"There's never been a war in which everyone who wanted out got out. Everybody in Afghanistan would get out if they could."
The "base group" is not the ENTIRE POPULATION of Afghanistan.
The base group is "everyone who DESERVED to be rescued, by US, in return for what they DID for us!"
To say you cannot rescue the WHOLE POPULATION is to evade the question of whether you should rescue the people you OWE it to!
And the use of the "false choice" (rescue the whole population of 38 million, or leave behind some of the people you should NOT leave behind) tells you there is DECEIT going on.
The CORRECT choice is the one not offered -- rescue EVERY ONE of to people to whom you OWE rescue.
That's what America would do. I'm beginning to wonder if we can get her back.