Out of Afghanistan

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Last night, I had the incredible honor to sit down with Lt. Col. (ret.) Alexander Vindman. He shared his story and how he came to find himself in the room where it happened: the now infamous call on July 25, 2019, between Donald Trump and newly elected Ukranian President Volodymyr Zelensky. The one thing that struck me the most during our conversation was Vindman's unfailing optimism about the U.S.: "I still remain optimistic about our future. And that's because there are countless public servants, countless wonderful Americans, both in service to this government, and just living their lives, that will keep this country strong. We just need to shake off complacency, disabuse ourselves of the fact that this country will just continue to thrive without each of our contributions to make it better." Vindman's story is truly inspiring, and our RAM Chat is one you won't want to pass up. If you were unable to join us last night or want to share the RAM Chat with your friends, you can watch and
share the replay on our YouTube channel ([link removed]) . I highly recommend it! And please mark your calendars now for our next RAM Chat on Sept. 14, when we'll host Lee Drutman, senior fellow at the New America Foundation, to discuss multi-party democracy and democratic reform. See you then! —Mary Anna Mancuso, Media Manager, Stand Up Republic

Ed. Note: The TOPLINE crew will be off on Monday in observance of Labor Day. THE TOPLINE will return on Tuesday, Sept. 7. Have a safe, restful weekend!

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** Greenfield: The unclear future of US power
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"It is not hard to imagine that this deeper message of Biden's speech could emerge as a more salient political argument in the coming months. The upcoming midterm and presidential election cycles may feature debate not just about Afghanistan and how we left, but about what we have been committing lives and resources to for decades, and how much longer we are prepared to do it. Elements of the left and the right have already joined hands in opposing 'muscular' U.S. policies in the Middle East, Asia, and Europe. But the next step may be to question the premises that make those policies possible—and their cost." —Jeff Greenfield on ([link removed]) Politico ([link removed])

Jeff Greenfield is a political analyst and author.

MORE: James Hohmann: The Kabul evacuation illuminated a dangerous strain of thought in the military about civilian control —The Washington Post ([link removed])


** Rama: NATO has a responsibility to the Afghans
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"Until a few days ago, NATO members were the main source of support for the people of Afghanistan. We cannot recede like shadows, alongside the ideals, principles, and promise of freedom and democracy that we made over two decades. The world's most powerful military alliance, built to uphold those ideals with the threat of force and the force of example, cannot become a spineless entity in the eyes of the Afghan people and the millions of people elsewhere who crave to live in a free, just, and democratic society. All of us, our community of countries, must give hope, shelter, and a new life to all of those who trusted us, worked for us, and fought for the promise of the future we represented." —Edi Rama on ([link removed]) Project Syndicate ([link removed])

Edi Rama is the prime minister of Albania.

MORE: Ukraine's Zelensky presses Biden on NATO membership —Deutsche Welle ([link removed])


** NYT Ed Board: Repression knows no borders
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"If the United States is to regain some of its credibility as a defender of human rights and the rule of law around the globe, pushing back on transnational repression would be a good place to start. Targeted sanctions on authoritarian governments can be effective if used wisely. Training employees of the State and Justice Departments to recognize, understand, and address the various incarnations of transnational repression would also bring more attention and resources to fight the problem. Making it easier for refugees to escape repression would be in keeping with the country's long tradition of offering a safe harbor to persecuted and desperate people." —The New York Times ([link removed])

MORE: Russia threatens Apple and Google over Alexei Navalny app —The Wall Street Journal ([link removed])


** Collinson: What McCarthy's threat tells us
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"[House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy] appears to be signaling that a Republican House would be an extension of Trump's political machine, ready to do his political dirty work ahead of another possible presidential bid in 2024. The threat may also be a preview of a return of the crushing of constitutional norms that characterized Trump's White House. The idea of using power granted by voters to intimidate people or entities who don't share radical political goals not only raises the possibility of abuses of power and the abandoning of rules and accountability necessary for a corruption-free economy. It is the kind of shakedown tactic that would be more expected in an autocracy like Vladimir Putin's Russia than in a supposedly functioning democracy like the United States." —Stephen Collinson on ([link removed]) CNN
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Stephen Collinson is a CNN political analyst.

