Getting out of afghanistan. And the only member of congress who voted against the war on why we never should have gotten in. However difficult this vote may be, some of us must urge the use of restraint. Plus, as kids head back to School And Covid deaths soar in texas, meet the superintendent defying the republican governors ban on Mask Mandates when All In starts right now. Good evening from washington, d. C. Im in for chris hayes. Just ahead of the 18th Anniversary and nearly 18 years after the start of the War In Afghanistan then donald j. Trump was working on a secret plan to bring leaders of the taliban to Camp David for peace talks. It was a wild and grossly offensive idea. As described by the new york times, the leaders of a rugged Militant Organization teamed troess by the united states would be hosted in the mountain get away used for President S, Prime Ministers and kings. Donald trump was determined to hold this dramatic show of diplomacy even over the reported objections of his national Security Team and his Vice President. But the plan fell apart as abruptly as it came together. Inexplicably trump revealed the whole scheme in a series of tweets saying that the taliban, quote, admitted to an attack in kabul that killed one of our great, great soldiers and 11 other people. I immediately cancelled the meeting and called off peace negotiations. However, that was not actually The End of donald trumps attempt to strike a deal with the taliban. In late February 2020 the Trump Administration and the taliban signed a Peace Agreement calling for all u. S. Troops to leave afghanistan within 14 months. And in early March Trump spoke on the phone with the leader of the taliban, describing their chat like this. We had a very good conversation with the leader of the Taliban Today and theyre looking to get this ended and were looking to get it ended. I think we all have a very common interest. How chummy. Now as american troops pull out of afghanistan and everything falls apart, there is an effort to rewrite history, to make it seem like what we are seeing is all president Joe Bidens fault. Lets be clear. Joe biden has a lot to answer for, but the reality is, of course, that it is not just the Biden Administration that got us here. As much as trump and his acolytes might like you to believe, take a listen to how former Secretary Of State Mike Pompeo tried to shift the blame on, where else, Fox News yesterday. It looks like the Biden Administration has just failed in its execution of its own plan. The plan should have been much like we had, was we would have an orderly, conditioned spaced way to think how to draw down our forces there. We actually delivered on that promise. Chris, it is worth noting, this did not happen on our watch. We reduced our forces significantly and the taliban didnt advance on capitals all across afghanistan. So it is a plain, old fact it is happening under the Biden Administrations leadership. Wow. Big talk from pompeo. Big talk. But hold on, mike. Who is this in Dohar Standing next to taliban official Mullah Badar who is now the De Facto leader of afghanistan. Oh, wait, thats you, mike. That is, of course, then Secretary Of State Mike Pompeo with badar who was released from prison in pakistan in 2018 at the request of the Trump Administration so he could participate in negotiations. The two of them first met in September Of 2020 and again two months later in november, because one meeting with the taliban was not nearly enough for tough guy mike. Up until a couple of months ago, trump himself was still touting his great deal and his decision to pull out all u. S. Troops. I started the process, all the troops are coming back home. They couldnt stop the process. 21 years is enough, dont we think . 21 years. They couldnt stop the process. They wanted to, but it was very tough to stop the process. That was at The End of june. He wanted credit for bringing the troops home. He did not want Joe Biden to get any credit for his deal. Now trump says Joe Biden should resign in disgrace for what he has allowed to happen in afghanistan. Donald trump is nothing if not shamelessly inconsistent. For his part, President Biden is making sure the american people know he did not start this mess. Speaking from the White House this afternoon. When i came into office i inherited a deal that President Trump negotiated with the taliban. Under his agreement u. S. Forces would be out of afghanistan by may 1, 2021, just a little over three months after i took office. U. S. Forces had already drawn down during the Trump Administration from roughly 15,500 American Forces to 2,500 troops in country. The taliban was at its strongest militarily since 2001. As we see the deeply upsetting scenes coming out of afghanistan today like this video posted to Social Media showing utter chaos at the airport in kabul as thousands of afghans flood the tarmac in desperation and this one showing people running alongside a u. S. Military plane on the tarmac, some trying to cling to the side of it, just trying absolutely anything to get out of the country because they know what is coming. When you see all of those images, it is important to remember there are a lot of people responsible for where we are today. It is not just Joe