On this edition of Parallax Views, it's a monster-sized edition of our "Reflections of Afghanistan" series with not one but two guests join us for a nearly two hour roundtable conversation asking about how we got to this moment, what the past 20 years of U.S. involvement in Afghanistan says about our society, and what our withdrawal portends for a future in which China's rise looms and climate change seems ready to change the world. Joining us is long-time friend of the show JP Sottile aka "The Newsvandal" and former marine and State Deparment official Matthew Hoh, who famously blew the whistle on the 2009 surge in Afghanistan.

The conversation begins with Matthew describing his background in both the Iraq War and Afghanistan War and his opposition to the 2009 surge. From there we delve into a number of issues with JP commenting on the media coverage of Afghanistan and the complicity we may all share in what he calls "The Empire of Oil". The conversation branches out from there as we discuss everything from the late Michael Hastings (a friend of Matthew Hoh) to the defense contractors that benefitted from the war and the F-35 boondoggle on this mammoth edition of the program.

NOTE: HAD TO USE A DIFFERENT MIC FOR THIS EPISODE. I DON'T THINK THE AUDIO QUALITY IS EFFECTED THAT MUCH ON MY END. AND IT'S LARGELY JUST ME MODERATING JP AND MATTHEW.

Reflections on Afghanistan w/ Matthew Hoh and JP Sottile