Episode 291: The U.S. Withdrawal from Afghanistan

In this episode, Neil, Niki, and Natalia discuss the past and present of U.S. military engagement in Afghanistan.

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Here are some links and references mentioned during this week’s show: 

• After nearly two decades, President Biden announced that all American troops were leaving Afghanistan, which quickly fell to the Taliban. Natalia referred to Jeremy Varon’s Washington Post piece about the antiwar movement, and to this conversation at Public Seminar between historians Claire Bond Potter and Amanda Demmer.

In our regular closing feature, What’s Making History:

• Natalia recommended the Netflix series The Chair.
• Neil discussed James Poniewozik’s New York Times article, “How TV Went From David Brent to Ted Lasso.”
• Niki talked about the political significance of the gubernatorial recall election underway in California.