[@whazzat8015]

Not for a while, anyway.

[@michaelstapelberg7751]

is terrorism the most advanced and successful form of warfare? Maybe its time Ukraine tried it?

[@enamullahmohammadi5172]

hello sir i want hellp me i am frome afghanistan please

[@hcwcars1]

Afghanistan was broke long before we got there.

[@jadenaxi5796]

I enjoyed reading Places in Between. Rory Stewart obviously has emotional attachment to Afghanistan and its people. But his opposition to the West's withdrawal from that country makes me feel that, for all his humanistic rhetoric and deeds, deep down, he is a paternalistic imperialist.

[@theoutlier9053]

Or its possible that he understands the desire of most of the population not to return to mediaeval rule and practices. The problem as usual is corruption at the top. Much of the Afghan army was under equipped, unpaid for months, under supplied and reliant on Western air support. As usual, the president disappeared at the earliest opportunity and the demoralised army inevitably collapsed. I'm not an imperialist but a small amount of ongoing air support would have kept the Taliban out of the cities where most of the progress has been made. Like its been said, the US has been in South Vietnam for over 70 years allowing the country to prosper.

[@lettersquash]

Jesus, 30 seconds in I'm already struggling to listen with pointless background music going on. Does nobody in the media understand that many people (musicians, for example) struggle to listen to complex arguments when there is music going on at the same time? Does nobody in the media ever ask, "Would this be more impressive, more useful, more valuable, without extraneous, unrelated sensory input?" Does anybody in the media ever think, "Shall we overlay the picture with lots of swirly colours to make it more visually interesting?" What would we think if Rory were just talking in his livingroom without some dipshit producer being involved, and first put on some music on the stereo before he began? WTF?, that's what. Shall I bother to continue or just move on and find another place where Rory is talking without the attempt to turn his message into entertainment?

[@lettersquash]

OK, thank goodness it was just an extended intro. Not a great way to start though.

[@naturallight4745]

*6.08 - 6.13* 😭

[@mango4ttwo635]

I hope America becomes isolationist. But, I doubt it. Overthrowing governments one way or another is what it does. Liberal interventionism should be having an internationalist policy on climate, not expanding US power. The danger and folly of the liberal interventionism Mr Stewart talks about - and it is dangerous alone - will always be allied to a neocon/US corporation takeover of others' lands

[@ianbelanger7459]

Isolation may be more likely than most expect. Effective or ineffective intervention has been about achieving goals. During the Cold War, it was isolating Communism. After, it was about oil and global supply lines. Today with net energy independence, the smallest global foot print since before WW I and only 4% of GDP exported out of North America, the U.S. has very little reason to interfere.

[@Tonywozere99]

Mark Curtis has a piece online, "Training in Terrorism: Britain’s Afghan Jihad" (part of his book - Secret Affairs: Britain’s Collusion with Radical Islam), which explores Margaret Thatcher's support, funding and training of hard-line Islamist groups, the Peshawar Seven, to take on Soviet forces, championing Islam as an alternative to Marxism.

[@wesm65]

Excellent interview. Rory Stewart makes excellent points. He has completely changed his mind from 10 years ago - his attitude here is completely different: kzbin.info/www/bejne/mqi4aZiXq7V8pNk

[@stevenrickett4333]

Attention of a toddler.

[@topnobby]

For fucks sake, come back into mainstream politics Rory

[@sunnysmiles8211]

This guy is an Afghanistan expert. We should be listening to him closely. We have kept troops in South Korea for decades, maintaining peace. The world is a much unsafer place, especially now that all the weapons/equipment/reinforced vehicles/infrastructure is in the hands of radical Jihadists. Also, much of the foreign aid meant to enrich the country just enriched the pockets of corrupt Afghani leaders. There should have been more accountability and structure for where the money went.

[@sedorador4967]

South Korea: apples and oranges. Making wrong assumptions is part of the problem.

[@Ianskogberg]

In the geopolitical struggle for Afghanistan, the winner gets....what?

[@VaucluseVanguard]

Not our problem. Rory and George here come from the class who used to run the empire. With no empire they just want to intervene everywhere and move from internationalist gravy train to gravy train. Most people in the UK really are just not interested in this issue, or at least interested enough to say no more money and the most limited number of refugees..... literally those who worked directly with our forces and no one else.

