Afghanistan
Anyone going there for vacation?
shareIt's too much of a SUPERSPREADER event for me and the last thing one wants is to CATCH COVID.
NOTE the way no one in that area is wearing a MASK much less keeping a safe enough SOCIAL DISTANCE away from each other.
How about you Bull???
Thinking about taking a trip there soon???
> Thinking about taking a trip there soon???
Nope. My nation spent twenty years and a trillion dollars, lost 2400 lives and suffered tens of thousands injured, all to fight for a people who don't want to fight for themselves. They're not getting any of my tourism dollars.
I'm thinking that China, Pakistan, and Iran are going to be VERY SORRY that we're not still going to be there anymore.
Because guess who's going to have FLOODS of IMMIGRANTS pouring over into their border areas, or else they may also be dealing with the TALIBAN themselves harassing them (with the weapons that we've left behind).
And of course COVID will also be paying those areas a visit as well, due to the way this SUPER SPREADER event also won't remain there only inside of just that one country.
In other words, Things are probably going to get very chaotic in more areas than just there inside of Afghanistan.
And the TALIBAN is probably also too busy KILLING doctors and nurses or anyone else with an education who'd know what to do when the VIRUS begins KILLING people the same way as it's also done in other countries.
But without journalist or anyone else there anymore, we'll probably also never hear about how bad things are about to get there after we're gone.
> with the weapons that we've left behind
Yep. Whenever the US military withdraws after completing combat, it always abandons a lot of material. But in this situation it's not just our own jeeps, mess tent trays, medical supplies, damaged aircraft which can still be repaired, et cetera -- and probably some weapons. It's also all the stuff we donated to the 300,000 person Afghan non-combatant forces.
In 1988, Richard Nixon, who knew more about foreign policy than any other recent President (with the possible exception of George H. W. Bush), published this book: https://www.amazon.com/1999-Victory-Without-Richard-Nixon/dp/0671627120
The specifics are very dated now, the main issue within is the US/USSR competition. But for anyone wanting to learn about how foreign policy works, how issues are prioritized, et cetera, I recommend it. The media don't educate the public on such things, and unless one takes classes in school it's easy to have misconceptions. At least that was the case with me. When I read that book I realized I had just about everything about foreign policy flat wrong.
One thing he made clear in that book is that nation-building simply does not work. A lesson I wish more of our nation's leaders realized, although I suspect that some are catching on in recent days. He said that Haiti was the worst mess in the world to get involved in, and I'm pretty sure he had dim words for Afghanistan as well. After September 2001 I read up on Afghanistan. Even without the Taliban it would be a mess. It I recall correctly, back in the old days when the Sun never set on the Union Jack, Afghanistan's current boundaries were set by the British Empire for its own administrative convenience, with little or no regard for the differing groups and cultures that lay within, those groups' relationships with each other, et cetera.
Thanks for the link.
Here's another one that presents a brief history of what's happened:
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/asia-jan-june11-timeline-afghanistan
Do you think it's possible pulling out is done on purpose as a way to punish IRAN (for building Nuke's and acts of terrorism) and PAKISTAN (for Bin Landen) or even China (for what they've done to HONG KONG)???
Because now that the TALIBAN doesn't have us to portray as being the BIG BAD MEANIE, they'll need someone else to TARGET (the way BULLIES always do).
Like you, I also went in search of knowledge (20 yrs ago) about the reason why the 911 attacks took place, and it was also an EYE OPENER finding out about the history of the US vs RUSSIA over there, and how it was mostly about plans for building a PIPELINE through the country and countries getting into pissing contest with each other over that matter.
Another GERMAN soldier also told me the only reason why we were in NAM was because they were drilling for oil in the ocean and once they didn't find any we'd leave. Then A few months after he said that we also pulled out like we're doing now.
So apparently NATION BUILDING also tends to have some other MOTIVES in MIND whenever it takes place???
All one can say is GOOD LUCK to CHINA if they plan on being the next SUCKERS to get involved over there. Because something also tells me they're going to NEED IT.
> Do you think it's possible pulling out is done on purpose as a way to punish [Iran, Pakistan, and/or China]?
I suppose anything's possible. I don't keep up with the specifics enough, I'm sorry to say. I have seen some speculation that the Taliban might try to establish at least tolerant relations with China. That would be in both nations' interests, it seems to me. The two share a border, but China shares borders with over a dozen other countries, so the simpler it can keep things the better for them.
I think ultimately the reason for pulling out, though, is that the US has achieved one goal over there -- demonstrating to the Taliban and to the world that attacking the US carries a very heavy cost. And Afghanistan cannot be made into Little America (i.e., nation building), or even into an Afghanistan that's amicable toward the US, so at some point the US would have had to say, "OK, we're done here."
> Because now that the TALIBAN doesn't have us to portray as being the BIG BAD MEANIE
Oh, they'll continue to portay us that way. I just hope they don't get overconfident and do anything more than that -- engage in terrorist acts against us, and/or harbor other terrorist groups.
> So apparently NATION BUILDING also tends to have some other MOTIVES in MIND whenever it takes place???
