I agree in some sense is just that I did not see an end in Afghanistan, it sucks over all but what was the solution to let US police the area until the end of time?
It is a mess I'm glad I do not have a personal stake in. If you live or have family there I am sorry. I would have preferred the Taliban lost.
As I am uneducated on the subject, what is the actual situation over there? How come the Taliban have apparently a greater armed force then the Afghanistan army? Would it not have been better and cheaper for US to just arm the local armed forces? Or there is to much corruption?
Some things to begin with: evacuate properly (like the Soviets did!!), and take your local translators with you instead of betraying them (while accepting the flood of random "refugees" at the same time), and don't send these parody tweets or having your demented president not to answer questions about Afghanistan because he "wants to talk about happy things, man".
You know, I'm not against any resistance if the Ivan ever moves and comes over to squat here. Not only the "allies" (if they ever remain so, and not cut the ties with us over mah trannies and shit) would be of no help, but actually the Russian option increasingly looks like a lesser evil. And you have no idea how hard it is for me to think like that, because while I do like aspects of Russian culture and society I hate most of it, and historically we underwent brutal Russification (and then the export of Communism). I was a "rabid Russophobe" most of my life, and a huge, uh, Americaphile (is it even a word?). Now my entire worldview is crushed.
Also my solution, retrospectively: Americans should have go in relatively hard in December 2001 with all special forces units available (also from allied nations) plus the entire 10th Mountain and kill Osama at Tora Bora then immediately get out with the unironic aircraft carrier banner "Mission Accomplished" and leave it to anyone who wanted to be involved in this business from there on (with Pakistan, Russia, Iran, China being aligned but not quite on this issue - I guess Russia and Iran would ask China to pressure the Pakis to stop aiding the Taliban remnants). Instead the "fallacy" of the Graveyard of Empires turned out to be true. The American empire, if you can call it so, really died there in long turn.
I guess the Afghans really don't give a fuck about warlords and Taliban.
Imposing your will and a national government was impossible on tribes who really couldn't give a shit about anything and any authority outside their little area.
In a way, the Afghans are more freedom-minded and resilient than Americans.
Outside of Islam, the middle east, and Afghans in particular, have always been tribally focused. There's more loyalty to family and tribal connections than in any national government. Today's ally is tomorrow's foe and all that.
Given that, the Afghan national army/police have very little motivation to actively do their jobs for the greater country outside of their tribal areas. And getting high I guess. Add on top general corruption and it's no wonder that there's so many Green on Blue incidents (where Afghan forces shoot/bomb coalition forces). I'm sure a lot of them view the US the same way their fathers and grandfathers viewed the Soviets. Just another in a long line of occupying forces
I agree in some sense is just that I did not see an end in Afghanistan, it sucks over all but what was the solution to let US police the area until the end of time?
It is a mess I'm glad I do not have a personal stake in. If you live or have family there I am sorry. I would have preferred the Taliban lost.
As I am uneducated on the subject, what is the actual situation over there? How come the Taliban have apparently a greater armed force then the Afghanistan army? Would it not have been better and cheaper for US to just arm the local armed forces? Or there is to much corruption?
Some things to begin with: evacuate properly (like the Soviets did!!), and take your local translators with you instead of betraying them (while accepting the flood of random "refugees" at the same time), and don't send these parody tweets or having your demented president not to answer questions about Afghanistan because he "wants to talk about happy things, man".
You know, I'm not against any resistance if the Ivan ever moves and comes over to squat here. Not only the "allies" (if they ever remain so, and not cut the ties with us over mah trannies and shit) would be of no help, but actually the Russian option increasingly looks like a lesser evil. And you have no idea how hard it is for me to think like that, because while I do like aspects of Russian culture and society I hate most of it, and historically we underwent brutal Russification (and then the export of Communism). I was a "rabid Russophobe" most of my life, and a huge, uh, Americaphile (is it even a word?). Now my entire worldview is crushed.
Also my solution, retrospectively: Americans should have go in relatively hard in December 2001 with all special forces units available (also from allied nations) plus the entire 10th Mountain and kill Osama at Tora Bora then immediately get out with the unironic aircraft carrier banner "Mission Accomplished" and leave it to anyone who wanted to be involved in this business from there on (with Pakistan, Russia, Iran, China being aligned but not quite on this issue - I guess Russia and Iran would ask China to pressure the Pakis to stop aiding the Taliban remnants). Instead the "fallacy" of the Graveyard of Empires turned out to be true. The American empire, if you can call it so, really died there in long turn.
I guess the Afghans really don't give a fuck about warlords and Taliban.
Imposing your will and a national government was impossible on tribes who really couldn't give a shit about anything and any authority outside their little area.
In a way, the Afghans are more freedom-minded and resilient than Americans.
Outside of Islam, the middle east, and Afghans in particular, have always been tribally focused. There's more loyalty to family and tribal connections than in any national government. Today's ally is tomorrow's foe and all that.
Given that, the Afghan national army/police have very little motivation to actively do their jobs for the greater country outside of their tribal areas. And getting high I guess. Add on top general corruption and it's no wonder that there's so many Green on Blue incidents (where Afghan forces shoot/bomb coalition forces). I'm sure a lot of them view the US the same way their fathers and grandfathers viewed the Soviets. Just another in a long line of occupying forces