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YOUR BALANCE
Just saw video of Taliban leaders posing
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Just saw video of Taliban leaders posing


Aug 15, 2021, 11:17 PM

in Kabul Presidential Office- seems like that would have been wonderful opportunity for a drone missle.

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Very sad. 20 years.***


Aug 15, 2021, 11:20 PM



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Re: Just saw video of Taliban leaders posing


Aug 15, 2021, 11:22 PM

They probably would have shot it down with all the weapons we left behind.

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Re: Just saw video of Taliban leaders posing


Aug 16, 2021, 8:14 AM

Correct!! Such a horrible blunder leaving millions of dollars of weapons behind. Now when we go back in 6mos we will have to better our own weapons.

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Don't worry about those weapons...


Aug 16, 2021, 8:23 AM

Our military industrial complex designs nearly everything the Pentagon buys to break in a couple of weeks in order to get even more money out of the taxpayers in repair parts and maintenance costs...

In all seriousness - the execution of this departure from Afghanistan has been an utter disaster.

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Re: Just saw video of Taliban leaders posing


Aug 16, 2021, 9:45 AM [ in reply to Re: Just saw video of Taliban leaders posing ]

All those weapons should have been destroyed. Instead they get counted as "foreign aid" by our federal government, only to come back and bit us in the butt. We would have never gotten them back to the US because the only port is on the other side of Pakistan and all of the gear would have been stolen by them. The troops stole a lot of our gear as it was being transported into Afganistan. How do you think the Taliban got the weapons they did.

A family member was a logistics officer over there and he said the Pakistan troops would cut a hole in the roof of containers, pull out all of the gear and then fill the container back up with sand. They did this so the seal on the doors remained untouched and the sand kept the weight similar to what it should have been with our weapons in it.

A travesty.

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Just in time for them to Celebrate 20th Anniversary of 9/11***


Aug 15, 2021, 11:23 PM



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Based on how quickly this happened


Aug 15, 2021, 11:34 PM

That nation had no chance of governing itself without our aid forever. It obviously wasn’t worth the cost.

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Re: Based on how quickly this happened


Aug 15, 2021, 11:43 PM

There wasn’t a chance before either, unfortunately. I’m a believer that we need to clean our own kitchen before deploying more “help” elsewhere.

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Cleaning up our own kitchen should always be priority #1. Too bad


Aug 15, 2021, 11:46 PM

we constantly have people putting their own dirty dishes in our sink.

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Re: Cleaning up our own kitchen should always be priority #1. Too bad


Aug 16, 2021, 12:11 AM

Maybe we should cover the sink.

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you sound like a Rand Paul fan.***


Aug 16, 2021, 8:10 AM



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Re: Cleaning up our own kitchen should always be priority #1. Too bad


Aug 16, 2021, 9:41 AM [ in reply to Cleaning up our own kitchen should always be priority #1. Too bad ]

Personally I think we should throw out the existing sink and get a brand new one that actually works.

2024 white level member flag link military_tech thumb_downthumb_up

"If a pig had a better personality, he would cease to be a filthy animal."


Re: Based on how quickly this happened


Aug 16, 2021, 12:18 AM [ in reply to Re: Based on how quickly this happened ]

Girls are in school now.

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I’ve always thought the Taliban was about making banging preteens legal.


Aug 16, 2021, 12:34 AM

There’s definitely a perv angle to them.

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Newsflash: There is a perv angle to EVERY religious


Aug 16, 2021, 11:58 AM

extremist group

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Re: Based on how quickly this happened


Aug 16, 2021, 5:29 AM [ in reply to Re: Based on how quickly this happened ]

Our kitchen has rights for women and children. The Afghani’s don’t. Not saying we should or shouldn’t be there. But they have no chance now.

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They’re already asking for families to give them their virgin daughters


Aug 16, 2021, 8:17 AM

Democrats, Republicans, Libertarians, Green Party people are all tame compared to those cowards that play hide and seek when the Americans are in their country. They must getting tired of getting blumpkins from guys with beards for the last 20 years.

