In my younger days, I used to think that empires were cool. I would read books about the glories of Ancient Rome and about the majestic might of the British navy.

These days, I realize that was myopic in the extreme. Empire always sucks for someone. Usually the people who were conquered by it.

The big news at the moment is the disastrous retreat of US forces in Kabul.

I can remember the start of the war so clearly, because I was in college at the time, and all of my friends and schoolmates were giddy with excitement watching the news about how we were pounding the hell of those people.

But young men being swept up by nationalism is old news. As Napoleon said, to get a man to die for you, you have to speak to his soul.

I’ve come to revise many (read all) my opinions about Christianity, but the two most powerful ideas (borrowed from Judaism of course) are of repentance and forgiveness.

I wonder how different the world would be if America, would have just forgiven the 9/11 terrorists, and engaged in soul searching.

I mean, the blowback in the Middle East didn’t come from nowhere. It definitely happened because we stuck our privates in places they didn’t belong.

What if we had, beefed up security on airplanes, sanctioned all the terror supporting states, and created a “truth and reconciliation commission” style plan to repair what we had broken?

That would have been truly transformative. A real application of Christian justice, for a supposedly Christian nation.

Instead, we got the last 20 years.

I mean, I feel for all the people who were trying to get away from the Taliban, but sometimes the only way to correct a mistake, is to inflict more pain.

I only hope that this occasions such a moment of reflection as my alternate history scenario.

However, judging by the news, it’s all shame and no repentance.