Judging from their harsh reaction to Will, it’s not clear when, if ever, some conservatives believe the U.S. should withdraw from Afghanistan. Even less clear is how the victory narrative is supposed to play out. Does this triumphant day arrive when every Islamic radical in the region has met his virgins? If so, after eight years of American lives lost, the goal seems further away than ever.

Or is victory achieved when we finally usher this primitive tribal culture, with its violent warlords and religious extremism, through the 8th century all the way to modernity? If so, we’re on course for a centuries-long enterprise of nation-building and babysitting, not a war. The war was won in 2002.

If the goal is to establish a stable government to fill the vacuum created by our ousting of the Taliban and al-Qaeda, we’ve done quite a job. Most Americans can accept a Marine risking life and limb to safeguard our freedoms. But when that Marine is protector of a corrupt and depraved foreign parliament — one that recently legalized marital rape and demands women ask permission from male relatives to leave their home — it is not a victory worth celebrating.