Ken wrote: ↑Thu Aug 19, 2021 8:32 pm
But give credit where credit is due. Trump started the withdrawal process and accomplished 75-80% of it, drawing troops down from about 15,000 in 2018 to about 2500 in 2020. Biden finished the last 20% of the job.
Biden should have pulled out by May 1 (the original agreement), although I'm not sure it's useful to really place too much of the blame on the current Biden administration.
Obama ran on a platform of getting us out of these wars. Once he got elected, that suddenly stopped.
Trump also ran on a similar platform. Once he got elected, he ordered us out of these wars. For some reason, the military basically ignored that order.
So we have had Presidents/Vice Presidents for 12 1/2 years trying to get us out of Afghanistan. It really makes one question how much civilian control of the military there is. It could very well be that Biden's chaotic, sudden withdrawal was the only way to make it happen.
RZehr wrote: ↑Thu Aug 19, 2021 9:35 pm
Let’s not underestimate the military. They might figure out how to stay camped out at that airport for another decade or so.
The Marines are going to be in the mud, the Airforce will camp in the buildings. Who is getting bombed first?
RZehr wrote: ↑Thu Aug 19, 2021 9:35 pm
Let’s not underestimate the military. They might figure out how to stay camped out at that airport for another decade or so.
The Marines are going to be in the mud, the Airforce will camp in the buildings. Who is getting bombed first?
The Air Force pretty much has to keep a flying gas station in the sky, flown in from a long distance away.
Interestingly the U.K. has been much more effective at helping people leave who want to (including Americans) than America has been. And the Taliban doesn't even seem interested in trying to stop foreigners who want to leave.
Josh wrote: ↑Thu Aug 19, 2021 10:37 pm
The Air Force pretty much has to keep a flying gas station in the sky, flown in from a long distance away.
Interestingly the U.K. has been much more effective at helping people leave who want to (including Americans) than America has been. And the Taliban doesn't even seem interested in trying to stop foreigners who want to leave.
If they are smart they will let all the dissidents leave and become the problem and ward of some other country. Just like Cuba did years ago with the Mariel Boat Lift. Afghanistan has a population of 40 million which is about double all the Scandinavian countries combined. The world will soon tire of taking in poor Afghans.
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A fool can throw out more questions than a wise man can answer. -RZehr
Josh wrote: ↑Thu Aug 19, 2021 10:37 pm
The Air Force pretty much has to keep a flying gas station in the sky, flown in from a long distance away.
Interestingly the U.K. has been much more effective at helping people leave who want to (including Americans) than America has been. And the Taliban doesn't even seem interested in trying to stop foreigners who want to leave.
If they are smart they will let all the dissidents leave and become the problem and ward of some other country. Just like Cuba did years ago with the Mariel Boat Lift. Afghanistan has a population of 40 million which is about double all the Scandinavian countries combined. The world will soon tire of taking in poor Afghans.
They’re focused on getting contractors and their own people out.
I agree that resettling half of Afghanistan elsewhere as “refugees” is not a good idea, but a lot of people disagree with me. In particular, large numbers of young men don’t seem to me to be “refugees”. Unless they are nonresistant conscientious objectors, they should do one of two things:
- fight for their country against the Taliban, which they didn’t do as part of the ANA
- accept the Taliban and live under it as their new government
RZehr wrote: ↑Thu Aug 19, 2021 9:35 pm
Let’s not underestimate the military. They might figure out how to stay camped out at that airport for another decade or so.
RZehr wrote: ↑Thu Aug 19, 2021 9:35 pm
Let’s not underestimate the military. They might figure out how to stay camped out at that airport for another decade or so.
We've done it before.
A mission to spread democracy and freedom to an airport. (Would this mean no TSA?)
RZehr wrote: ↑Thu Aug 19, 2021 9:35 pm
Let’s not underestimate the military. They might figure out how to stay camped out at that airport for another decade or so.
We've done it before.
A mission to spread democracy and freedom to an airport. (Would this mean no TSA?)
Maybe it's what they meant all along by Global Entry.