There are always other motives. How many times in your life do you remember the US approaching two conflicting countries or groups and saying, "We Americans are a peace loving people, and it pains us that you're unable to resolve your differences and that people are dying for it. Let us work with you, mediating your problems completely impartially, to arrive at a peaceful solution." Yeah, sure. No nation ever makes that offer unless it has a vested interest in the outcome of the conflict. We've been on the receiving end of that offer too. During the Civil War, the British, who had a strong vested interest in a healthy and prosperous South, made the offer to mediate between the Union and Confederacy. The Union responded that it considered any such offer to be a hostile act.
On the news they said the excuse given for pulling out in this haphazard way is that it had to be kept a SECRET -- which also makes NO SENSE -- (due to the way the previous CLOWNS who were in office are also suppose to have made an agreement with the TALIBAN to pull out -- which also means it's NO SECRET to the TALIBAN what was going to happen). PLUS The TALIBAN was also almost invited to CAMP DAVID during the last administration to discuss a PEACE agreement, until others objected to that idea and put a stop to it.
And Since The TALIBAN has NO MONEY (the previous RULER who has RUN AWAY was completely FUNDED by the US GOVERNMENT), they pretty much have no other choice but to suck up to CHINA in hopes that they'll be the next country to throw some money their way.
As for the LESSON of "learning attacking the US carries a HEAVY PRICE," I also hear the TALIBAN are busy BEATING their CHESTS in congratulations of having DEFEATED the US because their GOD has CHOSEN them as the WINNERS.
So it doesn't sound like any kind of LESSON has been learned by them at all (due to the way they're that much more CONFIDENT now that their GOD is on their side).
So if that's the way they chose to see it, then one would also suspect there's going to be still more attempts to terrorize us again. As you may recall, 20 years ago most of those "SAUDI's" (not AFGHANS) who caused the 911 situation also believed that doing so would result in each of them being rewarded with 75 VIRGINS by their GOD.
And whenever one is dealing with NUT JOBS like this, then one is also NOT dealing with people who think about things in a RATIONAL frame of mind. Thus one is also NOT dealing with someone would think twice about how much of a price was paid for attacking the US 20 years ago (because they'd also be more FOCUSED upon the 75 VIRGINS that were supposedly given as a REWARD for having done so).
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I don't think there should have been a full pull out at all. The US could have left a fairly small force in place and accomplished a tightly defined goal -- prevent Afghanistan from becoming a base for terrorism. Instead we've heard all sorts of bizarre metrics cited as proof of "success" of this twenty year debacle -- "Our efforts are working because there are lower infant mortality rates than before! Increased literacy rates! Better conditions for women!" As humanitarian goals go, fine. But as measures of military success they're crazy.
This withdrawl is being handled clumsily, to say the least. There should have never been a defined end date, and I think Biden is going to end up with egg on his face on that one. The message should have been, "We'll do it as quickly as practical, but we will get every one of our own people and our friends out, and it will take as long as it takes." And, we hung on to the wrong damned airport! That's going to prove to be a bottleneck.
Foreign policy types categorize our nation's interests into three categories. Most important are vital interests, where "vital" is meant literally -- necessary for the nation's survival. If a vital interest is compromised, the nation's survival is threatened. Next are critical interests. If one of those is compromised, the nation's survival is not directly threatened, but some vital interest is threatened. Finally, there are peripheral interests -- everything else. "Peripheral" does not mean trivial. Some peripheral interests are quite important. But this scheme puts them in their proper perspective.
Some might like us to return to a pre-WW2 isolationism, but that's impossible. We have our fingers into too many pies to ever do that, too many interests spread across the planet. That's why our military is as well developed as it is. We have the ability to project force anywhere on the globe, something only a superpower can do. But we cannot do that if we are also required to use our military to protect American lives on US soil. Therefore, American lives must not be in danger from foreign attack while on US soil -- period. That is a vital interest, and when September 11, 2001 happened, war was inevitable and proper.
Did we impose a heavy cost on those responsible? Well, part of that trillion dollars was spent on reconstruction in Afghanistan. But on the other hand, that trillion is only the direct cost. A project at Brown University estimates that when things like veterans' medical and disability costs, interest on borrowing, et cetera are included, the full cost to the US of the war is two and a quarter trillion. By contrast, Afghanistan's GDP in the best of the past few years has been about twenty billion. We spent over one hundred years worth of Afghanistan's entire, full force economy ... to teach the lesson, both through the might of our military and of our rebuilding efforts ... don't fuck with Uncle Sam, and don't play host to those who wish to fuck with Uncle Sam.
I'm not surprised that rank and file Taliban are cheering that God is on their side. It takes a lot to work up people to the point of being willing to shoot at others and to be shot at, but convincing them they're doing God's will usually works. I really don't think we'll see any more planes being flown into large American office buildings, though. I doubt the Taliban's leaders want to go through the last twenty years again. Even they have more brains than that.
They say we had NO CHOICE but to PULL OUT due to the way the last group of CLOWNS in office pulled out all but about 2,500, and they also told the TALIBAN we were willing to pull them out as well.