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If anyone ever thought for one second...


Aug 16, 2021, 9:02 AM [ in reply to Based on how quickly this happened ]

the Afghan Army or Afghan security forces, which are totally unsustainable without the United States and NATO allies, would ever stand and fight the Taliban, as opposed to dropping their weapons and running, were simply lying to themselves. Combine that with rampant corruption and the lack of support received from the Afghan government after the US forces left the country, the Afghan Army or Afghan security forces clearly don't think the country or the government was worth dying for.

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Sometimes good things fall apart so better things can fall together.


Re: Just saw video of Taliban leaders posing


Aug 16, 2021, 12:08 AM

I agree

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Re: Just saw video of Taliban leaders posing


Aug 16, 2021, 12:50 AM

joe is reportedly terribly shaken at the fact that not one Talibanian was wearing a mask or had proof of being fully vaccinated

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Joe's probably still sitting at the big, long table staring


Aug 16, 2021, 2:01 AM

at those six screens and trying to figure out which clock is for the Eastern time zone... Alone.

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Re: Just saw video of Taliban leaders posing


Aug 16, 2021, 7:57 AM [ in reply to Re: Just saw video of Taliban leaders posing ]

Old joe has no clue where he is or what he may have just signed. Jill the sequel is failing to protect an elderly vulnerable adult

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Re: Just saw video of Taliban leaders posing


Aug 16, 2021, 8:56 AM [ in reply to Re: Just saw video of Taliban leaders posing ]

IF WE DON'T VACCINATE THE TALIBAN HOW THE HELL ARE WE GONNA STOP THE VIRUS FROM MUTATING!

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Re: This Is One Group That Won't Learn Any Lessons ---


Aug 16, 2021, 2:21 AM

Taliban was just sitting back licking their chops like a bunch of crazed rabid creatures.....waiting for this. It was reported a month and half ago they were purchasing a plethora of weapons.....with cash.

If everyone is evacuated that need to be evacuated.......I say take 40% off a nuke missile and drop it right in the area where the Taliban is and go from there.

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Re: This Is One Group That Won't Learn Any Lessons ---


Aug 16, 2021, 7:34 AM

That is the problem. We did not get everyone out. We currently have Americans that are trapped and are being told to shelter in place. My bible study group text started popping last night. One of the group members has a family member being deployed from Ft Bragg to Afghanistan. I am praying for the folks that are trapped and our soldiers that are going to help them.

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Re: Just saw video of Taliban leaders posing


Aug 16, 2021, 4:39 AM

We should have spent the trillions dollars on our education system.

Estimated amount of direct Afghanistan and Iraq war costs that the United States has debt-financed as of 2020: $2 trillion. Estimated interest costs by 2050: Up to $6.5 trillion.

Oh well.

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Re: Just saw video of Taliban leaders posing


Aug 16, 2021, 4:50 AM

Uncle Joe probably doesn't know what a drone is?
And I won't even tell you his definition of a missle?

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Re: Just saw video of Taliban leaders posing


Aug 16, 2021, 7:49 AM

Daddy trump didn't even know who the Taliban was until after he signed a treaty with them agreeing to withdrawal all American troops ...

He was too busy posing for Goya beans

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Re: Just saw video of Taliban leaders posing


Aug 16, 2021, 9:14 AM

I think Trumps "treaty" was based on the Taliban meeting certain criteria ..... one of which I am pretty sure did not include invading Kabul as soon as we left.

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Re: Just saw video of Taliban leaders posing


Aug 16, 2021, 12:28 PM

There was NOTHING in the agreement that prevented the Taliban from taking control.

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Stop watching fake news and think for yourself


Aug 16, 2021, 2:03 PM [ in reply to Re: Just saw video of Taliban leaders posing ]

You really need to stop watching all your corrupt "news" sources.