Biden. It is not even just donald trump. It has been 20 years of gaslighting, incompetence and bad policy from four President S, from both parties. Joining me now craig whitlock, investigative reporter for the Washington Post and author of the forthcoming book the afghanistan papers a secret history of the war. And an investigative reporter and contributing writer, back in 2019, reporting from Battlefield Provinces. Thank you both for joining me this evening. Craig, let me start with you. Is it fair to say based on all of your reporting, especially the leaked documents you got hold of in 2019, the afghan papers, we were lied to by President S of both parties, by generals, by diplomats for 20 years . They knew everything about the afghan army and the government. None of this could have come as a surprise to them surely. No, it didnt. One minor correction. Those documents werent leaked. We had to sue the federal government for three years under the freedom of Information Act to obtain them. So it wasnt a leak. This is old fashioned reporting. But you are absolutely right. You know, every president ial administration dating back to the bush years, they havent been forthright with the american people about a number of things, but one of the most astonishing ones from these documents we obtained were the number of generals and ambassadors and White House officials who acknowledge they didnt have any clue as to how things worked in afghanistan. They lacked a fundamental ignorance of how things operated there. They didnt have a strategy, and really they thought the war was unwinnable. Yet in public they told the american people that they were making progress, that there were twists and turns in the road but they were always moving ahead. What weve seen the last few days is obviously thats the complete opposite of reality. For me those public statements, especially in hindsight, are unforgivable. Asmat, the dohar Agreement Trump signed in 2020 with the taliban, there isnt one word in there about Human Rights or protecting women, not one. Isnt that a bit rich for Republicans Today to be trying to play the emotional Blackmail Card about the poor afghans we are abandoning . There are so many afghans who are being abandoned, particularly in kabul. There are people who have worked with americans. There are translators, there are journalists, there are female activists who are at great risk. At the same time, you know, acknowledging this huge, enormous cost to incredible people who have seen so much progress over the last 20 years, especially women and girls in kabul and major urban centers. What you dont hear talked about are the women and girls who live in rural areas. Now, nearly threequarters of Afghanistans Population is the rural countryside. These are individuals who many of them, women and girls, who have wanted a stop to the war for a long time. It has killed children. It has killed loved ones. Women, mothers who defined a lot of their lives through motherhood, who lost children in airstrikes, in night raids, in taliban attacks, have long wanted an end to the war. So i think when we talk about women and girls in afghanistan and who were leaving behind, oftentimes that majority of the population in the rural countryside, which has been paying these really high civilian costs, arent taking into account. Very true. Craig, general after general prevented american President S from pulling out of afghanistan, pressured them to stay. Do we need a real accounting of our Military And Defense Establishments Power in this country, the power it wields behind the scene as you glimpsed in those documents . Yeah, i think thats important because unlike the 9 11 attacks where we did have a public accounting of how those attacks happened, how those Terrorist Attacks came to be and how we missed all of the Warning Signs of what Bin Laden was up to, we had this very extensive 9 11 Commission Report and testimony, we havent had that for the afghan war. You know, all along just each president has said were winning or were going to win, bush, Obama And Trump all said were going to win even though the signs were at best we could hope for a stalemate. So, no, there hasnt been an Accounting And Congress has been missing in action on that, too. Yes, definitely it has. Azmat, one last question for you. You mentioned the rural areas and women in particular live in the rural areas. I wonder how much of that plays into what weve seen over the last few days, this idea the taliban can retake big areas, because a lot of people in the rural areas, correct me if im wrong, they didnt feel any attachment to Ashraf Ghani in kabul, their lives remained poor and desperate. It is important to understand how the united states led or held up this tenuous afghan state, and it was largely through Air Support and incredible bombings. In fact, the united states dropped more bombs on afghanistan in 2019 than in any previous year of the war. So this war was continuing at record pace. Wow. That government, the afghan government was being held up by airstrikes. Now, at the same time those airstrikes were isolating and ostracizing local populations. These were massive bombings. Yes. Ive been to places in kandahar, in helmand, where people have described some of the most vicious and gruesome attacks, losing more than a dozen members of their own families in single incidents and they were happening at Record Place in 2019 while the negotiations were happening. Thats a big part of it. At the same time State Building was also not happening in these areas. In 2015 i spent a lot of time investigating u. S. Funded schools in Battlefield Provinces in afghanistan, looking at over 50 of them in seven of the Battlefield Provinces and i found a majority of them were falling apart. 