I need you to understand that more consideration has to go into merging threads that are in the Talk section.
The "Afghanistan" thread is clearly a very broad subject. The war, the Taliban, the drug trade, what the Afghan people eat, drink, wear, etc. It can be anything about Afghanistan.
The other thread has a very narrow focus, a single episode of Meet the Press. I haven't seen it, but I assume it has something to do with Afghanistan. That is not a good enough reason to merge. The author clearly wanted to discuss that episode and it's content. If the thread has deviated, then those deviations are subject to moderation. Deletion for being off-topic being the primary reason.
If you disagree, you need to give me specific information. Otherwise, I am forced to watch that episode and then look at every post. I don't have that kind of time.