America's Wars

After 20 years of fighting in Afghanistan, it’s a bitter pill for the US to see the Taliban back in control of the country. A recent poll shows that US Military Veterans who served in Afghanistan are conflicted about the war. Many of them say it was necessary, but also intrusive and wasteful. Retired Army Colonel Andrew Bacevich is more pointed in his critique. He says, if America had learned the lessons of Vietnam, we wouldn’t have invaded Afghanistan or Iraq. Bacevich fought in Vietnam. His son died in the Iraq War. His new book is a rebuke of American political leaders – Republican and Democrat – who continue to believe in the power of America’s military to solve the world’s problems. The book is called "After the Apocalypse." (Originally aired July 22nd, 2021) (AP Photo/David Guttenfelder, File)