10 of them had never been built. When i would dig into why, in many cases it wound up that the contract to build the school was given to a local warlord who was abusing the local population or that a school was missing, at every Level Counterterrorism Mission was eroding the goals. The progress thats often touted was a hat trick. Yes, the progress that was touted wasnt there and it has become apparent in recent days, depressingly so. We will have to leave it there. Thank you for your reporting and your analysis. As we saw those harrowing images at the airport in kabul of the afghans desperate to leave their country, a reminder how many people are at risk with the taliban in power. That includes afghans who worked for the united States Government as well as Family Members of those who have gone against the taliban like the family of the first female pilot and sought asylum in 2018 after receiving threats from the taliban. I first spoke to her on friday night. Tonight kabul is in the hands of the taliban and her family is deeply worried about their safety. Thank you for coming back on the show. How is your family doing tonight . Have you been in contact with them . Are they safe . Thank you for having me. Thank you, everyone, for their support. Let me start by saying how many afghans in afghanistan are terrified. Every afghan people are terrified with this situation, and we all have seen the pictures that are published in Social Media, that every afghan are they lived under that situation, under the law of taliban and their regime. They prefer to die and not live under that. I hear recently everybody talks about how afghans should have defended themselves. I absolutely agree with that, but the problem is that afghan president abandoned afghan people, and afghan soldiers alone themselves with no logistics, with no Air Support, it is hard for them to defend the country, defend themselves. Certainly they cannot defend themselves, including those. My family is part of that. Of course, taliban are going to destroy every symbol of freedom for woman that america brought. Of course, i am one of the women for them and i am deeply concerned for my Familys Life there as well. And you mentioned the images on Social Media coming out today. What was your Reaction Today when you saw those afghans running alongside a u. S. Military plane, clinging on to it, thats how desperate they are to get out of the country . I cant express my feeling. It has been terrible time for me absolutely and, you know, i love my people. I love my country, but i dont like what i see because those afghans, as i mentioned, they are ready to die that way, just flee and go and just live that life but not live under the talibans law. Because 20 years ago they lived and they know how it looks like. They are already going Door To door. They are looking for the peoples that worked with foreigners, looking for the pilots, looking for their families, looking for the interpreters. It is terrible to see that situation. Afghanistan fAll In kabul in one day, and it is really, really scary to even look and see. As an afghan woman, i am actually so scared for all the women in afghanistan, and i wish and im saying it from the bottom of my heart that i wish i could help them. One last question as we watch the afghan security Forces Collapse virtually in front of our eyes, a lot of people across this country want to know what happened. Did those Forces Collapse . You were part of the Afghan Military for a time. Did they collapse because they didnt want to fight for a corrupt government in kabul or they simply werent capable of fighting the taliban . I can say both. Afghan government first, president of the country, leader of a country, that should be the last person leaving the country. That person left and abandoned the country. The soldiers, the army, those they are all theyre not motivated. Plus, they dont have the equipment. Just as i mentioned the army, they cannot defend themselves just by going and fighting. So airstrike, logistics, this was all part of it. I would like to mention one more last thing that as an afghan woman i would like for President Biden to hear me, the government. Please, save the families, that they need you, the women, the little girls, that they are always looking up to united states, the great army that united states brought to afghanistan. Also, please save my family. And the world right now watching, please, how would you feel, how would you sleep if you would see on the tv that the taliban are taking 8, 10, 9yearold gives at their slaves, and theyre taking them away from their families. I just ask everybody to pray for them and please help them. I cannot imagine what you must be going through tonight. We appreciate