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Re: Just saw video of Taliban leaders posing


Aug 16, 2021, 7:49 AM [ in reply to Re: Just saw video of Taliban leaders posing ]

Daddy trump didn't even know who the Taliban was until after he signed a treaty with them agreeing to withdrawal all American troops ...

He was too busy posing for Goya beans

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Believes cnn and msnbc ^^^^^^^^


Aug 16, 2021, 8:21 AM

alt-left.

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Are you brain dead?


Aug 16, 2021, 10:38 AM

this did happen.

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Are you brain dead?


Aug 16, 2021, 10:43 AM

Please keep up

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Pro-Tip....


Aug 16, 2021, 10:55 AM

If you cheered when Daddy Donald got 5,000 Taliban soldiers sprung from prison, maybe sit the F### down and shut the F### up about what those 5,000 Taliban soldiers are doing to Afghanistan now.

The treaty did happen. You're an absolute moron if you think otherwise.

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Pro-Tip...


Aug 16, 2021, 11:32 AM

Please only talk about subjects you understand.

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Yea because you've clearly outlined something different.


Aug 16, 2021, 11:52 AM

Keep your head in the sand for daddy trump.

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Yea because you've clearly outlined something different.


Aug 16, 2021, 11:57 AM

Only in your biased irrational mind you are making sense. You are a good alt-left follower.

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That's what I thought. You have nothing.***


Aug 16, 2021, 12:14 PM



2024 white level member flag link military_tech thumb_downthumb_up

that's what I thought. You have nothing.


Aug 16, 2021, 1:25 PM

.

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Re: Pro-Tip....


Aug 16, 2021, 2:28 PM [ in reply to Pro-Tip.... ]

You're clueless.

It would be nice if you can take the bias out and actually think about what has happened domestically.

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Unless we're going to claim it as our own (and we shouldn't)


Aug 16, 2021, 5:20 AM

I think we should stay out of it. Maybe take a cue from China and take care of America first. We are all over the place: Kosovo, S. Korea, Germany, Egypt, Romania, Djibouti, Kuwait, Japan, etc. I get it, it helps posture us globally in case something goes down and make intelligence gathering easier. But, if we minded our own business and spent those resources on securing our own country, we wouldn't need to worry about it as much and our economy would benefit more.

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Re: Unless we're going to claim it as our own (and we shouldn't)


Aug 16, 2021, 8:44 AM

Believe you me, China is everywhere too and putting a lot of money where there mouth is.

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Re: Unless we're going to claim it as our own (and we shouldn't)


Aug 16, 2021, 9:17 AM

Exactly ..... you have to be pretty naive to think that China doesn't have its hand in all of these affairs. Shameful that we did not at the least get all of our friends that helped us while we were there. Who is going to trust us now?

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It's about global posturing and preserving US interests


Aug 16, 2021, 9:41 AM [ in reply to Unless we're going to claim it as our own (and we shouldn't) ]

You can bet your last dollar China is on the phone right now cutting a deal with the Taliban. China is working on a massive infrastructure and investment plan, but the Afghan government was resisted participation largely to avoid getting on the wrong side of Washington. However, the Taliban will jump on this with both feet.

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Sometimes good things fall apart so better things can fall together.


Let them be China's problem***


Aug 16, 2021, 12:00 PM



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That’s what a real insurrection looks***


Aug 16, 2021, 5:27 AM



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Yes!!! The favorite new vocabulary word of liberals.

1

Aug 16, 2021, 7:42 AM

Except they won’t use it for this. It’s reserved for anti-Trump obsession.

Oh, and has anyone told them about the burning down of the police station in Minnesota? That was, by definition…an insurrection.

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Is this a challenge to the Gravy SEALS?***


Aug 16, 2021, 7:57 AM [ in reply to That’s what a real insurrection looks*** ]



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Re: Just saw video of Taliban leaders posing


Aug 16, 2021, 5:46 AM

I’ve done 2 tours in that dump…Fck em I say…There is a small minority of people over there that want our help…there’s also an overwhelming majority that don’t and hate the very sight of our existence…You simply do not know who to trust over there. Many times I have seen Commanders think we have a source for significant intel only to find out we are getting our leg pulled. This especially happened to the rookie CCs thinking they were going to come there and win the war themselves and then come home to write a book about it.

