Well?
Took about 48 hrs for Whipping Post comments to commence on something we’ve been waiting to happen for nearly 20 yrs. Through 12 yrs of Republican & nearly 17 yrs of Democrat leadership/direction chaos has finally descended on Afghanistan. The finger pointing will never cease.
Seems there’s been lots of wagering discussions and fantasy league topics on this forum of late. Anyone score on the over/under to how long it would take Taliban to overrun the country?
Anyone have Khairullah Khairkhwa on your fantasy takeover team?
Never thought I'd live to see the day an American President would come right out and say he refused to send US troops to fight in a country whose inhabitants would not...Not sure what Biden's overall legacy will be, but we will find out when all these sanctimonious whiners and foreign policy savants STFU and think hard about restoring OUR democracy before we run around trying to support others'.
Well said.....I think in the years to come Biden, while clearly not planning for such a quick take over by the Taliban, will go down as the President who finally had the courage to do what most anyone who's followed this debacle since after we drove the Taliban into Pakistan knew needed to be done.
We've kicked this can down the road since about 2006 when it was clear our occupation and arrogant attempt at nation building was doomed. Biden at least had the balls to do what needed to be done. Even if he fumbled the ball by not realizing the Afghans were cutting deals with the Taliban for several months now thus allowing for such a quick takeover.
Still, I give him great credit for taking the huge political risk to bring this thing to an end.
I live very near Fort Drum, NY, the home of the United States Army's 10th Mountain Light Infantry division. It has been the most deployed Army division since 911. Many of its members, both men and women, have completed multiple tours in both Afghanistan and Iraq since 2001.
I spend significant time on this installation and in the communities that house many of its troops and families. Right not in fact members of this division are securing and holding the airport in Kabul. In speaking with many active and now retired 10th Mountain Division members, they openly support the end of this terrible stain on our country. Despite having lost fellow soldiers all over the countries of Afghanistan and Iraq. They've known for years now we could not win this "war." For them, it's a hard thing to witness, but they knew this was inevitable.
We could spend 50 years there and nothing would change.....
Biden insists “mayhem in Afghanistan is not deadly, no one’s being killed”. Has he ever said Something similar about Chicago or Portland or New York or Raleigh/Durham or any other Democrat controlled city in the US?
Gen. Milley’s comment imo covered all the bases - he called the withdrawal “a logistical success but a strategic failure”
It’s a perfect political statement
Meanwhile Milley, when pressed if he should resign over the “failure”, stated that a resignation would be construed as a “political statement” on his part. He said he shouldn’t resign because it would be an affront to current President’s foreign policy position.
Meanwhile, Marine Lt. Col. Stuart Scheller, sits in stir in a military prison for expressing his disagreement over the commanding officers methods & strategy of the withdrawal by resigning his rank. No trial, no due process, no respect.
This is only one factor contributing to the strong possibility the US military will never prevail in future conflicts. Politics has eliminated honor amongst the ranks of the military as they mirror the lack of honor amongst corrupt, career politicians & bureaucrats at the highest levels of the federal government.
This is only one factor contributing to the strong possibility the US military will never prevail in future conflicts
How many conflicts has the US 'prevailed' in the last 60 years? What it takes to win conflicts and what is politically tolerable don't align.
"I think in the years to come Biden, while clearly not planning for such a quick take over by the Taliban, will go down as the President who finally had the courage to do what most anyone who's followed this debacle since after we drove the Taliban into Pakistan knew needed to be done".
Does this "Courage" include the promise to not leave any American citizens behind and then leaving American citizens behind?
Grenada.
George W. Bush had to make an unpopular decision with Iraq, but he did what he believed was best for the United States. I will always admire him for that. I believe Biden is doing the same thing. It may not be popular, but I admire his confidence to make an unpopular decision that he believes is best for the country. That's strong leadership. Only history will tell - we are all just spectators.
