Meanwhile in Afghanistan

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TGT

Social climber

So Cal

Topic Author's Reply - Mar 17, 2012 - 10:02pm PT

It was time to go three years ago.

apogee

climber

Mar 17, 2012 - 10:18pm PT

"Their game is up. This is why I despise liberals."

Yeah, that panty-waisted POTUS has only increased drone strikes by a factor of 100 over that bastion of hubris, Shrub. Pfft.

bluering

Trad climber

Santa Clara, CA

Mar 17, 2012 - 10:20pm PT

Yeah, that sonofabirch Karzai really has some balls, eh?

It's sad. Our ground forces do not deserve this treatment. At this point, it's really got to be up to them. The Afghanis. WTF do you want?

EDIT:

POTUS has only increased drone strikes by a factor of 100

I wasn't talking about that, and you know this....

apogee

climber

Mar 17, 2012 - 10:26pm PT

"And republicons beat the drums of war for an assault on IRAN?"

Yes, those never-served Repugs are doing it again...right, blue?

bluering

Trad climber

Santa Clara, CA

Mar 17, 2012 - 10:33pm PT

Kevin, not only are you wrong on Afghanistan, but you have everything else all f*#ked up.

But that's cool....

tradmanclimbs

Ice climber

Pomfert VT

Mar 17, 2012 - 10:50pm PT

Blue, read Afganistan the wrong war by bing west. hardcore semper fi repuglican combat vet spells it out clearly how fcked up the afgans are and how useless it is for us to try to make them act like westerners. lost cause and always has been.

mtnyoung

Trad climber

Twain Harte, California

Mar 17, 2012 - 11:15pm PT

Tradman, the exact title of Bing West's newest book is: "The Wrong War: Grit, Strategy, and the Way Out of Afghanistan."

And, you're right he describes how our present strategy in Afghanistan is essentially hopeless. We can't nation-build there, we can't make peace, and we can't protect human rights. He suggests that all we can do is prevent is from becoming a terrorist haven like it was. And we don't need large "conventional" forces to do it.

It's a very well thought out book from an excellent author.

Although West started out as a Marine infantry officer in Vietnam in 1965, it's totally unfair and inaccurate to call him a "hardcore semper fi repuglican combat vet" (even if you had spelled anything right). Do you actually know anything about his politics? I think you might be very surprised.

bluering

Trad climber

Santa Clara, CA

Mar 17, 2012 - 11:37pm PT

I do not really disagree with anyone here, you misinterpret my gist.

You can sit back and Monday Morning Quarterback Asscrapistan all the way back to the 14-16th century. That is not now!

They had a halacious bombing coming their way. We were there for that. Then sh#t changed....

We shoud have either left, or just leveled the Pak border area and Khandahar.

Look back to WWII to the tenacity of American Generals. We were bold and great once.

jstan

climber

Mar 18, 2012 - 12:05am PT

We were bold and great once.

Blue:
There something like one and a quarter billion Chinese and that country is increasing its military expenditures right now because they are concerned about events near their borders. (Mind you something like ten or twenty percent of their young men cannot find a Chinese wife.) What you espouse has the potential to bring us into a confrontation. You are espousing some drastic changes in our role. Look at what your proposals could entail.

We could not match Chinese manpower in 1954 in Korea. We have just exited a war in Iraq where we hired corporate soldiers because we could not get enough volunteers to allow even 200,000 soldiers. The world knows, as we presently operate, we can't field even a half million combatants without a draft.

So China knows they need only force us to that threshold to cause us to reinstitute the draft. It forms a natural threshold that they will be willing to test. Now you are pretty young.

Do you find your feelings so compulsive that you are willing to be drafted?

If you do find them that compulsive, why have you not already volunteered?

Or have you just not really thought through the potential consequences?

Or perhaps in the background you would be willing to go to nuclear war?

You are willing to have all the people in our major cities die to make you feel good about Afghanistan?

If this last is the case, you would be far better off to go enlist in the US Army right now.

By far.

No contest.

rottingjohnny

Sport climber

mammoth lakes ca

Mar 18, 2012 - 12:14am PT

Bluering would look good with a high and tight...semper fi....RJ

Bruce Morris

Social climber

Belmont, California

Mar 18, 2012 - 03:00am PT

Afghanistan = Graveyard of Empires

The tank bone yard in Kabul tells you everything you need to know about the accursed place. T-55s a dime a dozen. A few Pz IVs if you nose around. T-90s by the dozen. Even some WWI French specimens. Instructive place to tour and buy AFVs on the cheap. For the hobbyist, for the enthusiast, for anyone who wants to stock up on armor to build their own private army.

The Well at the End of the World is located in Afghanistan. Seek it and you shall find immortality (because you won't come back alive).

Quasimodo

Trad climber

Mar 18, 2012 - 03:13am PT

My good friend works as an English teacher at an Afghan/US base near Kabul. He never leaves the base without full body armor and armored vehicle. Security is nonexistent. After 11 years and $400 billion you can't walk the streets of Kabul in safety.

In 2010 Afghanistan had a GDP of $17 Billion. We borrowed over $35 billion a year to run this war and occupation. An Afghan expat told me that her countrymen would never tolerate foreigners meddling in their affairs. Afghan are proud people who have run off invaders for thousands of years. The Taliban run free through most of the country even after 11 years. IMO it is time to go and let the Afghan people make their own destiny.

http://data.worldbank.org/country/afghanistan

Reilly

Mountain climber

The Other Monrovia- CA

Mar 18, 2012 - 03:32am PT

IMO it is time to go and let the Afghan people make their own destiny.

Yup, they seem to like the 16th century. Well, the men anyway.

bluering

Trad climber

Santa Clara, CA

Mar 18, 2012 - 11:43am PT

I don't know how you extrapolated that from my previous points. And yeah, if the sh#t hits the Chinese fan, I'd willfully be drafted or enlist.

EDIT: Dingus ^^^^ seems to have gotten my point. Either level a place like that, or don't f*#king waste our boys...

bluering

Trad climber

Santa Clara, CA

Mar 18, 2012 - 11:54am PT

Afghanistan, like Iraq is an occupation.

The rules of engagement are the same:
Parade around in full military regalia, and wait until someone tries to shot you, then shot back.

You're a buffoon. An occupation? Iraq was handed back to them. As will the Crapistan.

Gary

climber

"My god - it's full of stars!"

Mar 18, 2012 - 12:49pm PT

And yeah, if the sh#t hits the Chinese fan, I'd willfully be drafted or enlist.

I won't hold my breath waiting for that. Your ilk was all for these useless wars, not that you were willing to put your asses on the line.

War pigs.

bluering

Trad climber

Santa Clara, CA

Mar 18, 2012 - 02:32pm PT

I won't hold my breath waiting for that. Your ilk was all for these useless wars, not that you were willing to put your asses on the line.

War pigs.

I do not dispute that. You just fail to see my point. You want nice war. Clean war.

This is why war is a last resort. It's always dirty and nasty. And deadly.

Gary

climber

"My god - it's full of stars!"

Mar 19, 2012 - 11:11am PT

I do not dispute that. You just fail to see my point. You want nice war. Clean war.

This is why war is a last resort. It's always dirty and nasty. And deadly.

Nice try at reversing roles, bluering. That's what all the veterans were telling your draft dodging neo-con heroes who started this mess.

It was you neo-cons that were going on and on about how clean the Iraq war was going to be. We'd march into Baghdad on a carpet of roses from a grateful population.

Idiots.