The thing that gets me is that Trump mentioned this very thing about a year ago and we absolutely gutted in the media and by some of his military leaders past and present….To include James Mattis…but yet there isn’t a peep from the left on this.

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"We the people are the rightful masters of both Congress and the courts, not to overthrow the Constitution but to overthrow the men who pervert the Constitution." - Abraham Lincoln


Re: Just saw video of Taliban leaders posing


Aug 16, 2021, 7:53 AM

Obama planned to leave by 2016. Trump made campaign promises to leave ASAP, then Trump promised the Taliban we’d leave by May 21. Biden delayed it a few months.

Maybe without the distraction in Iraq, it could have been more successful. Or more patience to stay. The Neos were going to invade Iraq one way or another once Bush became president.

Worst part is that the Taliban is a result of our interference in the 80s. The money came from Saudi Arabia, but the CIA was the brains behind the madras Islamist education that radicalized so many.

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Makes you wonder whether we should


Aug 16, 2021, 7:58 AM

mind our owndamnbusiness and focus on protecting American soil.

Our mere presence is the reason for several extremist groups even existing, ISIS included.

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Re: Just saw video of Taliban leaders posing


Aug 16, 2021, 7:57 AM [ in reply to Re: Just saw video of Taliban leaders posing ]

God bless you for your service. Our son nearly lost his life there and so many men either died or lost limbs, vision, etc… This is one sorry mess. A hellhole because no one has the guts to lead with common sense.

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Re: Just saw video of Taliban leaders posing


Aug 16, 2021, 8:18 AM [ in reply to Re: Just saw video of Taliban leaders posing ]

Been there as well and talked to a few of them.

They don't want us there, while the the corrupt politicians want to keep the war going to keep their power and wealth going.

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its crazy... no one is scared of the US anymore without


Aug 16, 2021, 7:54 AM

leadership. The only people that are scared of the US are the citizens themselves b/c we are running blind right now. Definitely not a good time in history to have no or misguided leadership.

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Re: its crazy... no one is scared of the US anymore without


Aug 16, 2021, 10:33 AM

Totally and not getting better.

We are decaying. And in fairness not just the US but the entire West.

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Re: Just saw video of Taliban leaders posing


Aug 16, 2021, 8:07 AM

Why didnt we just get all our people out before we left. Get our troops home only to have to go back and get Americans. THis 20 year train wreck is on both parties. Not to mention what ever "government" the Afganis had which folded like a cheap deck chair. Epic debacle all around.

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Hidin', lying biden


Aug 16, 2021, 8:10 AM

I saw that.

Meanwhile, biden is in hiding after he lied about the situation there and now blaming everything and everyone else instead of the very person who caused this whole thing (just like the southern border crisis, inflation and the increasing crime rate). Great optics as he flees and supposedly does zoom calls.

This is what 50 years of corruption and incompetence can do to a great country.

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Right on que, he blames the Trump administration***


Aug 16, 2021, 9:04 AM



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Sometimes good things fall apart so better things can fall together.


You can't blame biden he has dementia


Aug 16, 2021, 9:09 AM

His minions are running the place.

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Re: Hidin', lying biden


Aug 16, 2021, 9:09 AM [ in reply to Hidin', lying biden ]

You do know that this has been "officiated" by 4 presidents right? Which one did anything they said they were going to do? Biden is the only one who said he was getting us out and has actually done it. Don't like how the withdrawal is going - don't blame it on Biden. Blame it on the Afghan "Security Forces" who rolled over after we were there teaching them to have a backbone for 20 years. Taliban took the city with hardly a shot fired. Now all the Afghanis are trying to leave the country because they are scared of the Taliban. Why didn't they fight to keep their city/country? No sympathy.

