Shrub got us into Afghanistan to “show how tough he was” without having to admit that he was afraid of Saudi Arabia OR that Intelligence screwed up. There were agents questioning why so many foreign “students” were studying piloting in the US, but their reports were ignored.
Getting out of Afghanistan is going to be a major financial hit on a lot of players and companies. And where will America test its war toys now.. Afghanistan was almost the perfect place.
Those who fail to learn from history…The Russians warned us and we know what happened to the Brits. We could stay there for a 100 years and the outcome would not change.
Why is the United States unable to say, “This is what we’re here to do. We did it. Bye”? Why must wars become permanent, with no clear objectives or goals? Because (as Major General Smedley Butler said): “War is a racket. Out of war a few people make huge fortunes.”
People talk about 1984 a lot. But one of the REAL characteristics of the Party was the creation of a state of endless war. That’s what the slogan “War is Peace” meant. That you could use endless war to manipulate the populace.
We’ve demonstrated that we cannot stop the Taliban from doing what they do, so it’s time to quit wasting American lives and resources on it. If the Taliban manages to rise up and cause us more trouble, then maybe that will be enough to convince us to make a big retaliatory strike… meanwhile, we need to acknowledge that we cannot save the world – especially the parts of the world that do not want us to do that.
Well, like Iraq, we went into Afghanistan based on faulty intelligence. And we supported the Taliban when they were fighting the Soviet Union when they were occupying it. But we’ve spent far too many years (and lost way too many lives) in Afghanistan. The right wing lunatic fringe groups, like the Proud Boys, are more dangerous to us as a country. And we can’t be the world’s policeman forever.
I wish the GOP Leadershit & all their carping shills would make up their (what passes for) minds. On the one hand, “the former president was going to do it sooner” and, on the other hand, “pulling out now plays into the Taliban’s hands.” The GOP Leadershit will criticize Biden until the cows come home for not magically devising a Goldilocks solution after four years of Trump’s dithering. From my perspective, given the value of our Service Members’ lives, Biden’s decisiveness is akin to Alexander the Great’s undoing the Gordian Knot.
The problem is, and has always been, that there’s simply not enough Afghans on board with seeing the West as allies and The Taliban, al-Qaeda and the like as the enemy. There’s far too many there who see The Taliban as keepers of orders and just don’t care what they do to “outsiders.” And still more who are unwilling to let go of regional beefs and work together (See: Iraq)
America and the West in general has done precious little to address regional biases and naively believed Afghanistan would eventually fall in line (exactly like Iraq didn’t). Sadly, we can’t stay forever on the off-chance the locals will get their ish together.
Not sorry to see us leave, as Trump negotiated for us to do next month. A friend who still works for the military tells us that we have the ability to make the Taliban regret any actions against us either as, or after, we leave- and they know it. The Afghans will have to sort internal affairs out for themselves.
Thank you, one and all, for supporting women in cartooning by your commenting. :)
Wish I knew why Biden extended the withdrawal from Afghanistan from May to September. I see two explanations:
1. As with anything President Trump did, no matter how reasonable or successful, Biden is opposed to it and will try to undo it no matter how much it harms the USA. He has proven this many ties over.
2. As with Trump, the Pentagon persuaded Biden to extend the mission. This happened several times under the Trump administration despite how much he wanted our troops out of Afghanistan.
In Biden’s case it’s probably a combination of the two. I just hope he sticks to his guns against the Pentagon when September 11th rolls around. I get the Pentagon’s reasoning, in the words of the great General Patton, they don’t like to pay for the same real estate twice. But that property just ain’t worth it as England and the USSR found out. We need to follow history’s example. To me, the mission should have been over when Al Qaeda was squashed and Bin Laden was determined to have fled the country. In any case, I truly wish Biden the best of luck with his September timeline and hope he won’t be persuaded to extend it again.
the Russians were smarter then the US as they only stayed 10 years, we took 20 years to accomplish the same results!! Dead soldiers & trillions down the toilet!!!