[@michaelstapelberg7751]

"liberal" is such a misleading term! much like liberteen is.. in the case of that word.. i suggest using the more accurate word.. narcissists!

[@ISSH-nu7rn]

This is was fourth Anglo-Afghan war(1838,1870,1919 and 2001),now he wants fift .I see English holding a sight "Will invade Afghanistan for food" and for Rory and English establishment-Great game continues!

[@papabear90]

Essentially this guy was advocating further occupation. I wonder if he has received any "gifts" from a weapons maker or military contractor in his time.

[@fadihaddad4131]

You must be a Taliban supporter. America betrayed their allies and ran out at night like the cowards they are. Good job.

[@papabear90]

@@fadihaddad4131 you must be disappointed the brutal US empire and its poodles didn't stay for longer to enrich the weapons companies a bit more.

[@tw1919]

Trump would not have allowed this debacle.

[@abdullahbrum]

lol. He signed the treaty with the Taliban excluding the Afghan government. Biden continued it with bad timing on his part for the pull out of troops. They are both culpable.

[@alkante2962]

He signed an agreement with the talibans last year, saying : "they are really nice people"! If not for him this disaster unfolding would not have starded , not like this. Biden did not get the courage or the brain to make a uturn from this agreement.

[@mikeoglen6848]

It was planned and instigated by DJT.

[@royfearn4345]

Good God,man! Trump STARTED this debacle with his iil-judged Taliban Talks. He gave Afghanistan and received nothing in return.

[@tw1919]

@@royfearn4345 who’s the president?

[@ConsulYeti]

I agreed with Trump's sentiment in ending our intervention in Afghanistan. I disagree that what Biden did was a continuation of Trump's policies. It was a disaster that I have a hard time believing Trump would allow to happen.

[@johnjobs3027]

Let's give money to Talibam to promote gender equality and equal opportunity at workplace and schools women. Brilliant Watson.

[@whazzat8015]

The only reason they are being nice, is we hold all their money.

[@warrbury]

One of the worst kind of journalists though. I’ll give this interview a miss.

[@thesiger1]

very superficial analysis,

[@gregedmonds7152]

We have no business being in Afghanistan a very sad story but enough is enough how many young men and women have to die when the Afghan people are not prepared to fight for their own freedom

[@andromedamaxima1543]

Rory, Trump did not turn the back on the countries at all. Trump demanded accountability and respect, reminding that there were many countries taking advantage of Uncle Sam. Trump had excellent foreign policy.

[@TheMikeunderhill]

this is above all else a Tory never mind the hype he is a Tory

[@redgeorgieredgeorgie]

What's your point?

[@mrjohn.whereyoufrom]

But he’s a politician who has vast understanding of Afghanistan and can speak the various languages and knowledge of customs. I don’t care which party they belong to if they can speak from experience.

[@jonc67uk]

Exactly. Follow the voting record.

[@TeeTee-zm2re]

Isolation is a good thing for the world. Rory hates it that there hasn't been more violence. He's an old fashioned imperialist. The Afghan people support the Taliban .. they couldn't have taken over so easy if that wasn't the case. The collaboraters are the one's running away. Most afghans are happy or indifferent to Taliban take over. Facts are facts.

[@BillBordelon]

Who says the Afghan people support the Taliban? You says. That's all. Those people running away are people who are in genuine fear of their lives from the Taliban. And only a fraction of the total who presently have a Taliban sword hanging over them. Dehumanize them as "collaborators" if you will, the fact remains tens of thousands of Afghans are at risk of being murdered by the Taliban.

[@TeeTee-zm2re]

@@BillBordelon no one's being murdered. Your emotions are getting the better of you. The Taliban have stabilized the situation and allowing the collaboraters to leave. The puppet government had no support or very little which is why it's soldiers put down there weapons and went home.

[@psusanwestlake5510]

@@TeeTee-zm2re I hope you are proved right but I doubt it . It will be more of the same taking the country back 50 years, with all that entails. You are on record Tee Tee.