Let’s build a time machine and go back 6 months ago
We can have the present administration tell the Afghans we trust that their numerous, American-financed and trained army is capable of defending itself, and that with all the roads and runways and forts we’ve built we are sure they’ll be OK. We’re pulling out in August.
And then the administration in the next breath can shout out, “All you Afghan interpreters and others out there who helped us, get your family and jump on the plane NOW! Once we leave this place is going to fall apart in a weekend!”
i suppose it’s a minority … those of us that have been over there.
not much recourse but apathy.
russia/china etc. probably all ready had a few up armor rigs … They can send some drones out to deal with them if they want to.
pretty disgusting.
Secretary of State Blinken said on Sunday, “And on the terms that we went into Afghanistan in the first place, we’ve succeeded in achieving our objectives.”
If that is the case, when where those objectives achieved and why did we continue to occupy Afghanistan beyond that point?
The question is purely rhetorical, the basis lies in the fact that if wars were not profitable enough to finance elections we would never have one.
Why? USA pulled article 5 on the invasion of Afghanistan and made this every NATO members problem. And Europe is the continent who has to deal with all the refugees from Afghanistan.
2015 is going to look like a picnic when this shit is hitting our shores. It’s going to destabilize the whole continent.
That is the nature of being in the military. You don’t make policy or decide what war to fight. You simply go, do your job and eventually go home if you’re lucky. What percent of US citizens are in the military, 1%.? There is no shared sacrifice as there is no draft. Hardly enough to affect elections or policy, this is by design. They have no political power and cannot affect policy decided by politicians which get a LOT of money from those that get rich off of war. I have a bit of experience in SE Asia during the Vietnam “war”. It along with most wars since then were NOT lost by the USA. South Vietnam fell to North Vietnam. Afghanistan is falling to the Taliban which is really special. Recall that Taliban warlords were allies with US special forces when defeating Bin Laden’s guys was the goal.The US did not lose the war in Afghanistan, the Taliban deated a corrupt Afghanistan Good riddance BUT the USA owes the interpreters and should do whatever it takes to help them leave. Not so sure how that will be accepted as I remember how the Hmong, Vietnamese, Cambodians and Laotians who aided the US were treated when they tried to get to the US.
Gorbachev wrote a paper on Afghanistan when he was in college, it all came true…
Little did he guess he would end up PM and own one of wars there.
First thing he did was ask the USA to help and get the UN involved.
We know what Reagan did instead.
We really suck at nation building in the likeness of ourself. Fix our own shit first. Nobody really cares except how much cash we send them. Stop the mint, they flee like hell. Even the smartest idiot knows when to bail. Going on since Korean war. For goodness sakes, shooting at us with our own bullets.
Exactly and I understand that. Every country and their people have pride in their heritage. Most countries in the world have civilizations that have been around since before the Americas were discovered. Yes, by our modern standards they may seem primitive but who are we to judge? They seem content and able to deal with day to day life. They will progress in their own time. We cannot perform nation build claiming “democracy” while the US is not one. These folks in some other countries see the hypocrisy. Many other countries just prefer to be left alone, kinda like us.
Yes. This is a good thing for all Americans to see.
This is what some people in the world, outside of the USA, are willing to do in an effort to get away from the despotism that is the norm where they live and try to come to America. Be it in the Middle East, South America, or Asia … wherever. This is what people do, desperately clinging to an aircraft that has an American flag painted on it. The symbol of freedom and liberty. They’ll risk their lives to get here, maybe foolishly so, but nevertheless … it tells one just how bad the alternative is with staying there.
Meanwhile … academics here at home want to teach our own children Critical Race Theory and learn all about how awful America is (in their minds) and how repugnant our entire history is, right?
I’ll let Sandpebble defend himself but none of the people that went there were drafted. All were volunteers or contractors. They went freely of their own volition either for patriotic reasons as volunteers in the US military or to make more money as contractors than they could in the USA.
The volunteers had the deal explained to them upon acceptance of a commission or upon enlistment. You go where sent, you do not make policy or get involved in politics. The contractors? Simply mercenaries.
I agree with what you say. What I meant was what U.S. citizens think of Joe Biden’s manner of withdrawing the military from Afghanistan.
Refugees from this country should be better screened and prioritised. This did not happen in 2015 when thousands of single men were the majority of refugees from Syria. If this is allowed to happen again then perhaps 300,000 ex Afghan soldiers will be the first to arrive.
Examples? We let a few morons in during the 1970’s but the overwhelming majority became good citizens The point most people in other countries understand is the US is not to be trusted. No matter what they promise they are no better than the enemy.
Did you just fall off the turnip truck or something? How in the hell did you think it was going to end? This ain’t the first time buddy. I hate it too but it’s like a broken record. I have many friends & coworkers who are active, reserve & retired military so it’s hard to say but we can’t be police of the world in every piece of shit hellhole on the planet. Time to put on the big boy britches, admit we made the same exact fuck up that we always do & move on.
I remember the 2nd gulf war, the international press was gobsmacked that when asking any American official what the plan was after they invaded, no answer.
Just done it again, the press dont ask anymore.