you taking Time Out to speak with us. Thank you so much. Thank you for having me. The President Struck a defiant tone in his address to the nation as he defended his decision to withdraw from afghanistan. I will not mislead the american people by claiming that just a little more time in afghanistan will make all the difference, nor will i shrink from my share of responsibility for where we are today and how we must move forward from here. I am president of the united states of america and the buck stops with me. Did he say enough to silence his growing army of critics . Nbc president ial Historian Michael Beshlof is here to put it in perspective. Thats next. N perspective. Thats next. The first full Prescription Strength Gel for powerful arthritis pain relief. Voltaren the joy of movement your Skin Isnt just skin, its a beautiful reflection of everything youve been through. Thats why dove renews your skins ceramides and strengthens it against dryness for softer, smoother skin you can lovingly embrace. Renew the love for your skin with dove body wash. Welcome to allstate. Rene Phone Notification Kin where weve just lowered our Auto Rates. 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And you can get unlimited data for just 30 per line per month when you get four lines or Mix And Match data options. Available now for Comcast Business Internet customers with no lineactivation fees or Term Contract required. See if you can save by switching today. Comcast business. Powering possibilities. Today president Joe Biden was unequivocal about his decision to leave afghanistan. Despite criticism he said the Forever War is not worth sacrificing more american lives. I stand squarely behind my decision. After 20 years ive learned The Hard Way that there was never a good time to withdraw u. S. Forces. Thats why were still there. We were clear eyed about the risks. We planned for every contingency, but i always promised the american people that i would be straight with you. The truth is this did unfold more quickly than we had anticipated. So what has happened . Afghanistan political leaders gave up and fled the country. The Afghan Military collapsed. Sometimes without trying to fight. If anything, the developments of the past week reinforced that any u. S. Military involvement in afghanistan now was the right decision. American troops cannot and should not be fighting in a war and dying in a war that afghan forces are not willing to fight for themselves. Im now the fourth american president to preside over War In Afghanistan, two democrats and two republicans. I will not pass this responsibility on responsibility on to a fifth president. I will not mislead the american people by claiming that just a little more time in afghanistan will make all the difference, nor will i shrink from my share of responsibility for where we are today and how we must move forward from here. I am president of the united states of america and the buck stops with me. Im deeply saddened by the facts we now face, but i do not regret my decision to end Americas War Fighting in afghanistan and maintain a Laser Focus on our Counterterrorism Mission there and in other parts of the world. Joining me now someone who understands better than most the ways in which major Foreign Policy decisions like this can come to shape a presidency, michael beschloss, Nbc News President ial Historian And Author of President S of war. Michael, thanks so much for coming on the share. My pleasure. I wish it were a happier same here. And biden has come to the white House Today from Camp David to give these remarks, the kind of blunt, frank remarks Joe Biden has become known for. The withdrawal itself is popular with the public, but did he do enough from the Bully Pulpit Today to justify his decision in the face of mounting criticism from members of the media and the republican party, not to mention ordinary afghans . Yeah, i think in terms of defending his decision Joe Biden did the right thing and defended it really bluntly today. Oftentimes President S, as you know, dont tell you what is really on their mind. He said what is the absolute truth, and i would say as an historian, and Joe Biden studies history, too, you look at President S, you know, who get involved in wars. They should never carry on a war and put american young people at risk if the american people no longer support that war and if they dont understand why we were there. We have been in americas Longest War, 20 years in afghanistan, and the public support as Public Opinion Polls will show in both parties and Everyone Else ran out for the War In Afghanistan a long time ago. So essentially Joe Biden was faced with a decision between can i convince americans it is a great idea to keep this going, which i dont think he felt he could because he certainly didnt believe it, or do i take the troops out and basically end this, reflecting the movement of american public opinion. Now, that having been said, the other thing is that you look at President S in history who have shut down wars, korea, eisenhower, 1953. Eisenhower knew that korea had become very unpopular. Vietnam, 1975, Gerald Ford knew there was no american support for renewing the Vietnam War to resist the north vietnamese. So thats what they were doing. But another way that we look at President S in history is what do they do to protect the people who gave their lives in many cases to protect Democracy And Help america and our allies. 