Well, there’s also that bit where we funded fundamentalists during the cold war to try and fuck with the soviets, and the imperialism we and the soviets did that led to radicalization. A problem that we exacerbated which bit us back in the ass a few decades later.

Yes, that's the only option. It's always occupation or no occupation. No other options exist. /s

we wanted them not to occupy it in the first place.

i think everyone is at loss on how to fix it now.

I wish the US had spent its efforts and resources towards completely eliminating the Taliban as an institution and ideology rather than kind of shoveling money around to opportunists with no skills for organizing people or maintaining loyalty. I think what happened instead was that the US was afraid of sparking a new movement that would eventually operate outside of its control so it funded what it thought it could control: rich assholes.

And now the religious fascists are back in charge. Wheee.

American occupation actually strengthened the Taliban compared to before the US came, so America does bear some responsibility for this. Left to their own devices, the Taliban would've likely collapsed under their own weight, but now it's likely they'll stick around for while because of Chinese support.