It seems like one of those silent movies - but out of sync - you know, the ones where you see the bubble of speech and the expressions and movement in front of your eyes - moving mouths, but no sound comes out.
Now we hear lots of words and see so much in-action. Our world is governed by greed, selfishness and giant egos. No one is looking out for all of us - not really. It seems more about platitudes and saying what people think people want to hear. It is tempting to give up on democracy. But what is worse than bad or failed democracy? - The Taliban. At least we don't have that.
Quite apart from having suffered through the likes of Trump and all the other power-hungry and corrupt country leaders, we now have this blood-thirsty decision by President Biden and Prime-minister Johnson to evacuate all our troops from Afghanistan and let the Taliban resume their demonic regime.
There are three indisputable truths worth facing up to. Firstly, The British Army went to war in Afganistan, breaking their own number one principle of war: "Selection and Maintenance of the Aim". They didn't know what it was, and it was a fudge.
Secondly, they managed to pull it around, and it looked like they were going to accomplish something after all. The allied forces had brought freedom and democracy to the masses in Afganistan after so much time, blood-shed and loss of life. Through continuous training, teaching and support, it looked like for a moment in time that it was all going to be worth the high cost that so many had paid. Women could vote, girls could go to school, fundamental freedoms and democratic law had replaced the archaic and evil laws of the Taliban and Isis.
After a dismal start some twenty years ago, it looked like the Western Forces had finally defeated the tyranny of the Taliban and set the country on the road to a fair and stable democracy.
But thirdly, nature abhors a vacuum - Biden and Johnson lost their grit and determination to see it through. They went wobbly, and who knows why? Greed and money stepped in, or was it cowedness? The Western forces, led by the USA and supported by the UK and others, had stabilised the country and though fragile, life in Afganistan was reasonably stable. It still desperately needed support and the "air power" of the west, but Afganistan was on the road to stability.
Like taking the shuttering away from liquid concrete too quickly, withdrawing all the western forces caused an instant collapse of everything previously accomplished and built. And at such a high cost, no wonder serving and ex-soldiers feel so bitter and resentful at these lily-livered politicians.
Afganistan is already retreating back to the dark ages; women in Taliban run areas now have to cover themselves from head to foot and wear niqabs or burkas, education for girls ceasing, no women in politics, random executions. For those Afghanis who, having tasted freedom, are now once again subjected to the harsh whims of the Taliban, it must be terrifying.
So the western powers, led by the United States and Britain, having fought and suffered - then held out a hand of hope to the people of Afganistan, have, on a whim, withdrawn it and left the Afgan population to face the carnage of the Taliban.
Our support was minimal, and had we continued with that for a few more years; the outcome would have been different. Afganistan would have grown in strength, like a young person growing into a solid and mature adult - it takes time, nurturing and support. Withdraw that support too early, and the result is left in doubt.
But it is worse than that; we had given our word to the Afghani people - we had spilt our blood alongside theirs, and now we have lied - we have let them down, destroyed our own credibility in the process and lost hard-won trust.
History will, and rightly so, judge Biden and Johnson harshly. They have sentenced so many innocent, courageous Afgan people to death, torture and a life of terror. They were people who believed in us and trusted us to see it through and do the right thing - but they, and indeed we, should have known Johnson better than that. He is not good at keeping his word - lying is routine for Johnson. How he treats his friends, well, you only have to look back over time because Johnson is the antithesis of loyalty, integrity, friendship, and trust.
So we, the population at large, will be left with the residue of Johnson's lack of character and the shame that goes with that for decades to come. Why should anyone trust Britain again? As for Biden - yes, he may be an improvement on Trump - but oh, as leader of The Free World - what a disappointment he has proven to be.
Rick - Suffolk - UK - 14th August - 2021
www.ricknotesfromengland.com
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