MORE: Kevin McCarthy among GOP lawmakers whose phone records Jan. 6 select committee asks to be preserved —CNN ([link removed])
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** Karelas: When hurricanes become political
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"We hold up or decry scientists based on whether their findings support our worldview, our cultural leanings, or which political party claims the issue first. We'd rather enjoy a good punchline on the news that makes our political adversaries seem foolish, rather than coming to the table to work out our differences and prepare for what will be an increasingly challenging period ahead." —Andreas Karelas in ([link removed]) The Hill ([link removed])

Andreas Karelas is the author of "Climate Courage: How Tackling Climate Change Can Build Community, Transform the Economy, and Bridge the Political Divide in America."

MORE: More than 45 dead after Ida's remnants blindside Northeast —Associated Press ([link removed])


** Bronner: Who supports democracy in Congress?
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"At this point, the core of democracy in the U.S. is not up for debate. 'We're fighting battles today over certain aspects of the democratic process, but not the core of it, for the most part,' said Michael Coppedge, a political scientist at the University of Notre Dame and one of the principal investigators at Varieties of Democracy. But the fact that questions of democracy have become so clearly partisan is not good for the future of democracy. And given just how politically divided that fight has already become, it's more important than ever to track how Congress votes on the matters of democracy that do make it to the floor." —Laura Bronner in ([link removed]) FiveThirtyEight ([link removed])

Laura Bronner is a senior applied scientist at ETH Zürich and
FiveThirtyEight's former quantitative editor.

MORE: Paul Loeb: Could Mitt Romney be the Bob Dole who saves voting rights? —The Salt Lake Tribune ([link removed])


** Dionne: Advancing democracy abroad requires defending it at home
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"[Democracy] entails both freedom and equality—open debate and an insistence that 'people cannot have license to undermine the standing of their fellow citizens as free and equal members of the polity.' This last point needs to be on the minds of U.S. senators as they contemplate the epic battle over voting rights and the filibuster that will confront them next month. Our post-Afghanistan debates over U.S. responsibility for democracy in the world will be mere bluster if we allow it to be undermined at home. Foes of freedom abroad would like nothing better than for us to walk away from democracy's rules." —E.J. Dionne in ([link removed]) The Washington Post ([link removed])

E.J. Dionne is a
Washington Post columnist covering national politics.

MORE: Study: Majorities support global democracy, political parties can benefit —Democracy Without Borders ([link removed])

Tim P. of New Mexico nailed the Afghanistan situation and its origin with complete accuracy. Donald Trump's incompetence and lack of ability set up a situation that was meant to fail. Thank God that President Biden took what he was given and did as well as he did.

The Republicans like Kevin McCarthy need to realize that the people know what happened, and every time they talk about impeachment or blame Biden for Trump's fiasco, they are putting one more nail in their political coffins, including by acting like Trump's insurrection was some wonderful hugging event.

We the people are not stupid. We know a liar, fraud, conman, and incompetent when we see one, and those are the only points Trump has with us. McCarthy is a little man with a big sense of importance who does not have the brains to sit down and shut up. —Donna C., California

Quoting Mitch McConnell: "The report card you get is every two years," he said. "I think the way these behaviors get adjusted in this country is at the ballot box."

That's exactly what happened, although too many Trumplicans refuse to believe it. In 2020, we Americans corrected the outrageous behavior of Mr. Trump. It's quite possible without him, President Biden might not have won.

I only hope we don't rest on the outcome of 2020, but that we realize there are still many behaviors that need correcting in 2022. Let's seek and promote candidates (either party) who are willing to see and tell the truth and to stand for something other than personal gain. And let us all work to get them elected. Thanks, Topline, for exposing how voting issues are core to making this happen. —Read G., Utah

Bush began it. Obama expanded it. Trump prolonged it. Biden ended it. —Jim V., New York
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** The views expressed in "What's Your Take?" are submitted by readers and do not necessarily reflect the views of the editorial staff or the Stand Up Republic Foundation.
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