Crash Course: 20 years of war, up in smoke

[View this email in your browser]( Your daily update from [Salon](. Written by [Brett Bachman](. 20 years of war, up in smoke The images coming out of Afghanistan Sunday threw into stark relief nearly two decades of U.S. foreign policy, [exposing the lies and wishful thinking]( that have propelled America's military campaign in the region for so long. Chaos engulfed the capital of Kabul as the Afghan government officially fell and President Ashraf Ghani [joined thousands of his fellow citizens in fleeing the country]( leaving a panicked mob of thousands more at the Kabul International Airport — all seeking their own ticket out. A Taliban spokesperson did tell the BBC it expected a "peaceful transfer of power," though it was unclear what that might mean in practice. "We assure the people in Afghanistan, particularly in the city of Kabul, that their properties, their lives are safe. There will be no revenge on anyone," the spokesperson said. Back home, a number of vocal anti-war voices who have opposed the conflict since its inception in 2001 began a round of bittersweet "I-told-you-sos," pointing out that this weekend's events were, in their minds at least, clearly inevitable. Over the last 20 years, trillions of dollars and hundreds of thousands of lives were lost on an intractable war with nebulous goals that America was unlikely to ever achieve — a fact that [The Washington Post revealed in 2019 was widely known]( in the halls of power, both military and civilian. What lessons did we as a country learn from this experience? And who will be held accountable for the failures of at least four subsequent presidential administrations? Read more about Sunday's tumultuous events and [how, exactly, we got here](. (Photo via Getty Images) Sex trafficking scandal roils Minnesota GOP A top GOP donor and activist arrested for child sex trafficking. One of the state's top youth leaders implicated. And all of this happening under the nose of a party chair and her Congressman husband, both with a long-term personal friendship with the accused. It's been [a wild week of headlines for Minnesota Republicans](. According to federal charges unsealed Thursday, 30-year-old Anton 'Tony' Lazzaro is accused of conspiring with others to recruit six underage victims to engage in "commercial sex acts." He's one of the state's top Republican donors and operatives, with a network that encompasses nearly every power center of conservative politics. State GOP Chair Jennifer Carnahan, a close associate of Lazzaro's who once hosted a podcast with him called "#TruthMatters," is now fighting off growing calls for her resignation from a number of state lawmakers. Despite the negative press, she has remained defiant and refused to step down, calling the demands a "coup" and an attempt to "defame" her with "false accusations." The scandal also comes at a key moment, as the party apparatus lays the groundwork for next year's midterms — threatening to upend important fundraising efforts and behind-the-scenes strategizing for the foreseeable future. Minnesota has proven itself as an important battleground over the last few elections — with former President Donald Trump outperforming expectations in the state despite a close loss in 2020. Plus, it's an especially important cycle given Minnesota's status as one of the few states with a currently divided legislature. - Pelosi shoots down conservative Dem revolt, [saying Congress backs "totality" of Biden’s infrastructure vision]( - Thanks to climate change, [supply chain disruptions are poised to be the new normal]( - On “FBoy Island,” [a segment for “Mansplaining” proves to be a feminist boon]( - Trump or Obama: [Whose legacy will reshape American politics]( for the years ahead? - Starz's "Heels" [proves wrestling isn't fake]( by creating a show about it that doesn't feel genuine - NASA slightly improves the odds that asteroid Bennu hits Earth. [Why humanity will be ready regardless]( - The creators of HBO's "White Lotus" talked with Salon [about those wild main title wallpapers and the hidden meanings within]( - Why [behavioral science won't fix the climate crisis]( - And, finally, the food history lesson you didn't know you needed: [How hot sauce and butter rewrote the chicken wing's underdog story]( Not a subscriber yet? [Sign up]( to receive Crash Course. The crisis of neoliberalism There's an internal battle within the Democratic party right now over a pair of infrastructure bills — one "big," and one "small." But what's really at stake is the future of neoliberalism within the party, [Salon contributor Thom Hartmann writes.]( "The smaller "bipartisan" bill represents the neoliberal worldview, including public-private partnerships and huge subsidies to for-profit companies, whereas the larger "reconciliation" Democratic Party-only bill hearkens back to the FDR/LBJ classic progressive way of doing things." Neoliberalism, of course, has been the dominant ideology of the country for the last 40 years or so — representing things like unfettered free trade, economic austerity, tax cuts, deregulation and privatization, as well as the destructive legacies of each. America is now at a crossroads, [Hartmann argues]( a fork that was unimaginable even five years ago. We have the opportunity to break free from the constraints of neoliberalism and imagine a different world — but will we be able to actually take the plunge? "Bringing American manufacturing back home, raising top income tax rates to the above-50% level that stabilizes the explosion of great wealth, and building a 21st-century social safety net with free college and Medicare for All would guarantee that the Democratic Party — as it did from the 1930s to 1980 — would control most of the U.S. government for generations. "It would also strengthen democracy itself in America, leading us towards the multiracial, multiethnic all-in society promised in our founding documents but not yet fully realized." (Photo illustration by Salon/Getty Images) - "[Stranded Outside Kabul During the Fall of Afghanistan]( New York Magazine - "[The rise of the COVID midlife crisis]( The New Yorker - "[Braves Manager Brian Snitker is Old-School. He Doesn't Do Analytics. And He's Thriving in Today's MLB.]( Sports Illustrated - "[Social media really is making us more morally outraged]( Popular Science - "[How Does One Process Defeat?]( The Atlantic Starz' "Heels" somehow manages to turn wrestling dour If wrestling is your bag, maybe you'll enjoy Starz' new show "Heels," [Salon TV critic Melanie McFarland writes](. But if you aren't already familiar with the sport (if you want to call it that), buckle up — it's going to be a bumpy ride. "Even if you know next to nothing about wrestling, one can easily recognize shades of classic rivalries within its central plot about a financially strapped, family-run wrestling outfit defending its regional title from a flashier upstart out of, where else, Florida." That's where the appeal starts and ends, unfortunately, [McFarland says](. "This a drama that more often plods than leaps and never makes a case for its necessity." "At the very least a wrestling story should feel genuinely exciting and light up a room, right?" But if that's what you're looking for, you won't find it in 'Heels.' Maybe try pay-per-view, or 'GLOW.'" Read the [full review here](. (Photo courtesy of Starz) Have a tip for Salon? Feedback on this newsletter? [Let us know](mailto:brett.bachman@salon.com). [Share]( [Share]( [Tweet]( [Tweet]( [Forward]( [Forward]( Copyright © 2021 Salon.com, LLC, All rights reserved. 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