Was Afghanistan all for nothing?
It's frustrating to watch the country being slowly retaken by the vile Taliban, after nearly 20 years of Western forces trying to fix and modernize that place. They have just been waiting for us to leave all this time, and the new government still can't handle the place on their own.
Thoughts?
Re: Was Afghanistan all for nothing?
Originally posted by roughrider
after nearly 20 years of Western forces trying to fix and modernize that place.
This right here was the problem.
You cant go in with guns and air strikes claiming you know whats better for them.
The reason the Taliban are taking over so easily is because they have mass support behind them.
I never agreed with the invasion of Iraq in 2003 - because of the big lies behind it - but after 9/11 taking down Afghanistan seemed like the right thing to do, what with the terrorist's being based there and the Taliban being unwilling to turn them over. It was only then I learned how wretched and backward Taliban rule was. Maybe I was influenced by the heat and emotion of the times...
Afghanistan and Somalia have competed for Worst Place On The Planet for almost the same amount of time. Somalia has made a bit of progress only with the African Union sending their own troops in. But who in the region cares enough to send their troops in there to fix the place? Pakistan? They've never fully gotten out of their ties with the Taliban, four decades on.
What is the goal now? Isolate them like North Korea until they finally give in?
North Korea only exists because China props them up.
Originally posted by roughrider
but after 9/11 taking down Afghanistan seemed like the right thing to do, what with the terrorist's being based there and the Taliban being unwilling to turn them over.
Firstly thats not entirely accurate. The Taliban offered to send them to a neutral Muslim country for a fair trial.
Second, invading such a poor and already war torn country was nothing short of terrorism itself, no matter the justification.
I mean its not like Afghanistan invaded America. Even the idea of that is laughable.
Originally posted by roughrider
It's frustrating to watch the country being slowly retaken by the vile Taliban, after nearly 20 years of Western forces trying to fix and modernize that place. They have just been waiting for us to leave all this time, and the new government still can't handle the place on their own.Thoughts?
Like the man said, you can lead a horse to water but you can't make him drink.
The US showed them freedom, but they chose terrorism.
Originally posted by roughriderI've been there, some of those close to me have been there. It is complicated.
It's frustrating to watch the country being slowly retaken by the vile Taliban, after nearly 20 years of Western forces trying to fix and modernize that place. They have just been waiting for us to leave all this time, and the new government still can't handle the place on their own.Thoughts?
Wasn't for nothing, the military got to practice war, private contractors got some coin, business interests came in and got their piece, CIA got some sweet opium to fund their dirty ops, always going to be male refugee immigrants going to western Europe for some reason, civilian contractors came in a built some stuff pretty sure they got some sweet kickbacks. War is profit.
Originally posted by Nuke Nixon
Wasn't for nothing, the military got to practice war, private contractors got some coin, business interests came in and got their piece, CIA got some sweet opium to fund their dirty ops, always going to be male refugee immigrants going to western Europe for some reason, civilian contractors came in a built some stuff pretty sure they got some sweet kickbacks. War is profit.
This.
Most are unable to see the forest for the trees and believe war always sin. This isn’t necessarily true and is ruse used by the weak and fallacious. War is never an optimal outcome, but sometimes the profits wrought from war far outweigh the alternatives.