Carrying only their bloodstained and sweaty garments, the bewildered refugees set out into the unknown, leaving behind the entirety of their livelihoods, all worldly possessions, and countless family members. One of the darkest weeks in Afghanistan’s history was only just beginning. 

Given the plight of the desperate evacuees and credible reports of Taliban retributions, it was unfathomable that anyone, especially a westerner, would voluntarily enter the country at this moment. However, despite global concern and Foreign Office warnings, one Gen-Z Brit saw the opportunity of a lifetime and travelled to Kabul just days before its fall.

Miles Routledge, known as “Lord Miles”, was 21 years old when he left Loughborough University to witness the Taliban takeover firsthand. He relayed the anarchic demise of Kabul to his eager fandom via social media posts. Revelling in the chaos, he happily reported on bank runs, civil unrest, and seeing dead bodies in the street. With a constant ironic nonchalantness, Miles called the experience “tame” and “more peaceful than London”.

“If I get proven wrong and die, edit a laughing soundtrack over my posts. It’ll be funny I think,” he told his followers in one post.

Miles was saved from Taliban captivity or worse by British forces, who escorted him to several safehouses and facilitated the wayward traveller’s flight out of Afghanistan. Despite this heroic effort, Miles displayed no remorse for his careless actions, and revealed the name of a former Afghan interpreter who was working for him as a tour guide, leading to an interview with him being scrubbed from the web over security concerns.

Smugly, he took a selfie on the evac-flight and related his excitement for the homebound journey. The seat he took undoubtedly could’ve been used to save former interpreters such as his own tour guide, some of whom have been ruthlessly slaughtered by the Taliban since.

Miles would end up being the first of many influencers to not only experience the Taliban’s new Afghanistan, but to wholeheartedly endorse travel to the nation to audiences of millions. 

His first experience was a massive success, transforming his life from obscurity to celebrity, garnering him international attention and a book deal. Miles claims to have “cornered the market” for war tourism, and has since built his brand as the world’s foremost danger-influencer.

In a disrespectful move to the British soldiers who risked their lives to assist Miles, the self-described “Lord”, returned to Afghanistan on three more occasions.