Self-Delusion and Forgetting History in Afghanistan

On December 9, the Washington Post released a six-part investigative report dubbed the "The Afghanistan Papers." The articles were meant to evoke the infamous Pentagon Papers, which showed that the U.S. government, across multiple administrations, lied to the American people about progress in Vietnam. Once again, the American people were informed of progress even as U.S. officials voiced doubts behind closed doors. Even worse, the American public was informed there were no other options but to stay the course.

The fact that the war in Afghanistan has not been going well, despite assurances by military and civilian officials over a decade, is not new information.  "The Afghanistan Papers" detail the ways in which U.S. leaders failed to learn important lessons from Vietnam....