Playing politics in Afghanistan and beyond

Whenever I am surprised by the actions of politicians, I try to remember that politics is mainly the result of a struggle to control resources, generally represented by money. Sometimes politics is used defensively, to protect money, sometimes offensively, to create opportunities for money-making. If you are lucky, you get politicians who recognise that money-making is a circular process that is not the goal (which is to live well) but the means. In democratic societies the power game is modified by the needs of elections.

This week I was surprised by US actions, abandoning their nearly 20 year commitment to Afghanistan. This action seems likely to be followed by a…