D-Day Beaches and the Withering State of U.S. Leadership
Some thoughts on Afghanistan and U.S. leadership…
During my travels over the past couple of weeks, I’ve had a lot of time to think and read about Afghanistan. It is a privilege to travel freely and safely. My heart and prayers go out to the Americans and Afghans who cannot do the same at this dire moment. I felt it would be a disservice to continue writing about my own travels without at least acknowledging the suffering that is occurring.
I’m used to writing political articles but since I now have this blog, I thought I’d informally share my thoughts on what’s going on in Afghanistan. This is more of a reflective exercise than a political analysis, but I hope you enjoy it all the same.
Just a few days ago, I had the chance of visiting the beaches of Normandy with my brother. We ended up taking a tour of Omaha Beach, Point du Hoc, and the American cemetery. Upon entering Bayeux, a nearby town where we were staying, we saw countless signs and postcards saying “Thank you to our Liberators,” often bearing the image of an American soldier along with Canadian, British, and French flags (the major participants in D-Day).
On our tour we saw the bunkers in which German soldiers sheltered to shoot down Allied forces storming the beaches. We heard stories of the bravery and tragedy of soldiers fighting to overtake the Nazi strongholds in Normandy. Most of all, we took away a sense of gratitude for the immense sacrifice that was made in order to fight for stability, freedom, and justice.
All in all, it was awe-inspiring. What an incredible operation. It was a feat that took the utmost collaboration, trust, and organization between the Allied forces. And an operation that relied on U.S. leadership and credibility.
Especially after this Normandy visit, watching the news about Afghanistan unfold has been devastating. Traveling abroad, there’s a sense that the U.S. is no longer seen as a credible ally due to their utter mismanagement of this departure.
There were many factors leading to the shameful U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. Some include the hefty cost of mission upkeep and the bleak political situation that endured even after 20 years. But this blog isn’t really about fleshing those out (though if you want to discuss further, I’m more than willing!).
This blog is about thinking about my values and about challenging my perception of the world. And for me, my identity as an American is inextricable from such an exercise.
I am watching my country capitulate its will to lead and its will to be a valiant force for good. I see a growing sentiment of U.S. shame at play, one that I previously thought only existed in my higher education bubble. It’s the kind of shame that makes it difficult to be patriotic; a hip disdain for America. It’s a jaded type of disbelief that we should have any international influence because of how “awful” we have been in the past. We don’t deserve to be leaders, according to this mode of thought.
Pulling out of Afghanistan (the way we did) was a relinquishment of another piece of U.S. hegemony. It was a capitulation to this feeling of shame.
During my tour of the Normandy beaches, I realized that a monumental feat like D-Day could not have been possible without the support of the U.S. population. This was a support that came from all kinds of citizens, like women running factories and young scouts conducting supply drives. Americans came together to support their country’s war effort, proud of American values and leadership.
Today, this kind of unified national identity no longer exists. It’s been washed away by political divisions and fixations on what we’ve done wrong as a country, not what we could do right.
Being so jaded, we were bound to encounter catastrophe. How can a nation successfully lead when even its own citizens don’t believe it is worthy? It’s tragic to hear stories of Afghan translators who put their lives on the line to uphold American values that we ourselves dismiss (check out this episode of the Daily podcast for some really shocking accounts). And now, when their lives are on the line again, we can’t even give them a safe place to stay.
This is not a pitch for America as the best country in the whole wide history of the world. American influence in Middle Eastern countries has often been questionable at best; we’ve made mistakes that must be scrutinized and remembered. Rather it’s an acknowledgement that I believe, overall, that American influence can be better if citizens work together and support their country rather than endlessly demonize it.
To me, watching the wholly irresponsible and disorganized exit from Afghanistan (as well as our President’s repeated defenses of this exit) was yet another sign that Americans don’t really want to be leaders anymore.
We shouldn’t be embarrassed by our leadership. We should embrace it and strive to do right by it.
Throughout my travels in France, I’ve gotten the devastating impression that the U.S. is less trusted as an ally than ever. I met a couple of soldiers in the French Air Force who basically asked me: “what the heck is going on with your country’s policy?”. How sad, when only 77 years ago, we stormed the beaches of Normandy with our allies and friends.
And it’s our faults. We squabble over political differences and fail to see a world order at stake (it’s not just Afghanistan; think about U.S. issues with China, Russia, etc.). We allow our hatred for past transgression to excuse a present indifference for promoting peace, democracy, and a just world order. We are satisfied with justifications like “we do more harm than good” and especially in the case of Afghanistan, “we don’t make a difference.”
I refuse to believe we haven’t made a difference. I refuse to believe that the bravery of servicemen and women did not have an impact. In fact, it’s quite clear that it did. Within weeks of pulling out of Afghanistan, the country tumbled back into violence and the oppression of the ruthless and corrupt Taliban. Women are being forced to give up their educations and businesses as their pictures are being erased from the public eye. Meanwhile, China — our main global adversary and a country that oppresses religious minority and censors its own citizens — is seeking “friendly” relations with the Taliban.
The U.S. is at a crucial point: it can embrace the yoke of principled leadership, standing by its friends and promoting justice, or it can dissolve into obscurity, bogged down by a shame that is trumping its ability to do better, to improve.
Excellent!
So true your analysis! Love it !