Neither Joe Biden’s ongoing logistical blunders nor America’s strategic mistakes are without precedent. We have witnessed before the propensity for headstrong American leaders to withdraw troops without preparation, notably when the former president left the Kurds hanging in Northern Iraq, but the “get em’ out” argument has raged in America for years. Previously screamed in Trump’s shrill voice, it has now been augmented by a president who has a very personal investment in American grief. The result is a moment where one man’s stubbornness has precipitated chaos – and perhaps worse – for thousands trapped before the Taliban advance.