1956, hungarian revolution, 170,000 refugees. America opened its heart, brought many of them here. After vietnam was over, 1975, we brought upwards of 130,000 refugees immediately, many more later on. And as Joe Biden honestly said in that speech, he didnt anticipate that this would happen so suddenly and they were caught flat footed. Michael, you mentioned vietnam. The president invoked the memory of vietnam during his remarks as well. Have a listen. I made a commitment to the brave men and women who serve this nation that i wasnt going to ask them to continue to risk their lives in a Military Action that should have ended long ago. Our leaders did that in vietnam when i got here as a young man. I will not do it in afghanistan. How important do you think the memory of vietnam for biden and other politicians of his generation is, and how does he compare to an Lbj Or Nixon on this issue . Oh, absolutely crucial because Joe Biden, as you know, ran for the senate and won in 1972 at a time that Richard Nixon was still carrying on the Vietnam War, despite his promise to end it four years earlier, against george mcgovern, the democratic nominee who said, Elect Me president and i will end this war immediately after inauguration day. Biden was on the side, needless to say, of george mcgovern. He knew how unfair that war was and how unsupported it was. Oftentimes you will see a president who doesnt learn from history or even from his own experience. Here is Joe Biden. Arent we lucky that that experience almost 50 years ago put in his mind this idea that you cant keep on asking Young Americans and other americans to give their lives and those of our allies if the american people dont get what the war is about and dont support it. Yeah, and it is interesting because we often talk about the american public not being interested in Foreign Policy, and yet President S are often defined by Foreign Policy debacles, whether it is lbj in vietnam, george w. Bush in iran. Right, and eisenhower is seen as a commanding figure, in 1956 there was a hungarian war as you know, and he allowed them to rise up against the soviet tanks complying that We Americans would help defend them, which he had no intention of doing, and as a result there was a blood bath. Even Richard Nixon, who was Vice President , considered adopting a hungarian child, there was so much feeling for those who had been brave at the time of the revolution. John kennedy in 1961 sent socalled Freedom Fighters into cuba in an effort to topple fidel castro. They failed. Yes. Over 1,000 were taken Prisoner And Kennedy humanely traded medicine and tractors to get them out. Yes. It is amazing when you think about how many President S have been defined by these things, and we will wait and see i guess how Joe Bidens afghanistan decision defines his presidency. Michael beschloss, thank you for your time and analysis tonight. Appreciate it. A pleasure always. Be well. You too. In 2001 the vote to authorize Military Force in afghanistan happened a mere three days after the 9 11 happened after three days. There was one dissenting voice, Congresswoman Barbara Lee. She joins me next. However difficult this vote may be, some of us must urge the use of restraint. Our country is in a state of mourning. Some of us must say, lets step back for a moment, lets just pause just for a minute, and think through the implications of our Actions Today so that this does not spiral out of control. Of control. People on medicare. Made a choice. To take charge of their health care. With an Aarp Medicare Supplement Insurance Plan from unitedhealthcare. 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It even tells you when its ready to be refilled. Upgrade to Febreze Fade defy plug. When i was diagnosed with dupuytrens contracture, i waited to get treated. Thought surgery was my only option. But then i found out about nonsurgical treatments. It was a total game changer. Learn more about the condition at factsonhand. Com now as afghanistan collapses it seems to have almost become the Consensus View across the entire political spectrum that the war was a disaster, that back in 2001 a Gallup Poll found 80 of americans supported invading and occupying afghanistan, as did every single member of the House And Senate except one. However difficult this vote may be, some of us must urge the use of restraint. Our country is in a state of mourning. Some of us must say, lets step back for a moment, lets just pause just for a minute and think there the implications of our Actions Today so that this does not spiral out of control. Now, i have agonized over this vote, but i came to grips with it today, and i came to grips with opposing this resolution during the very painful yet very beautiful memorial service. As a member of the clergy so eloquently said, as we act let us not become the evil that we deplore. As a country we did not listen to Congresswoman Barbara Lee back then. Lets listen to her now. Im delighted to be joined by congresswoman lee, democrat of california. Thanks so much for coming on the