And as a result of doing that, the TALIBAN have also been on the MOVE ever since then, and even BEFORE BIDEN took office, which is also why they say they had to keep that a SECRET so that the TALIBAN didn't know we knew what they were doing.
And the only way to STOP THEM would be to send THOUSANDS of more soldiers over there again, which they also didn't want to do. And they also never expected the TALIBAN to TAKE OVER as quickly as they've done.
So here we are with this BIG MESS that was created by the LAST ADMINISTRATION (who are also trying to BLAME it all on BIDEN ... who inherits the MESS that the SCAM MAN ... who ran the FAKE UNIVERSITY and the FAKE CHARITY ... created).
And they also say the guy who ran the country was CORRUPT and pockets the MONEY that was sent over there as a way to try to improve the lives of the people who lived there (who are also just as POOR now as they were before we SPENT TRILLIONS trying to help them).
Anyhow, it will eventually all come out in the WASH the way it usually does whenever HISTORY is able to look back upon it without all the rest of the other kind of EMOTION and other BLAME GAMES involved that one is dealing with now.
Oh, there's a lot more blame to go around here than for any single mis-administration.
Well, of one thing I am certain. There will continue to be aid to Afghanistan in relief of direct need. Should they undergo a medical crisis, physicians will volunteer their services, et cetera. (And when we send COVID vaccines, will women have to wait in line behind men? With Sharia law, I wouldn't be surprised.) Should they go hungry, food will be donated. But will any nation undertake any significant effort to help the Afghan people better their own lot? I think it will be a long time before that happens. The 300,000 would-be men without balls who constitute the Afghan nonparticipant military forces have seen to that.
Since this situation has lasted though 4 ADMINISTRATIONS, I agree how there's BLAME enough to go around to more than just one of them.
Apparently those 300,000 who fought against the TALIBAN will also be KILLED (along with their other family members) if they're not able to escape.
Because Tonight on MSNBC Rachel Maddow told the story of an interpreter, his wife, and his 4 kids (all under the age of 5) who were barely able to make it out before they were murdered.
And since the LEADER of the country was also living in a residence with GOLD TOLIETS, that's also the reason why the other women and children are still poor now.
Because that man (who has also escaped) and others like him were using the money sent for food for the women and kids to buy nice things for themselves.
So why would that change now that the TALIBAN are in charge, who have already proven they're just as SELFISH, by SHUTTING DOWN the BEAUTY SHOP of one woman who needs it to make a living to buy FOOD for herself???
Basically The women over there have had one form of CORRUPTION replaced now with an EVEN WORSE form of it (by a group of BULLIES who also have the NERVE to JUSTIFY their SELFISHNESS with the claim that their GOD gives them the right to be that way).
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Why the hell would you pick a numb skull like W as a foreign policy expert. W was just a pawn for Dick Cheney's gang of economic war-mongering marauders.
Oops, my apologies. I see you pointed out H W the elder, not W the younger.
I actually have a smidgen of respect for H W, so again, my apologies.
No problem.
shareI think China ought to have a go at fighting in Afghanistan!
Russia and the US have already failed there and retreated in shame, you're just not a superpower until Afghanistan has humiliated your national pride.
They're not that crazy.
Getting rid of Islam in China is not being an easy task. They should clean their country and get rid of Islam first, before entering that type of adventures.
"NOTE the way no one in that area is wearing a MASK much less keeping a safe enough SOCIAL DISTANCE away from each other."
Being a woman, I don't have to be concerned about that, seeing how I would have to stay inside with a burqa on.๐
Yes that's probably why lots of SUPERPOWERS are hoping that the one's to CATCH COVID and die would be the TALIBAN.
But the problem is the TALIBAN is also grabbing 8,9, 10 yr old girls, RAPING them, and calling them their BRIDES.
And that also means the females are also FORCED into having CONTACT with these MALES (even if they don't want to do so).
Why is Afghanistan suddenly a SUPERSPREADEROMFG now and not a year ago? They didn't just now stop wearing masks.
Bet you can't wait for the Midterm variant.
Why is Afghanistan suddenly a SUPERSPREADEROMFG now and not a year ago?
Because The DELTA VARIANT is 1,000 times more CONTAGIOUS than the ALPHA variant that was going around last year.
And it's the same as with the PLAGUE during the MIDDLE AGES, or with any other situation (like the case where 700,000 BIKERS invaded NORTH DAKOTA for the annual biker event that's held up there where they also don't wear MASKS).
Anytime that you have a HUGE amount of people who invade the territory of another different place (whether by BOATS or by BIKES or MOTORCYCLES), you're going to have the SPREADING of whatever DISEASE it is that happens to be on a RAMPAGE at the time.
And since the TALIBAN are going DOOR to DOOR and killing the MALE members of a household so that they can RAPE his WIFE and KIDNAP his daughters (even if they're only 8, 9, or 10 yrs old), so they can also RAPE them on an ongoing basis (by calling them their BRIDES), that also means they're SPREADING COVID GERMS all over the country now.
So What's this about a MIDTERM VARIANT???
Your mention of it is the first time that one has ever heard of it.
Are you talking about the VARIANT from PERU???
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