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Because...


Aug 16, 2021, 9:44 AM

if anyone really thought the Afghan Army or Afghan security forces, which are totally unsustainable without the United States, would ever stand and fight the Taliban, as opposed to dropping their weapons and running, were simply lying to themselves.

The US military leaders has been saying as much for years.

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Sometimes good things fall apart so better things can fall together.


Re: Because...


Aug 16, 2021, 9:53 AM

Agreed. My son asked me what would happen in this country if some weird left or right wing group tried to take over this country. My hope is that the people would rise up and not allow it to happen. What do ya'll think?

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I am blaming biden


Aug 16, 2021, 10:52 AM [ in reply to Re: Hidin', lying biden ]

Everything he's done has been irrational and reckless.

Here's just a few:

- our pipeline in the US was shutdown while giving putin his

- opening the border to EVERYONE

And now he just yanked our military without a backup plan. Yes, we need to end this endless was. President Trump certainly recognized that, but he also wanted and said he wanted to make sure the taliban and other terrorist groups don't rise up (unlike what obama did with the rise of isis).

So now he's blaming President Trump and the intelligence community)

When all THEIR plans fail, they wrongfully blame President Trump.

When all else fails, he goes into hiding. Pathetic!

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Lot of people misunderstand what the pipeline is


Aug 19, 2021, 8:22 AM

It connects two points on an existing pipeline to cut a corner. It’s meant mainly to increase capacity for Canada’s oil and gas exports to the US, but does go through Wyoming.

High gas prices now are being caused by distribution problems, not production or refining. When the price of crude rises enough to justify restarting the tar sands projects, the increased pipeline capacity might be needed. But mainly for Canada’s exports. How many know we export our highest quality sweet crude to other countries?

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Saigon all over again...........


Aug 16, 2021, 8:50 AM

I remember April of 1975 and the panicky evacuation from Saigon - never thought I'd ever see our government allow that to happen again but it has in Kabul.

I agree with Biden that we needed to get out of Afghanistan because we've been there long enough. But the ultimate responsibility rests with the Afghan "Security Forces" being cowards against the Taliban (just like the South Vietnamese army was against the North Vietnamese).

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Re: Saigon all over again...........


Aug 16, 2021, 9:04 AM

I really couldn't agree more. Saw some people from both major news channels saying this was a disaster. The disaster is that we were there for 20 years trying to teach these people to have a backbone and stand up for themselves and the Taliban entered and took Kabul with hardly a shot! We wasted our time and American lives to try to teach these people to fight for themselves. We all knew this was going to happen! There is no surprise here. Anyone who hasn't seen the writing on the wall is just ignorant. Any American who is still there because they thought they had more time is naïve. The Taliban rolled over the country as soon as we announced we were leaving. Everyone realizes that 20 years is the normal life span of a US Military member right? That is plenty of time to change the culture of the Afghan security forces. Didn't work so screw them I say let them deal with it now. Don't cry to us or ask us to help at this point. They had their chance.

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Just as in Viet Nam, our presence in Afghanistan merely


Aug 16, 2021, 9:12 AM [ in reply to Saigon all over again........... ]

delayed the inevitable, and made us look weak as a nation in the process. There was no "Peace with Honor" in 1975, and there certainly is none in Afghanistan today.

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Re: Saigon all over again...........


Aug 16, 2021, 9:19 AM [ in reply to Saigon all over again........... ]

I no longer post much anymore, but I can't help but respond to this.

Saigon? #### right and I hate it.

Viewing the posts, I see the blinded spouting off about Trump and the honest and observant angry at every admin since Bush and maybe even Carter. For all the blame going around, can anyone offer rational insight as to what we were doing there to begin with? Outside of a counter to Soviet hegemony, and with a focus on large troop deployment, was there ever a rational objective articulated for our involvement?

