Tunisian Revolution and the Middle East--And Now, The Withdrawal From Afghanistan (M.E.T.)

[tshile]

2 minutes ago, TryTheBeal! said:

Brutal.  ISIS about to catch some serious hell from the US and the Taliban.

I just don’t even know that that’s true

 

and even if it is, it doesn’t really do anything for me at the moment. 

[BatteredFanSyndrome]

Fact of the matter is everything that happens and even things that don't happen will be exaggerated by the right to stir up their base, who love nothing more than being stirred up into a frenzy over things they ultimately don't understand.

 

At the same time, this administration is making the right's job pretty darn easy.

[No Nonsense]

1 minute ago, BatteredFanSyndrome said:

Fact of the matter is everything that happens and even things that don't happen will be exaggerated by the right to stir up their base, who love nothing more than being stirred up into a frenzy over things they ultimately don't understand.

 

At the same time, this administration is making the right's job pretty darn easy.

Oh, they’re already calling for Biden’s resignation and impeachment. Who didn’t see that coming? But Biden has really crapped the bed on this. 

[88Comrade2000]

59 minutes ago, TMK9973 said:

So the bombing is bad.  On all Sides.  Here is the thing -Bombing was done by ISIS -NOT Taliban. Im am 100% sure the Taliban is NOT happy about this.  The Taliban wants to rule Afghanistan. They have a real desire to be seen as Afghanistan true government.  

In fact -IT looks like leading up to this attack, the British army was using Taliban as extra security.  Of course one of many issues the Taliban has is they don't have strong control over their foot soldiers. 

If the Taliban was smart -they would have a strong response. They would figure out a way to retaliate hard against ISIS and use it as proof that the US needs to get out, that they need to even further restrict access to the airport, and that they can handle their own security. 

At same time -They don't want to start a war with ISIS.  So look for some "arrest" and quick summary killings of "Those involved in the planning" and a statement saying "No evidence this was anything other then a small isolated group".

 

On the political side -Biden is F***D.  There is NO good response here. Only bad option that make him look week.  Continue the withdrawal, stop it, expand security,  Fight Taliban, Bomb ISIS somewhere, I see absolutely NO choice Biden could make that does not re-emphasis how badly this withdrawal is going.  

 

and if by some chance the GOP wins the house -Expect 2 years of non stop hearings on the withdrawal.  

 

 

Uh, the only in question next year is how big the gop’s house victory will be.

 

Since the gop will be under orders from their master to impeach Biden 3 times or greater; this will be the first impeachment.

[tshile]

Shoo flies, shoo

[NickyJ]

If someone told me 6 months ago that the Taliban would be guarding a conquered country against suicide bombers, I'd have been very incredulous.

[Jumbo]

24 minutes ago, tshile said:

Shoo flies, shoo

 

[Spaceman Spiff]

Nothing sadder than fellow countrymen and service members dying overseas due to an attack like that.  But right behind that on the sadness level would be Americans trying to figure out who to blame in a game of political chess.  Maybe it's not even chess, it's more like checkers.  

 

It shouldn't be surprising, everything gets politicized these days, nothing is above it.  But the rush to finger pointing is very sad to me.  

[tshile]

DO U GUIZ THINK ITLL B BIDENS BENGHAZI?

 

LOL NO RE-ELECTION 4 U

[Cooked Crack]

 

 

[TMK9973]

2 hours ago, No Nonsense said:

Oh, they’re already calling for Biden’s resignation and impeachment. Who didn’t see that coming? But Biden has really crapped the bed on this. 

They have been calling for Bidens resignation since Jan 20th.

Dem Demanded Trump to resign many times

Republicans called for Obama to Resign many times

Dems called for Bush Jr to Resign many times

Repub called For Clinton to Resign.

 

Im not sure thats really news worthy.  

 

And I think Biden screwed up the withdrawal. Badly. But Hindsight is always 20/20.

