Britain and America have sacrificed innocent people to the Taliban | Emma Kay
Afghans who put their lives at risk to serve Britain have been swept aside and trapped in Taliban-controlled Kabul in a huge humanitarian crisis.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdShots fired to control the surge to escape a literal hell; four women trampled to death in an hour at the airport; people required to show documentation linking them to the UK to prove their eligibility to leave, makes them a target for the Taliban who are checking the documents.
People pleading for their lives to be saved, clinging to planes taking off and falling to their deaths. Bloodstained runways. Babies thrown over barbed wire with mothers begging British troops to take them. People have been beaten, shot and raped trying to get documents to leave. Poor organisation and an unwillingness to help a desperate people has resulted in tragedy.
This is our worst moral failing since the Suez crisis. Britain and America have sacrificed innocents who are at the mercy of theocratic monsters happy to mow down as many as possible in the name of ‘justice’ and ‘peace’.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdThe best thing we can do is not close our eyes to this. Look, learn, take in what horrors are happening. Do not let it fall by the wayside.
The Taliban target. The Taliban hurt. Our world holds its breath at this grotesque mess. We know of their bloodstained past. We have seen enough past evidence of their brutal regime and know better than to believe their insistence it will be different this time.
Mr Raab, why stay two more days in your five-star hotel in Crete when asked to return to Downing Street? In the hours before the fall of Kabul you could have acted to save people. Every second you spent sunning yourself people died. Claiming it all happened too fast for you to act is a cowardly admission of your failure to act.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdIf you don’t feel a deep moral sickness about the whole thing, I urge you to read up and wise up. For now, being informed is the best way to wield a slither of hope for humanity.
Fed up with that old shirt? Then swap it, don’t chuck it
Clothes swaps can be fast fashion relief and a fun way to replace unwanted items in your wardrobe with something new without reaching for your wallet.
Mutual swap groups are a great way to get out of the default routine of: I need that; I will have to buy a new one. Or even that you need to buy it there and then.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdOld items still have a use and may have only been used once or twice. Breaking habitual wallet splashing and dedicating time to doing something more tangible can have a positive effect on you in general.
And it’s not just clothes. Book swaps or toy swaps are also a great way to give the things you own but no longer want a recycled life that helps the environment.
Lost in sublime darkness – that’s the way to watch films
It felt surreal to watch a film in sublime darkness without distractions.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdNo constant looking at phones, no getting up to pause it, no noisy lawnmowers severing the sound. No pets, no screaming children, nothing but the dark and the enjoyment of the film.
Cinemas are also a way of blocking out the world while cherishing biting into a hotdog with crispy onion around the edges. Over-indulging on junk food in comfy seats is an expensive heaven.
Streaming services may be cheaper and more convenient but going to the cinema is a wholly different experience.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdYou can immerse your head in a mix of sound, light and colour my home screen doesn’t provide.
A message from the editor, Mark Waldron.You can subscribe here for unlimited access to our online coverage, including Pompey, for 27p a day.
Comment Guidelines
National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.