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14 Aug, 4 tweets, 1 min read
Things I am seeing Biden dinged for (by critics and also media types):
--Inflation: First of all, its minor. Also estimates suggest it's temporary. Thirdly, it was a relatively small cost of rescuing the economy (see: most jobs created in 6 months by any president, soaring GDP.)
--Deficit: Seriously? GOP admins create deficits. Trump drove up deficit massively. Big Biden initiatives currently being considered are paid for/pay for themselves/drive growth/are investments not spending or tax giveaways like Trump's.
--COVID surge: Seriously, seriously? Biden has worked near miracles in deploying 350 MM doses of vaccine, getting it so it is available to anyone, anywhere. Surge is due to GOP politicization, disinfo machine. 40% of all new cases in Florida & Texas. Seriously?!?
Afghanistan: See my piece on this below. There were mistakes made re: the exit to be sure. But Biden is far far from the most culpable with regard to what is happening there. Almost all recent POTUSs worse & let's not forget the Taliban's responsibility. thedailybeast.com/americas-catas…

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More from @djrothkopf

David Rothkopf Profile picture
16 Aug
I had the good fortune to talk to General Andrew Goodpaster, former SACEUR, a former top advisor to Dwight Eisenhower for many years right after the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq started. There was controversy swirling around about "bad intelligence" re: Iraqi WMDs.
Goodpaster said, "Ike would have had no patience for this debate. He knew you always had to take intelligence with a grain of salt. I was with him when he got intelligence late in 1944 which said there was nothing to worry about re: German forces near the Ardennes.
"The Battle of the Bulge started a few days later. Experienced users of intelligence know it is often wrong." In the case of the intel that suggested it would take months for the Taliban to resume control of Afghanistan, that the Afghan army would put up a tougher fight...
Read 6 tweets
David Rothkopf Profile picture
15 Aug
It is hard to stomach the master planners who have emerged from the woodwork to say they would have handled Afghanistan better when no one...no one...handled it well for 20 years, when we spent $1 trillion dollars and thousands of lives to cover the asses of misguided leaders.
Where were the master planners when the mission went beyond hitting back at Al Qaeda? Where were they we went into Iraq, diverting resources and focus? Where were they when the Taliban launched its counteroffensive after only two years?
Where were they when they Taliban reclaimed a third of the country? Where were they when it was clear our efforts to retrain the Afghan military were time after time after time producing bad results? Where were they when the Afghan gov't's incompetence & corruption took its toll.
Read 9 tweets
David Rothkopf Profile picture
15 Aug
The Taliban, created in 1994, took over the country with lightning speed. They controlled it by 1996. The most powerful nations on earth sent in an army and still after a matter of a relatively few years, the Taliban regained control or contested 30-40% of the country.
The US military has for two decades overstated its ability to materially change the ground truth of this country. In recent years, the Taliban were gaining again. The last administration recognized they were the real power in Afghanistan and effectively capitulated to them.
The outcome you see today was inevitable, predictable before this started, predictable ten years ago. The advocates for keeping a force there ignore the gains achieved by the Taliban while we have had a force there.
Read 18 tweets
David Rothkopf Profile picture
13 Aug
US policy in Afghanistan has been 20 yrs of bad decisions & bad execution in the face of an insoluble challenge. Our local allies were very flawed, our enemy was resolute & the last 3 US presidents have wanted out & knew what's happening now would happen. But sure, it's on Biden.
The original sin and greatest blame goes to George W. Bush who got us involved in a protracted mission when the only right mission was to go in, get Al Qaeda & leave. That was compounded by the catastrophic decision to enter Iraq--an enormous distraction.
Obama and Trump compounded the problem by failing to find a way to exit. Why didn't they? Because their advisors knew that the center (the Afghan gov't and forces) couldn't hold and that ultimately collapse would follow the exit. Those advisors were right.
Read 15 tweets
David Rothkopf Profile picture
22 Jul
If we want to defeat COVID, everyone must get the vaccine. The greatest single challenge for government officials is figuring out how to do that. There are several key steps:
1. Rich countries must defeat resistance to taking the vaccine. One approach is requiring the vaccine. Another is creating new restrictions for the unvaccinated (as France has done). Either must be accompanied by making the vaccine easily available always to all.
2. All countries must systematically combat disinformation. Its purveyors should be identified, penalized, and a clear, effective counter-message offered.
Read 5 tweets
David Rothkopf Profile picture
7 Jul
When the President has overseen mobilization of vast resources to ensure anyone in the US who wants a vaccine can get one, 18 states have hit the 70% vaccination target, 67% of eligible Americans have received at least one dose of the vaccine...
...the ones that have hit the target all voted for Biden, all but three of those with the lowest rates having supported Trump, the failure to hit the target therefore clearly falling victim to GOP politicization of the vaccine and other pandemic control measures...
then the articles on our progress should read "Red States Fail to Meet Vaccine Targets" or "GOP Anti-Vaccine Stance Undermines US Effort to Hit 70% Inoculation Goal." Biden's vaccine program has been a huge success by any measure.
Read 4 tweets

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