Posted on 08/17/2021 6:14:55 AM PDT by SJackson
If someone had explained why we were there and what we would gain for being there, if it was reasonable, I’d have been on board. The fact no one explained anything told me they had no idea. Or, the goal was so unpalatable, it couldn’t be sold. If we were getting out I suspect any high school student could have managed it better.
Bkmk
Bttt.
5.56mm
bump for later
We are a major power in the world - and unless we would rather serve as some Chinese master's footstool, we had better learn how to have some long-term vision - and guts.
We were extrememly lucky to have the less-than-1% of today's young people willing to risk their lives and their bodies for us and the Afghanis of all descriptions - while they held, zero long range attacks against us here in the homeland. While they held, the insane jihadis spent all of their energies there, not here. While they held, the world saw the United States standing tough against a tough, relentless, cruel enemy and our allies "knew" that we had what it took. While they held, the Chinese kept their "Belts and Roads Initiative" short of the Afghan border.
But, like Vietnam, the American people here got tired - and not being particulary conversant with power and geopolitics - cheered another precipitate withdrawal and resulting bloodbath.
Congratulations.
IOW's act like a grown up colonial power -- something the USA has never been good at. Still... it would have been the proper way to handle it. I also would argue that prior to Obama's 'surge' the light-footprint strategy was what we were pursuing. The only strategic thing we really wanted in Afghanistan up to that point was the maintenance of Bagram Air Base.
—”The problem is that US “elites” “
Secondary hearsay is all I can report on the elites.
At the opposite end of the scale, I’ve seen a bit, and because change is very slow on the bottom, might have some validity?
The strategic corporal is so far into the hills they need to pump in fresh sunlight. He is doing well learning local customs/language...
When the LNs face one of their known enemies, they do well.
And so it is reported and the paperwork moves on...
Somehow it boils out of the top of the system that the”hearts and minds” are being won over.
Transcription errors, perhaps?
Guessing, the purveyors of bad news are seldom promoted?
Best piece I’ve ever read on A$$crackistan. Bar none.
America forgot why it’s exceptional, so it believes the rest of the world is like us: Desiring Freedom and Individual Liberty.
It’s not. 99% is not. We must stop trying to impose stuff on others who don’t want it. And stop them from coming here!!!
Can you give us some examples?
It was arrogant folly -- we couldn't fundamentally transform the region -- but the country's elites were in a post-Cold War mood of euphoria and omnipotence. It was similar to the mindset that got the country into Vietnam -- we beat Hitler, we were going to the moon, we were abolishing poverty, we could do anything -- except that our leaders knew it might not last; there was a lot they had to do to keep the "unipolar moment" of America as the last superpower from ending.
Yes, it was a mistake, but the temptation to try was too strong for our leaders to resist.
Claiming it was a war for the last ten years was pure propaganda.
Staying there to have a base of operation against Islamic terrorism was sensible position. Leaving and letting the Taliban takeover undermines national security.
An Afghan refugee friend of mine said it in simple terms when I asked him why he came to the USA. “In Afghanistan, you never know who will come through your door at night to kill you.” He is a Pushtu married to a nice Christian woman. Afghanistan is a country that is constantly at war with itself and it never was worth even one American soldiers life. Just think what our inner cities would look like today had we used all those billions on refurbishing them.
UZBEKS!!!
UZBEKS!!!
p
We resemble a major power because of our apparent military might. But we're increasingly a Third World banana republic.
* We're running unsustainable financial deficits, entitlement obligations, and money printing.
* Our elections are increasingly stolen.
* We our losing our ability to speak freely.
* We are developing an internal secret police force that persecutes honest patriots.
* Our military is led by woke incompetents, political hacks, and opportunists.
* Our media, academic, and corporate institutions are filled with people who hate this country and its people.
* We are being flooded with tens of millions of aliens who are coming for the grift, and who hate this "racist" country and its people.
Neocons try to paper over these problems by bombing distant nations. "See how tough we are?" But unless we fix our domestic problems -- which is where our FOCUS needs to be -- we will crumble from within, same as the Soviet Union.
Forget Afghanistan. America First!
I’m asking. I know he’s long written for FrontpageMag, which is a flagship Neocon publication. I doubt you get to be a regular on that site unless you’re on board with the Neocon agenda.
I have had the advantage of spending time in well over 50 countries. They are filled with charming and mostly likeable people - who would happily watch us roast if they were in charge.
The US hasn't been able to isolate itself from the world since the invention of the steamship and now that the Communists in our research community passed our nuclear secrets to our enemies, we will never be safe unless we maintain a constant vigilance and a presence, all over the world.
I'm going to bet that you not only didn't spend any time in uniform and maybe haven't even left your little burg - am I right?
There isn’t going to be a vacuum. The “west” will fund the Taliban.
We took a seat in this floating war game. Not sure if we will ever be allowed to back out.
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