Biden’s Buck Stops Here

It has been said, “The best laid plans of mice and men can still go wrong.” Due to the vagaries of life, each person could do his best in all things and still suffer tragedy, loss, and disappointment. There are simply too many variables in life, which are out of our control.

However, that immutable reality makes it even more important to do our individual best. Relative success in life depends upon our fully anticipating, planning for, and adequately addressing the variables and circumstances, which are within our influence and control.

Biden’s failure is not that Afghanistan was not remade into a “democracy” in the supposed image of the United States. Efforts to advance any such pipe dream were almost certainly doomed to failure from the outset. Biden’s failure was not in removing U.S. forces from Afghanistan where they had been fighting a fruitless and in many ways thankless war for two (2) decades. Any national interest, which might have justified military intervention twenty (20) years ago was long since addressed or realistic efforts to remedy related threats were exhausted.

No, Biden is correct is saying or believing that nearly all of these things were among those variables, which were beyond his control. It is true that he “inherited” an untenable situation; although, it should be noted that he was VP in an administration, which began twelve (12) years ago and which continued for eight (8) years without ending U.S. involvement in Afghanistan.

Biden’s failure was in orchestration and implementation. He knew, based upon past experience and current intelligence, that the withdrawal of U.S. forces would create a vacuum of power. He knew that the forces, which the U.S. had been fighting, would attempt to move in so as to fill that vacuum. He should have known that the established government was incapable of defending itself, the nation, and the people from these adversarial forces (particularly in light of a dearth of U.S. support).

He also knew (or should have known) that there were thousands of Americans in the country, who likely wanted and needed to leave. He knew (or should have known) that there were tens of thousands of Afghans, whose very lives and those of their families were put in jeopardy because of the assistance that they gave to U.S. forces or because of their status as disfavored minorities (e.g. women, Christians, etc.).

These were the things, which were known to Biden and his administration. These dangers and threats were among the things, which were within his purview, control, and responsibility. For these things, he and his administration failed to plan adequately (or did not plan at all). These are among his failures.

The plans for an “orderly evacuation” were either nonexistent or horrifically botched. The failure to anticipate the immediate collapse of the installed government was inexplicable and inexcusable. The resulting losses, including deaths of scores of civilians and of thirteen (13) service members fall upon his shoulders. These things happened on his watch.

President Harry S. Truman had a sign on his desk, which said, “The Buck Stops Here.” Biden was not responsible for instigating or entering the war, but Biden is responsible for the current mess. He is responsible for the war’s historically disastrous end. He is responsible for the loss of stature suffered by the United States among its supporters and allies as well as adversaries and enemies.

As much as Biden may wish to, he cannot blame Trump or anyone else. The “Buck Stops” with him. That’s what it means to be Commander-in-Chief. That’s what it means to be President.