The point is that US aid ended up in taliban hands in spite of US policy, not because of it.

So because the government violated policy it wasn't the US doing it?

We know for a fact that the US would have broken ties had Pakistan's enthusiastic cooperation with the Taliban and Al Qaeda been more understood at the time

Highly doubtful. The US never had any compunctions propping up some of the worst human rights abusers in the world if there is a strategic or economic advantage to be had. See for example every right wing dictator in South America, Saudi Arabia and various genocidal governments of Israel.

the point still stands that people are waaaaay mischaracterizing the role the US plaid in the Taliban's rise.

It really doesn't. They LITERALLY couldn't have done it without both direct and indirect help from the US.