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Audience Swayed in PPU Debate to View the Withdrawal from Afghanistan as a Mistake

Tuesday, October 5, 2021 - 3:30pm


In the debate last month about whether Biden's withdrawal from Afghanistan was a mistake, the audience of 30 was swayed from initial support for the withdrawal – 13 thought it was the right move, versus 5 who were opposed and 11 not sure – to opposing it, with 19 against the withdrawal and 5 supporting it. Arguing for the resolution, “President Biden was right to withdraw troops from Afghanistan,” were Marc Edayadi (Progressive Caucus Chair), Nicholas Anane (Conservative Caucus Member), and Matteo Akbarpour (Liberal Caucus Member). Arguing against the withdrawal were Joshua Rose (Conservative Caucus Chair), Lexi Boccuzzi (Centrist Caucus Chair), and Adam Robbins (Libertarian Caucus Chair). The mix of caucuses on both sides indicated the way the issue cuts across ideologies. The shift in audience opinion reflected, in part, the complexity of an issue that will undoubtedly be debated in many forums for decades to come.