show this evening. People may not remember, but that vote was on the friday following 9 11, that same week. Emotions were running high. Even then Congressman Bernie sanders did not vote with you. What is your memory of that week and that vote . Im sure you have been thinking about it these past few days. Thank you, mehdi. I have been thinking about it, and then i knew we had to do something. I mean we had lost so many people, a Terrorist Attack against our country. Actually, my chief of staff, his cousin, wanda green, was a Flight Attendant on Flight 93 and i was sitting in the capitol when they took down that plane. So reflecting on that and now 20 years later is really very sobering in a lot of respects, but also i knew then that it could spiral out of control and that if we didnt think through the impact and the implications and i have been thinking about this this week because now im terrified and im really so worried and, like everyone, concerned and working every how to try to figure out how we make sure that no more lives are taken, that afghans are transported out and evacuated. Those who supported are, americans, our diplomats, ngos, women and children. How in the world are we going to get this done quickly because theyre in danger. So thats what im thinking about more so. And as i chair the subcommittee that provides a lot of the funding for our refugee resettlement assistance, for our visas and for all of the diplomatic and development funds that yes. We have that would help in this terrible, terrible tragedy really of evacuating people so that they dont get killed. Im glad you mentioned the refugees and the evacuation. I hope Members Of Congress will put pressure on this administration, on the State Department to get afghans them out, get them those siv visas. Let me ask you this, is afghanistan going to become a stain on Americas Conscience and on our Policy Standing in the world for decades to come similar to the Way Vietnam was so long, especially, as you mention, given the way we are leaving . Well, lets hope we learn lessons. You know, we cannot nation build. This was a 20year war, the Longest War in american history. Whether you agreed or not with the use of force three days after the horrific attacks, the mission was accomplished years ago in terms of osama Bin Laden and al qaeda. I think the president was absolutely correct in putting it in the historical context for why he made his decision, which i think was the correct decision, but the planning and the movement toward where we are today i dont think was well thought out and well planned. So we have to do more. So i think we need to learn the lessons of the last 20 years and just know and recognize that we cant go out throughout the World And Nation build. We have many, many issues that we must address in terms of global Peace And Security and recognize that Military Action is not going to solve the worlds problems. Thats a fact. I think we are seeing that right now. Yes, not only did we struggle with Nation Building abroad, we struggle with it at home. We are still trying to get through an infrastructure bill. Congresswoman, you were isolated back then after 9 11. You were the only person voting in that way, very boldly, very courageously. Today though you have the very antiwar squad, you have aoc, Ilhan Omar and others. You even have republican allies in the house and the senate when it comes to restraining president ial war making powers. I wonder, what do you make of this shift on Foreign Policy that you have personally seen in the last 20 years in congress . Well, this took a lot of Movement Building, a lot of public education, young people around the country, the public finally really realize that these Forever Wars, one, takes away resources from Nation Building here at home but, two, that we have to use our three stools in a way thats more balanced of our Foreign Policy, diplomacy, development and defense. We have not used our Development And Diplomacy strategies and Tool Box the way we should have, and so i think yes. The sentiment now is, look, we have to step back and we have to see what we can do to make sure that were safe in this country, but that we also support other countries but use the diplomatic and diplomacy tools that we have before we use the Military Option. The Military Option is always there to use in terms of our national security. So we built the movement, the movement built us, and we were able to finally pass the reveal of the 2002 authorization that authorized the use of force in iraq and were working now in 2001. Yes, you were able to do that. Congress woman barbara lee, we appreciate your activism and your Movement Building and that vote in 2001. Appreciate you coming on the show tonight. Thank you. Nice being with you, mehdi. Coming up, a public Health Rebellion in texas. The Dallas Superintendent earning praise from the president for defying the States Ban on Mask Mandates. He joins me ahead. Do not go away. Its a wishlist on wheels. A choice that requires no explanation. 