As an aside, the indigenous people of Afghanistan have been fighting foreign invaders for at least 150 years. First the British; then the Russians and now us (i.e. the Western NATO-aligned nations). I’m certainly not an expert of Islamic cultures or Afghanistan, but isn’t it about time we learn something some history’s lessons?
It’s easy to criticize U.S. middle east policy under every POTUS from Truman to Biden. The U.S. had to deal with dictators to prevent Bolshevik’s from taking control of the oil fields. The fact that the U.S., U.K. and U.N. allowed the Jew’s to return Palestine after two thousand years, and then recognize Israel as a state didn’t make things easier. The U.S. U.K. U.N. had no moral grounds to take land from one group of people and give it to a different group of people. And NO, just because I don’t like how the Israelis have treated the Palestinians, it doesn’t make me Anti Semitic.
RAGs about 3 years ago
Shrub got us into Afghanistan to “show how tough he was” without having to admit that he was afraid of Saudi Arabia OR that Intelligence screwed up. There were agents questioning why so many foreign “students” were studying piloting in the US, but their reports were ignored.
Concretionist about 3 years ago
Twenty years of awful CAN becoming to an end… or at the very least a new chapter, in September. I’m totally in favor.
Patjade about 3 years ago
Same thing that happened to the USSR, the British, and countless before that.
dafydd liam about 3 years ago
More US casualties under Obama/Biden than all others combined.
Masterskrain Premium Member almost 3 years ago
This is ONLY about 20 years too late… AND if it hadn’t been for the shrub and Darth Cheney we wouldn’t have been in this mess in the first place.
sykerocker almost 3 years ago
Lisa does realize that one of the main reasons we have to get out is that domestic right wing terrorism is a much bigger problem than the Taliban?
mourdac Premium Member almost 3 years ago
Glad to see Ms. Benson is going to volunteer to serve over in Afghanistan to back her mouth with her beliefs.
Alberta Oil Premium Member almost 3 years ago
Getting out of Afghanistan is going to be a major financial hit on a lot of players and companies. And where will America test its war toys now.. Afghanistan was almost the perfect place.
mikemck almost 3 years ago
Those who fail to learn from history…The Russians warned us and we know what happened to the Brits. We could stay there for a 100 years and the outcome would not change.
rlaker22j almost 3 years ago
they were always going to win they have no place else to go ,problem with occupation
Radish the wordsmith almost 3 years ago
We can bring the fight home to the Republican Taliban.
Ignatz Premium Member almost 3 years ago
Yes. We are finally leaving. Thank God.
Why is the United States unable to say, “This is what we’re here to do. We did it. Bye”? Why must wars become permanent, with no clear objectives or goals? Because (as Major General Smedley Butler said): “War is a racket. Out of war a few people make huge fortunes.”
People talk about 1984 a lot. But one of the REAL characteristics of the Party was the creation of a state of endless war. That’s what the slogan “War is Peace” meant. That you could use endless war to manipulate the populace.
Valiant1943 Premium Member almost 3 years ago
Didn’t Trump say he was going to do the same thing?
ferddo almost 3 years ago
We’ve demonstrated that we cannot stop the Taliban from doing what they do, so it’s time to quit wasting American lives and resources on it. If the Taliban manages to rise up and cause us more trouble, then maybe that will be enough to convince us to make a big retaliatory strike… meanwhile, we need to acknowledge that we cannot save the world – especially the parts of the world that do not want us to do that.
Northgalus2002 almost 3 years ago
Well, like Iraq, we went into Afghanistan based on faulty intelligence. And we supported the Taliban when they were fighting the Soviet Union when they were occupying it. But we’ve spent far too many years (and lost way too many lives) in Afghanistan. The right wing lunatic fringe groups, like the Proud Boys, are more dangerous to us as a country. And we can’t be the world’s policeman forever.
cocavan11 almost 3 years ago
I wish the GOP Leadershit & all their carping shills would make up their (what passes for) minds. On the one hand, “the former president was going to do it sooner” and, on the other hand, “pulling out now plays into the Taliban’s hands.” The GOP Leadershit will criticize Biden until the cows come home for not magically devising a Goldilocks solution after four years of Trump’s dithering. From my perspective, given the value of our Service Members’ lives, Biden’s decisiveness is akin to Alexander the Great’s undoing the Gordian Knot.
