Reality has been tragic for Afghans. Outsiders fueled a civil war that is five decades old, creating a state that is not real, a political system that does not work, a bureaucracy that does not perform, and a military that will not fight. And the entire structure is crashing down on the Afghans, including those who desperately want to create a liberal society.
![View of Kabul, Afghanistan](/sites/cato.org/files/styles/optimized/public/2021-08/GettyImages-183330117.jpg?itok=FJARl04a)