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She traveled with nbc chief foreign correspondent Richard Engel and went to several different cities throughout the country, reporting on what it was like to be an american serving there at the direction of civilian politicians. She examined the countrys she examined the Militarys Counterinsurgent Strategy and learned what it meant to pull billions of u. S. Dollars into the central government. We are in an area talking about the distribution of wealth in kabul and the effect of there is no distribution of wealth. This is where it is distributed. This is where it ends up. All of the money from contracts and association with the Government And Association with the u. S. Military ends up here. Why . Because this was originally, as you can see, theres no real Pavement Or Anything like that. Yes. This was originally just empty land . Okay. And when the americans came in with the northern alliance, the northern alliance, which was the allies against the taliban, took this land and gave it away to all of their cronies. Oh, Okay. They created a new rural Wealth Neighborhood out of nothing. Exactly. So we still have open sewers and we still have no pavement, but we have castles. That rent for 10,000 to 20,000 a month. If you were to build this one obviously under construction, thats a Millionplus House in kabul with no no paved streets. America, it is your tax dollars at work. This is the War Economy as translated to landlocked central asia. We dump money here thinking we are paying for our Military Effort. Everything that goes along with our Military Effort ends up flooding or in this case directed lie a Street Gun instead of flood well, the streets become rivers of mud. But the money doesnt go to the country and trickle down into the economy. It goes to the Elite And Power brokers who can keep it for themselves. Tonight rachel will look back at the collapse of the afghan government, the speed of the taliban advance, and whether this marks The End of an era for u. S. Military intervention. She will be joined once again by Richard Engel who will be live on the ground from afghanistan. That is Coming Up at 9 00 p. M. You do not want to miss it. Meanwhile, a remarkable public Health Showdown is taking place right now in Dallas County, texas, where covid cases are spiking and the State Supreme Court just upheld the gop governors ban on Mask Mandates. Well, today was the first day of school in Dallas County, and the superintendent is defying both the governor and the court by Making Kids wear masks. Dr. Michael enahossa joins me to talk about his decision next. Talk about his decision next aleve it, and see whats possible. vo when you are shopping for a new vehicle, how do you know which brand you can trust . With subaru, you get kelley blue books most trusted brand winner, seven years in a row. In fact, subaru has won most trusted brand for more consecutive years than any other brand. No Wonder Kelley blue book also picked subaru as their best overall brand. Once again. Its easy to love a brand you can trust. Its easy to love a subaru. Welcome to allstate. Where you can pay a little less and enjoy the ride a little more. Now, get new lower Auto Rates with allstate. Because better protection costs a whole lot less. Youre in good hands with allstate. Click or call for a lower Auto Rate today. Without my medication, my small tremors would be extreme. I was diagnosed with parkinsons. I had to retire from law enforcement. It was devastating. One of my medications is Three Thousand dollars per month. Prescription drugs do not work if you cannot afford them. Aarp is fighting for americans like larry, and we wont stop. Thats why were calling on congress to let medicare negotiate lower Prescription Drug prices. Emergency planning for kids. We cant predict when an emergency will happen. So thats why its important to make a plan with your parents. Here are a few tips to stay safe. Know how to get in touch with your family. Write down Phone Numbers for your parents, siblings and neighbors. Pick a place to meet your family if you are not together and cant go home. Remind your parents to pack an emergency supply kit. Making a plan might feel like homework, but it will help you and your family stay safe during an emergency. Its the first day of school in dallas, Texas Today where covid cases are surging and schools are safety matters into their own hands. Today in Dallas County one of the largest School Districts in the state over A Hundred Thousand kids were told to come to class with their masks on despite a ruling from the Texas Supreme Court which cited the governors ban on Mask Mandates. The decision on the court made up of all republican justice is temporary but until a final decision is made kids in Dallas County schools will mask up regardless of the Court Order because the dallas independent School District Superintendent Michael Hinojosa is defying that ruling and joins me now. Thank you so much for coming on the show this evening. You had a Mask Mandate in effect today. How did that go . Was it difficult to enforce . Actually it was quite positive. In fact it all started happening 24 hours ago. We were trying to plan as to how to execute our first day. When i went to the Schools Today it was amazing. It was nothing short of phenomenal. We have over 140,000 students going to school a day and i had reports that there were three students who were not compliant. So what this tells me is that