Durak Premium Member almost 3 years ago
What the heck does this even mean? The insignificant Taliban will follow us out?
mysterysciencefreezer almost 3 years ago
The problem is, and has always been, that there’s simply not enough Afghans on board with seeing the West as allies and The Taliban, al-Qaeda and the like as the enemy. There’s far too many there who see The Taliban as keepers of orders and just don’t care what they do to “outsiders.” And still more who are unwilling to let go of regional beefs and work together (See: Iraq)
America and the West in general has done precious little to address regional biases and naively believed Afghanistan would eventually fall in line (exactly like Iraq didn’t). Sadly, we can’t stay forever on the off-chance the locals will get their ish together.
piper_gilbert almost 3 years ago
14 very separate and distinct tribes in Afghanistan. Tell us how we bring them together to embrace democracy, Lisa.
359mxn almost 3 years ago
Reagan armed the Taliban to fight a proxy war with the USSR. They left billions of dollars of weapons there. Now they are being used against us.
Flower Girl almost 3 years ago
Not sorry to see us leave, as Trump negotiated for us to do next month. A friend who still works for the military tells us that we have the ability to make the Taliban regret any actions against us either as, or after, we leave- and they know it. The Afghans will have to sort internal affairs out for themselves.
Thank you, one and all, for supporting women in cartooning by your commenting. :)
Kracklin Rosie - “Tolo Dan Nan Galad” Premium Member almost 3 years ago
Wish I knew why Biden extended the withdrawal from Afghanistan from May to September. I see two explanations:
1. As with anything President Trump did, no matter how reasonable or successful, Biden is opposed to it and will try to undo it no matter how much it harms the USA. He has proven this many ties over.
2. As with Trump, the Pentagon persuaded Biden to extend the mission. This happened several times under the Trump administration despite how much he wanted our troops out of Afghanistan.
In Biden’s case it’s probably a combination of the two. I just hope he sticks to his guns against the Pentagon when September 11th rolls around. I get the Pentagon’s reasoning, in the words of the great General Patton, they don’t like to pay for the same real estate twice. But that property just ain’t worth it as England and the USSR found out. We need to follow history’s example. To me, the mission should have been over when Al Qaeda was squashed and Bin Laden was determined to have fled the country. In any case, I truly wish Biden the best of luck with his September timeline and hope he won’t be persuaded to extend it again.
cbgoldeneagle2 almost 3 years ago
the Russians were smarter then the US as they only stayed 10 years, we took 20 years to accomplish the same results!! Dead soldiers & trillions down the toilet!!!
Plumb.Bob Premium Member almost 3 years ago
If only there was an out for the Afghans.
MuddyUSA Premium Member almost 3 years ago
Ah, the liberal pundit dumb head speak out…..out is right!
Soo5002 almost 3 years ago
I am confused Lisa. Isn’t this what our man Trump wanted?
Soo5002 almost 3 years ago
As an aside, the indigenous people of Afghanistan have been fighting foreign invaders for at least 150 years. First the British; then the Russians and now us (i.e. the Western NATO-aligned nations). I’m certainly not an expert of Islamic cultures or Afghanistan, but isn’t it about time we learn something some history’s lessons?
kratos1963 almost 3 years ago
It’s easy to criticize U.S. middle east policy under every POTUS from Truman to Biden. The U.S. had to deal with dictators to prevent Bolshevik’s from taking control of the oil fields. The fact that the U.S., U.K. and U.N. allowed the Jew’s to return Palestine after two thousand years, and then recognize Israel as a state didn’t make things easier. The U.S. U.K. U.N. had no moral grounds to take land from one group of people and give it to a different group of people. And NO, just because I don’t like how the Israelis have treated the Palestinians, it doesn’t make me Anti Semitic.