The Taliban won because of their unblinking fervor...

[Tom Rinaldo]

5. Yes, corruption undermined resistance to the Taliban, but it still misses the point

While the Taliban no doubt received some direct aid here and there from Pakistan and wealthy Gulf State religious fundamentalists etc., the Afghan government received well over a trillion dollars in support from America. Even if half of that or more went directly into the pockets of corrupt power brokers in Afghanistan, not all of it did. Arms were bought, schools were built etc. Lacking the full direct backing of a Super Power, The Taliban remained at a huge financial disadvantage in the Afghan Civil War. They had essentially already won it 20 years ago, on a more level playing field ago before the U.S. invaded.

At some unknown tipping point American money might have paid for the loyalty of the Afghan people in directly opposing the Taliban themselves, even accounting for corruption. Maybe if we had spent 3 trillion, or 4 trillion, or 5 trillion, that might have been enough. But the Taliban didn't need mountains of money to win.