 

As bad as this is and has been -I give Biden Credit for sticking to us leaving.   

[hail2skins]

3 hours ago, No Nonsense said:

OK…As time pass, we’ll see. This is going to be the same political suicide as Benghazi was for Clinton. I don’t see how Biden escapes this. 

Hate to say it, but I really didn't expect Biden to serve more than one term anyway.  The calls for his resignation and possible impeachment hearings won't make a difference either, although him leaving office early possibly midway through his term would benefit Harris if she can keep the ship steady as president, because I don't see her winning in 2024 in an election coming in just as sitting VP, even against Trump.

 

And I don't at all want Trump back in after 2024, but this is where we're at right now.

 

[tshile]

https://www.politico.com/news/2021/08/26/us-officials-provided-taliban-with-names-of-americans-afghan-allies-to-evacuate-506957
 

 

the Biden administration is not doing so hot on the “competent leadership” thing. 
 

I get everyone’s desire to write this thing off as something people will forget shortly, but this is just bad news after bad news. 
 

and the one thing that couldn’t happen was losing American lives and now that’s happened. 
 

and ultimately I mostly agree with the sentiment here - except I’m not so sure the general public is where some of you think it is. My issue is with what I think this all likely means to the general public. Since, my one vote is sort of not all that important. 

[CousinsCowgirl84]

I wish Biden had of out more thought into leaving Afghanistan in a way that didn’t cause chaos. There is chaos, and Biden has responsibility for that chaos. I feel like plan was to cut and run, and after it became clear that plan was politically unconscionable (not morally, even though it was, he didn’t care about that) he backtracked a little that caused the chaos we saw and see at the airport.

 

 

However, I don’t blame him for the marines that tied defending the airport. If he had of waited to pull out of Afghanistan, American soldiers lives would still be at risk. Some of them would have still got killed.  As long as he doesn’t back track on the pullout august 31 I will say he saved more American lives than he cost.

[Renegade7]

Its either they died defending the airport or somewhere else if we stayed, thats how war works.

[No Nonsense]

28 minutes ago, hail2skins said:

Hate to say it, but I really didn't expect Biden to serve more than one term anyway.  The calls for his resignation and possible impeachment hearings won't make a difference either, although him leaving office early possibly midway through his term would benefit Harris if she can keep the ship steady as president, because I don't see her winning in 2024 in an election coming in just as sitting VP, even against Trump.

 

And I don't at all want Trump back in after 2024, but this is where we're at right now.

 

I agree. I feel that Biden only ran because he had the best chance at beating Trump and I wouldn’t be at all surprised if he didn’t even seek a 2nd term. 

Edited August 26, 2021 by No Nonsense

[Fergasun]

No one asked Bush to resign after 911. 

 

When did political class become crazy?  Oh... nevermind...

[Bacon]

3 hours ago, Spaceman Spiff said:

Nothing sadder than fellow countrymen and service members dying overseas due to an attack like that.  But right behind that on the sadness level would be Americans trying to figure out who to blame in a game of political chess.  Maybe it's not even chess, it's more like checkers.  

 

It shouldn't be surprising, everything gets politicized these days, nothing is above it.  But the rush to finger pointing is very sad to me.  

 

The ceaseless deflection and fingerpointing is so toxic and boring. 

 

Biden needs to own the consequences of the timetable he kept to. Doesn't matter who made the mess at this point. As far as the court of public opinion is concerned, it's his to clean up. If he is a competent public servant, he'll find a way. 

 

Trumpers demanding accountability need to sit the **** down and think about how they let their orange god run around the White House like a demented bull in a china shop without requesting so much as a sorry in 4 years.

[88Comrade2000]

1 hour ago, hail2skins said:

Hate to say it, but I really didn't expect Biden to serve more than one term anyway.  The calls for his resignation and possible impeachment hearings won't make a difference either, although him leaving office early possibly midway through his term would benefit Harris if she can keep the ship steady as president, because I don't see her winning in 2024 in an election coming in just as sitting VP, even against Trump.

