Should the U.S. have left Afghanistan? Den Debate #1, with Harry McKenna

A short while ago, I posted a very bullish little piece inviting people to argue with me. Well, someone took me up on the offer, so welcome to the first Den Debate! As with the more conversation-oriented Den Discussions, these debates will probably appear irregularly. Who knows? This might even be the only one. But I reiterate that invitation and, meanwhile, I hope you enjoy the following debate. Forgive any hiccups—I have tried to adopt a semi-formal structure with timings and suchlike, but this is my first time doing this. Anyway, the debate is with Harry McKenna, a writer and old Free Speech Champions comrade, on whether the U.S. and its allies should have withdrawn from Afghanistan in 2021.

Since it's frequently cited in this debate, ⁠here⁠ is my piece on Afghanistan from last year.

This debate was recorded on March 18, 2023.