The Fall of Kabul

Almost 20 years after the US invasion o Afghanistan, Kabul has fallen to a Taliban that is much stronger than it was 20 years ago. The flotsam from other tragedies closer to home will mean this one will be forgotten quite soon. At least, until the first waves of refugees land up at the gates of Europe. One of my housemates from j-school was from Afghanistan and is currently based there. He was one of the most extroverted people I know, and  having been a journalist, I know quite a few. He spoke of a country completely dependent on Western support and unlikely to function otherwise. That was in 2007, and looks like things didn't change much since. Afghanistan was awash with funds from Western governments and he intend to go back and partake of their largesse. But 2007 was the twilight year of the Great Moderation. In a few months, the Global Financial Crisis would erupt and the world has been lurching from one disaster to another ever since.