For my part, Afghanistan reflects an attitude in DC of hubris leading them to believe we can do anything anywhere with no downside worthy of even slowing down. While I suspect this hubris is nurtured in experiences that do not include military service I see no excuse for believing we can waltz into a place that hasn't been conquered since Alexander and just have our way. And what would success have looked like anyhow? Afghanistan does not appear to have any significance beyond a place where empires stumble...we should have known better than to have done anymore than limited ops for clearly defined purposes.

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With the Taliban in control...


Aug 16, 2021, 9:47 AM

the region will become a staging ground to support their terrorist and anti-American agenda.

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Sometimes good things fall apart so better things can fall together.


Like China, Russia and Iran


Aug 16, 2021, 9:52 AM

but without money and means ...

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forward bases


Aug 16, 2021, 9:52 AM [ in reply to Re: Saigon all over again........... ]

27 years Army and did my Bagram tour. I don't think any of us who spent any time in country and those that truly studied the dynamics of the country really ever expected a free and united nation. I mean loyalty to your tribe in that nation will always come first. It has been that way since the place existed. Nothing the British, Soviets, America did was going to change that.

But look we are still in Korea 60 years later, Germany 70 years later so just because we may have been there 20 years that is not such an outlier. What Afghanistan provided for us was a forward power projection point for that part of Asia. I gave us an American presence (with really a limited force) in an increasing critical part of the world. Not just for the fight against terrorist but also next to Pakistan (a nuclear nation), close to China etc.

So we could have keep 5,000 -10,000 troops there and Nato would have stayed, maintain the airfield at Bagram and maintained a least some order. Would it have ever been perfect, not by a mile, and the Taliban would have controlled parts of the country but it would have served to keep them somewhat in check. Now sure we can make "surgical strikes" from time to time if we find terrorist training camps but they would have been less likely to try it if we had a presence in the country.

The idea of national building was a joke but a power projection point and loss of presence in a critical part of the world are not good, especially after all the investment made.

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Re: forward bases


Aug 16, 2021, 12:16 PM

261tiger said:

27 years Army and did my Bagram tour. I don't think any of us who spent any time in country and those that truly studied the dynamics of the country really ever expected a free and united nation. I mean loyalty to your tribe in that nation will always come first. It has been that way since the place existed. Nothing the British, Soviets, America did was going to change that.

But look we are still in Korea 60 years later, Germany 70 years later so just because we may have been there 20 years that is not such an outlier. What Afghanistan provided for us was a forward power projection point for that part of Asia. I gave us an American presence (with really a limited force) in an increasing critical part of the world. Not just for the fight against terrorist but also next to Pakistan (a nuclear nation), close to China etc.

So we could have keep 5,000 -10,000 troops there and Nato would have stayed, maintain the airfield at Bagram and maintained a least some order. Would it have ever been perfect, not by a mile, and the Taliban would have controlled parts of the country but it would have served to keep them somewhat in check. Now sure we can make "surgical strikes" from time to time if we find terrorist training camps but they would have been less likely to try it if we had a presence in the country.

The idea of national building was a joke but a power projection point and loss of presence in a critical part of the world are not good, especially after all the investment made.


Very rational answer.

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Huge strategic win for China and loss for the US/Europe


Aug 16, 2021, 10:32 AM

AKA "The West".

China has plans for building highways and mining rare earths, Afghanistan will server as their gateway to the middle east.

Look for China to also invade Taiwan within 10 years. By the way, as regimes like this notch victories in their belt they grow to crave larger and larger wins.

You can view this, Hong Kong, and some other internal victories as the start. I'd be very concerned as regional players in the Orient and Central Asia.

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China would certainly want to invade Taiwan


Aug 16, 2021, 11:17 AM

But i just don't see it happening. No one will ever outspend the US in military equipment and our Navy and Airforce are still easily stronger than any other country. Once they start to mobilize, we'd send a carrier group and China would backoff

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Re: Just saw video of Taliban leaders posing


Aug 16, 2021, 11:35 AM

WWMD

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