Afghanistan — what next?

AUGUST 21, 2021

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The world is still digesting why Afghanistan fell so quickly to the Taliban, and what it all means. The immediate issues are obvious — rescue the Afghans to whom we have a moral obligation, do what we can for the rest.

But putting these two decades of failed Western nation-building into context will take time. Right now, many things are unclear. Was the rapid capitulation to the Taliban always factored in? What were the Doha peace talks all about? What does Australia do the next time the US comes calling?

This week, Crikey made a start on answering some of those questions and will come back to them in coming weeks and months. Today, I recommend articles by Bernard Keane, Guy Rundle, Kishor Napier-Raman and our syndication partners at Foreign Policy.

We also added to our growing bank of critique of the federal government’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic — Amber Schultz and Keane in particular making highly insightful contributions. As ever, Crikey brings a robust voice to the issues of the day; we try to say the things that need to be said, the things that others will not.

Thank you for supporting that.

Have a great weekend,

Peter Fray
Editor-in-chief

What next?

The Taliban’s return is another step on the cart-rutted track of history. Behind, the cities burn

GUY RUNDLE 5 minute read

What's left in this chaotic disintegration of a modern Afghanistan is the betrayals, the firing squads, the reprisals — and the questions.

Afghanistan isn’t Morrison’s war, but he has a responsibility to fix Howard’s mess

BERNARD KEANE 3 minute read

Scott Morrison has been left to deal with the failure of the western intervention in Afghanistan bequeathed him by John Howard. But a true reckoning would go much further than the prime minister is willing to go.

Twenty years on, reality’s brutal triumph over an empire of fantasies

BERNARD KEANE 4 minute read

Strategic results of US Middle East interventions have been disastrous: less security, and wins for some of the world's worst Islamist regimes.

After empire: Afghanistan failure leaves Australia lost in a more uncertain world

KISHOR NAPIER-RAMAN 4 minute read

The fall of Kabul to the Taliban proves the days of US global dominance are over. And Australia must now question where its loyalties lie.

The right — and disastrous wrong — of Biden’s Afghanistan move

MICHAEL HIRSH 5 minute read

Joe Biden is facing pressure on all sides following the US withdrawal from Afghanistan -- but there could be a silver lining for the president.

The coming refugee crisis is just the beginning

ANATOL LIEVEN 7 minute read

As millions are predicted to flee Afghanistan and elsewhere, the West's refugee policies are set for a dramatic transformation.

Berejiklian backflips on evidence-based restrictions without addressing the key causes of transmission

AMBER SCHULTZ 5 minute read

NSW is now going harder on restrictions in the wake of their COVID-19 outbreak – but which of these measures are actually helpful?

We’re lab rats in a vast experiment: neoliberalism v interventionism

BERNARD KEANE 3 minute read

And the results are in: strong government intervention is better in economic terms than market-based approaches to controlling lockdowns.

NSW is setting a national agenda on living with COVID-19

AMBER SCHULTZ 4 minute read

Gladys Berejiklian thinks we should learn to live with the virus, but some state and territory demand elimination, not suppression.

The IPCC report’s star burnt brightly in Australian media — then it flamed out

CAM WILSON 2 minute read

It took just four days for the 'code red for humanity' report to bite the dust on websites and front pages.

When incels kill because of their extremist ideology it’s terrorism, plain and simple

TORY SHEPHERD 3 minute read

While those in authority are quick to slap the terrorism label on some, there's a continuing reluctance to apply this label to predominantly white groups.

Media watchdog looks at fewer than one in 10 complaints about Sky News

CAM WILSON 2 minute read

The Australian Communications and Media Authority admits that of 77 complaints over 18 months, only six were assessed.

Southern Cross pays bonuses and dividends — with dollops of government largesse

GLENN DYER 3 minute read

So many rewards splashing around for lucky executives whose companies were blest with JobKeeper payments.

Mandatory vaccination is a question for lawmakers. That’s you, Scott

MICHAEL BRADLEY 4 minute read

Legislation is the only thing that will work for employers. Nothing less will do. And that's what we pay the prime minister to do: make laws.