 

And I don't at all want Trump back in after 2024, but this is where we're at right now.

 

Harris would not win a 24 Democratic primary.

[hail2skins]

1 hour ago, tshile said:

and ultimately I mostly agree with the sentiment here - except I’m not so sure the general public is where some of you think it is. My issue is with what I think this all likely means to the general public. Since, my one vote is sort of not all that important. 

Please explain. Personally, I think the general public is fickle as hell.

[NickyJ]

https://www.politico.com/news/2021/08/26/us-officials-provided-taliban-with-names-of-americans-afghan-allies-to-evacuate-506957
 

Either we're about to see the biggest Taliban Uber service in history, or things are going to get really ugly.

Quote

U.S. officials in Kabul gave the Taliban a list of names of American citizens, green card holders and Afghan allies to grant entry into the militant-controlled outer perimeter of the city’s airport, a choice that's prompted outrage behind the scenes from lawmakers and military officials.

The move, detailed to POLITICO by three U.S. and congressional officials, was designed to expedite the evacuation of tens of thousands of people from Afghanistan as chaos erupted in Afghanistan’s capital city last week after the Taliban seized control of the country. It also came as the Biden administration has been relying on the Taliban for security outside the airport.

 

Since the fall of Kabul in mid-August, nearly 100,000 people have been evacuated, most of whom had to pass through the Taliban's many checkpoints. But the decision to provide specific names to the Taliban, which has a history of brutally murdering Afghans who collaborated with the U.S. and other coalition forces during the conflict, has angered lawmakers and military officials.

 

 

“Basically, they just put all those Afghans on a kill list,” said one defense official, who like others spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive topic. “It’s just appalling and shocking and makes you feel unclean.”

 

[tshile]

3 hours ago, hail2skins said:

Please explain. Personally, I think the general public is fickle as hell.

I think if no Americans died Biden was going to face a campaign style attack that would have just enough truth that it might resonate with some

 

now there are dead US troops. Which btw is worse than “Americans”

 

it doesn’t matter what I personally think. The general public will reject this. 
 

(that’s why no one else wanted to do it)

 

He can’t win. The stakes are too high. He won’t run. 
 

I don’t think this is something that in 2024 people forget or move on from. 
 

(also he probably gifted them the midterms. So. Fun. )

Edited August 27, 2021 by tshile

[hail2skins]

5 hours ago, tshile said:

 

it doesn’t matter what I personally think. The general public will reject this. 

What do you personally think?

 

Even though the situation has turned tragic from a US lives lost perspective, unless this gets markedly worse, I see the impact of this on the 2024 race as negligible.

 

But I also thought the chances that Biden would run again were close to nil, nor did I have a desire for him to do so.

[tshile]

24 minutes ago, hail2skins said:

What do you personally think?

That no matter who finally did it, exiting Afghanistan was going to be messy. I’m way more happy someone finally got us out than I am mad how the exit has gone. 

[Wildbunny]

1 hour ago, tshile said:

That no matter who finally did it, exiting Afghanistan was going to be messy. I’m way more happy someone finally got us out than I am mad how the exit has gone. 

Yup, that was obvious from the beginning.

But no one in charge seemed to expect it, which means that either intel really sucks nowadays, or leaders are really bad at anticipating stuff.

 

Maybe both.

 

IMHO, in our occidental world, most leaders are pure financial/manager type of guy. They're quite good when it comes to economics, but are completly clueless when it coms down to military and geopolitic kind of stuff.

 

They do have a bunch of assistant here to help in those situation, but they aren't trained for this in anyway, so they're more than likely to make the wrong choice.

 

Do I want to blame any of them? Not really, that's not there job, I'd rather blame the system.

 

Having politicains do war is like having military doing economics, it's a mess in both case.