The week that Episode 20 of Season 9 aired marked one year since the United States withdrew its troops from Afghanistan, and as John Oliver explains in depth, the situation in the nation under the rule of the Taliban has not improved. Even if it “was destined to end poorly,” as Oliver puts it, the United States’ exit from the country after almost two decades “was surprising.” Oliver insists that it is “absolutely legitimate” to criticise the US occupation and subsequent departure from Afghanistan. The late-night presenter claims that the media has been silent on the events that have taken place in the Middle Eastern country since the withdrawal of U.S. forces, despite the fact that they should be front and centre.
Loss of interest in the situation there is no indication that things have improved. The Taliban have taken control of Afghanistan, and contrary to the propaganda they spread, life there is “very much not joyful” right now. As was predicted, the departure of American soldiers has had a negative impact on women’s rights. Almost all women have lost their careers, with the sole exception being those whose work is culturally forbidden to males.
Of course, it’s not just women whose rights have been compromised. The United Nations has estimated that 97% of Afghans are “at risk of sinking below the poverty level” right now. This is due in large part to international sanctions and the freezing of millions of dollars in aid since the Taliban have been unable to effectively run the country.
Oliver uses the story of a desperate father who sold his kidney to buy food for his kids to illustrate the plight of the general populace. Oliver acknowledges that there is no easy answer to these humanitarian concerns, but “doing nothing” cannot be the choice made by the rest of the world. The presentation avoided a downer conclusion by discussing the recently developed artificial intelligence technology that can create artworks based on textual descriptions. To top it all off, Steve Buscemi wedded Oliver to a hot gigantic cabbage because of this fascinating topic.