Trump On Afghanistan Withdrawal

[Toro]

Biden has fucked up. The incompetence of the withdrawal and the betrayal of our allies who assisted us is appalling.

But remember who started this.

This is what happens when America withdraws from the world, like so many on the right and the left want.

 

[candycorn]

Biden fucked up the withdraw but withdrawing was the right thing to do.

 

[fncceo]

Withdrawing American troops out of EVERY foreign country is ultimately the right thing to do.

We've had massive numbers of US troops stationed abroad for 80 years and it's brought us nothing but headaches.

 

[Toro]

Trump on the withdrawal.



What is fair is that it's hard to believe that the Trump administration would have been any more incompetent at managing the withdrawal as Biden.

 

[JoeB131]

Biden has fucked up. The incompetence of the withdrawal and the betrayal of our allies who assisted us is appalling.

But remember who started this.

How long were we supposed to stay in Afghanistan, exactly?

We should have gotten out 10 years ago, right after Bin Laden took a sea-nap and Karzai stole the election.

 

[Toro]

Withdrawing American troops out of EVERY foreign country is ultimately the right thing to do.

We've had massive numbers of US troops stationed abroad for 80 years and it's brought us nothing but headaches.

America has benefited immensely from the global stability that we established after WWII.

Global institutions are modeled after our institutions. We have run them based on our morals and values.

We have benefited economically, politically and morally by being the beacon of freedom to the world.

 

[JoeB131]

What is fair is that it's hard to believe that the Trump administration would have been any more incompetent at managing the withdrawal as Biden.

No, man, what's hard to believe is that we were still in there at all. Biden had to make the tough decision that Trump, Obama and Bush refused to make. And now we see a few people falling off planes and we are all sad and stuff?

 

[Toro]

How long were we supposed to stay in Afghanistan, exactly?

We should have gotten out 10 years ago, right after Bin Laden took a sea-nap and Karzai stole the election.

Why?

We had, what, 3500 troops in Afghanistan? We have 50,000 in Korea. We have tens of thousands in Europe.

IIRC, we've had 25 Americans die in Afghanistan over the past five years. That many people die of COVID in Florida before the sun comes up every morning.

Our actions are causing the wholesale slaughter of civilians and people who helped us. The country risks becoming another repository of terrorists who will attack us.

It's a fucking disaster.

 

[Toro]

No, man, what's hard to believe is that we were still in there at all. Biden had to make the tough decision that Trump, Obama and Bush refused to make. And now we see a few people falling off planes and we are all sad and stuff?

We have betrayed the people who helped us. They are going to die because of our recklessness.

Why the fuck would anyone assist or believe America now?

 

[Toro]

This "we need to withdraw from the world and stop being the world's policeman" diminishes America. It makes us look weak and foolish. It accelerates China's relative ascent and calls into question America's ideals to the world. It reduces our power and our wealth. We lose our moral standing.

Nature abhors a vacuum. If we withdraw, China will enter. And that's not a world that we want.

 

[Moonglow]

We have betrayed the people who helped us. They are going to die because of our recklessness.

Why the fuck would anyone assist or believe America now?

They didn't learn their lesson in Nam, and they didn't learn their lesson in Iraq and they didn't learn their lesson in Afghanistan..So what's new?

 

[fncceo]

America has benefited immensely from the global stability that we established after WWII.

Global institutions are modeled after our institutions. We have run them based on our morals and values.

We have benefited economically, politically and morally by being the beacon of freedom to the world.

Korea, Vietnam, 7 major wars in The Middle East, Two major wars between India and Pakistan, and a Cold War with Russia that lasted more than 40 years is only a sample of the 'stability' our overseas military presence has wrought.

Still heady from our victories against the Axis powers, America believed that our military presence was enough to bring peace to the world ... we were wrong.

America benefits most from its economic imperialism than from its military one.

 

[pknopp]

We have betrayed the people who helped us. They are going to die because of our recklessness.

Why the fuck would anyone assist or believe America now?

Hopefully from here on out no country does which will hopefully keep us home.

 

[$ecular#eckler]

 

[Toro]

America benefits most from its economic imperialism than from its military one.

"Economic imperialism" is free market capitalism that opens up the globe to our goods and services?

That's the type of rhetoric I expect from the far, far left.

Are you a member of "The Squad?"

 

[Toro]

Mike Pompeo, when he was negotiating with the Taliban.

 

[JoeB131]

Why?

We had, what, 3500 troops in Afghanistan? We have 50,000 in Korea. We have tens of thousands in Europe.

The thing is, they are welcome in Korea. They are welcome in Europe.

We aren't welcome in Afghanistan.... Even the quislings we supported wanted us out because they foolishly tought they could reach a deal with the Taliban.

IIRC, we've had 25 Americans die in Afghanistan over the past five years. That many people die of COVID in Florida before the sun comes up every morning.

Not sure what the point here is. We should stay there forever and keep bleeding money because not that many people are dying.

Here's the thing. We reached an agreement to withdraw. The Taliban held back on attacking us on the understanding that we WERE going to leave.

Our actions are causing the wholesale slaughter of civilians and people who helped us. The country risks becoming another repository of terrorists who will attack us.

It's a fucking disaster.

We already have Yemen, Libya, and Iraq as repositories, because of our stupid policies. One more or less won't make that much of a difference.

We have betrayed the people who helped us. They are going to die because of our recklessness.

Why the fuck would anyone assist or believe America now?

For the same reason they always do, because they think they will get something out of the deal. They thought they had picked the winning side. They were wrong. sucks to be them, but it probably won't be that bad.

This "we need to withdraw from the world and stop being the world's policeman" diminishes America. It makes us look weak and foolish. It accelerates China's relative ascent and calls into question America's ideals to the world. It reduces our power and our wealth. We lose our moral standing.

Nature abhors a vacuum. If we withdraw, China will enter. And that's not a world that we want.

It's kind of funny to see the same people who supported corporatism giving away all our jobs to China a few years ago now bemoaning the fact China is too rich.

 

[Toro]

BOOM!!

Don't memory-hole this!

 

[Toro]

For the same reason they always do, because they think they will get something out of the deal. They thought they had picked the winning side. They were wrong. sucks to be them, but it probably won't be that bad.

IOW "Totally fuck over the people that helped us."

Awesome.

What an outstanding human being you are.

 

[fncceo]

"Economic imperialism" is free market capitalism that opens up the globe to our goods and services?

The difference is ... I don't believe imperialism is a pejorative description.

America should be spreading its wares and culture. Our music should be on everyone's lips, our jeans should be on everyone's arse.

We should have learned 50 years ago that you don't destroy Communism with bullets and embargoes (embargoes and the threat of force kept Castro and the Kims in power for decades longer than they should have been).

You destroy Communism with raw, naked, sexy, Capitalism ... seduction will always be more powerful than compulsion...