were on the side of justice. Were on the side, the people believe in what were doing. They know were in a very dangerous zone despite what the elected officials are saying in austin. And our own reality. You Cant Control people this way. Theyre not going to be willing to participate they will shun us but this is very clear that people are scared and they are going to take precautions to make sure were safe for now and for the future. So i was very proud of being the superintendent of dallas today. So on that note, anecdotally as a superintendent, do you think you have the support of the parents in your district . How divided is your county over this issue . Luckily we are the dallas independent School District so independent from the county. The order that was made was for the county and not for us. And to answer your question directly i think we have very strong support from our parents, our students, and our staff. We asked them to comply. We told them wed make them do it. We had no confrontations today. That tells me we have a lot of support in this community and in this city. Are you gearing up for a legal fight now, given the supreme court ruling, given Governor Abbott is not backing down . Is it time now for a legal fight . Do you have plans in place to fight in court . Well, i was sued today. Ive never been sued virtually but i got a bunch of lawsuits in my Inbox Today the first time in 27 years thats happened. Absolutely there is going to be a fight. Im going to fight for our students and our community and well let the courts play this out. Im going to hang on as long as i can. When the court actually rules that i cannot do what im doing then i will comply with the court. Right now we have the Executive Branch telling us that we have to do this and i just cannot put students in Harms Way when i know that if i followed his orders i would be doing that. I just cant live with myself if i did that. I admire you saying you couldnt live with yourself putting kids at risk because clearly a lot of politicians in america right now are Okay putting kids at risk. You also say if the order comes down it is not a temporary order, the real thing, the court says you cant do this you say you will comply. In that situation you will be putting kids at risk. I will have no choice. You know, weve tried Civil Disobedience as far as we can take it but i cannot lead this district if im not here. You know, it is my responsibility to follow the rule of the law to take it to the full extent and, you know, there are other opportunities that we might pursue. But were confident well prevail in The End and i would just ask the governor to just lift this temporarily just like we have so we can get through this terrible period. Ive had very little interaction, actually no interaction with the governor and his staff. Why is that . Why is the governor not talking to you directly . Why is he not talking to people affected by this . Why does he not seem to care that kids lives are at risk in texas . This is some kind of showdown i dont understand. In my 27 years as superintendent. Many decisions i make are very private. I am a very private person. Now were up here very public in front of everybody and i guess everybody is infatuated with this showdown and i just dont understand it. There could be easy solutions if wed find a way to work on this thing but apparently there is no compromise. I guess youre independent so you cant say this but i can. I think it is because Governor Abbott wants to be president and this is all about his base in texas, a gop gubernatorial primary not about public health. Let me ask you this. The Mask Mandate for Dallas County was put in place by Clay Jenkins we spoke to last week. There were protesters, hundreds of them outside his House Standing on his kids play area. Are you afraid at all for your own safety . No, ive been doing this for a long time. Ive been through that situation that clay went through before. Right now people arent doing that at my place. I guess ive been around for so long i built some Street Credibility with our community. But if it happens it happens. If thats what we got to do, that is the penalty of leadership, the cost of Doing Business in this big state of texas, you know, im not angry at the governor. He has a big state to run but i have a very big and important, complex district to run and i need every tool in my kit to make this happen for the safety of students. You may not be angry at the governor but a lot of texans are. Very quickly, did you ever think that you would end up here . No, absolutely not. Im a former Government Teacher and i color inside the lines but this time it was different. I had to take a stand. And im disappointed at some of my Superintendent Peers falling off the wagon when its gotten really difficult here. Well, i admire you for taking a stand Dallas County superintendent Michael Hinojosa. Appreciate your time tonight. Thank you. That is All In on this monday night. The Rachel Maddow show starts right now. Good evening, rachel. Good evening and thank you my friend. Much appreciated. Thanks at home for joining us this hour. Were going to start tonight if we can, we are battling technical difficulties, but were going to try to start tonight live in