I have not seen the movie, but the book just left me ill about how much personal ego and the desire for self aggrandizement drives public policy in the US. Charlie Wilson basically ramrodded the funding, training, and arming of our current enemies despite the CIA's desire not to do so.

Yes, the whole thing is a peek inside the sausage factory. Be warned before you look.
 

The United States is the same as the Roman Empire. Don't be surprised at how our laws and politicians work - we are busy legislating for the world.

Unfortunately.

Blame the Germans and Japanese from the late 1930's. They turned us into Atlas, and once you're carrying that weight, its tough to put it back down.
 

Makes you wonder what has changed since 1945. The USA did a great job of nation building for Germany and Japan, both of which are now pacifist democratic countries. The US track record for nation building in Afghanistan, as shown in this film, isn't all that great. And Iraq isn't much better.

The one thing "Charlie Wilson's War" should teach us is that a war isn't over just because the enemy was beaten. The mujahedin Wilhelm calls our current enemies were allies when the US provided them weapons. And some of them still are, two wars later.
 

I think people are a abit oversimplifying things. AlQuaeda and some of the other terrorists were not people we were supplying weapons and training to. It's a popular myth that the CIA funded Osama but they never did. Most of the tribal leaders we helped out are people who were not part of the Taliban but fought against it. So ... I think the truth is a far cry from "we funded our current enemies". There were many factions in Afghanistan.

Taliban by Ahmed Rashid is another really great book on latter 20th century Afghan history.

A lot of the Mujahadeen phenomenon I think is much more similar to the "wild west" which occurred after the US Civil War. So many fighters grew up fighting, and became outlaws after the war, just fighting wherever they went. Similarly, some of the Mujahadeen spread out and sell their services all throughout the mideast to whoever can pay.