[Beren]

without losing a war.

But who cares about losing a war? LBJ must have been the last one.

War is a racket, and the War in Afghanistan has always been meant to be that.

[B0ycey]

But who cares about losing a war? LBJ must have been the last one.

War is a racket, and the War in Afghanistan has always been meant to be that.

I suspect the US would rather have had a US proxy next to Iran and near Russia but ultimately the two decade war wasn't worth it anymore. I mean when they are trying to make friends with the Taliban who were once the enemy you can tell they don't give a shit anymore. The kind of shit coming from the US right now are lines straight out of the "Ministry of Peace".

[Beren]

I suspect the US would rather have had a US proxy next to Iran and near Russia but ultimately the two decade war wasn't worth it anymore.

Sure, they wouldn't have minded if it had worked for them in terms of geopolitics as well, but who cared if it didn't? Afghanistan was a perfect place for a useless without-time-limit US military adventure anyway.

[B0ycey]

Sure, they wouldn't have minded if it had worked for them in terms of geopolitics as well, but who cared if it didn't? Afghanistan was a perfect place for a useless without-time-limit US military adventure anyway.

Perhaps. With the US you can never tell. It certainly was a good training ground. Although the cost financially and of life I don't think the US could realistically say they achieved anything on any level... unless the goal was pandemonium in which case it was a total success.

[Beren]

Perhaps. With the US you can never tell. It certainly was a good training ground. Although the cost financially and of life I don't think the US could realistically say they achieved anything on any level... unless the goal was pandemonium in which case it was a total success.

Bush started the War in Afghanistan for the military-industrial complex, while he invaded Iraq for Big Oil, basically. In my opinion they had more serious intentions with Iraq, as a more developed and civilised Middle East nation, but Afghanistan was always supposed to be a playground for the military.

[Juin]

War is a racket, and the War in Afghanistan has always been meant to be that.

Ironically, the US efforts in Afghanistan was at its most successful when it was run like an old fashioned racket: a handful of Special Forces soldiers, suitcases full of dollars, and bombers in the sky. The Afghan warlords could sense a good business opportunity when one presented itself. It was a no brainer actually. In Pablo Escobar South America, politicians were made a simple proposal: plomo o Plata? Basically, would you prefer a bullet lodged in your skull, or a fistful of dollars in your palm? The CIA offer to the Afghan warlords then was also irresistible: a suitcase packed full of dollars or bombardment from the skies? In exchange for what?, the then warlords enquired. Just issue divorce papers to the Taliban, said the CIA. That's all?, queried the warlords. That's all, said the CIA. Fuck the Taliban then, said the warlords. It was as easy as that.

Unfortunately, in the aftermath, Havard scholars stepped in, or were introduced to manage the racket. It became visions of a Jeffersonian democracy in Qabul; fancy schools for girls, lucrative deals for Hamid Karzais. Little by little the warlords were cut out of the racket. A big mistake. Today they are needed to oppose the Taliban, but no one has been lining their pockets for a while. A shame. Letting a good racket go to waste.

To add injury to the tragedy, things are proceeding on the ground at a faster pace than the clock speed of Senile Joe's deteriorating Central Processing Unit. A nimble mind is what is needed at present in the White House, and a nimble intellect Senile Joe is not.

Senile Joe is capable of no further line of action than Cut n Run

[Rugoz]

To add injury to the tragedy, things are proceeding on the ground at a faster pace than the clock speed of Senile Joe's deteriorating Central Processing Unit. A nimble mind is what is needed at present in the White House, and a nimble intellect Senile Joe is not.

Senile Joe is capable of no further line of action than Cut n Run

Are you suggesting Biden or rather the people advising him didn't know this would happen?

[Crantag]

Perhaps. With the US you can never tell. It certainly was a good training ground. Although the cost financially and of life I don't think the US could realistically say they achieved anything on any level... unless the goal was pandemonium in which case it was a total success.

War is a racket.

The bold part at the beginning of the following excerpt of Smedly Butler's speech is the response to your contention, but I include the full excerpt, because it is worth reading.

War is just a racket. A racket is best described, I believe, as something that is not what it seems to the majority of people. Only a small inside group knows what it is about. It is conducted for the benefit of the very few at the expense of the masses.

I believe in adequate defense at the coastline and nothing else. If a nation comes over here to fight, then we'll fight. The trouble with America is that when the dollar only earns 6 percent over here, then it gets restless and goes overseas to get 100 percent. Then the flag follows the dollar and the soldiers follow the flag.

I wouldn't go to war again as I have done to protect some lousy investment of the bankers. There are only two things we should fight for. One is the defense of our homes and the other is the Bill of Rights. War for any other reason is simply a racket.
There isn't a trick in the racketeering bag that the military gang is blind to. It has its "finger men" to point out enemies, its "muscle men" to destroy enemies, its "brain men" to plan war preparations, and a "Big Boss" Super-Nationalistic-Capitalism.
It may seem odd for me, a military man to adopt such a comparison. Truthfulness compels me to. I spent thirty- three years and four months in active military service as a member of this country's most agile military force, the Marine Corps. I served in all commissioned ranks from Second Lieutenant to Major-General. And during that period, I spent most of my time being a high class muscle- man for Big Business, for Wall Street and for the Bankers. In short, I was a racketeer, a gangster for capitalism.
I suspected I was just part of a racket at the time. Now I am sure of it. Like all the members of the military profession, I never had a thought of my own until I left the service. My mental faculties remained in suspended animation while I obeyed the orders of higher-ups. This is typical with everyone in the military service.
I helped make Mexico, especially Tampico, safe for American oil interests in 1914. I helped make Haiti and Cuba a decent place for the National City Bank boys to collect revenues in. I helped in the raping of half a dozen Central American republics for the benefits of Wall Street. The record of racketeering is long. I helped purify Nicaragua for the international banking house of Brown Brothers in 1909-1912 (where have I heard that name before?). I brought light to the Dominican Republic for American sugar interests in 1916. In China I helped to see to it that Standard Oil went its way unmolested.
During those years, I had, as the boys in the back room would say, a swell racket. Looking back on it, I feel that I could have given Al Capone a few hints. The best he could do was to operate his racket in three districts. I operated on three continents.

https://fas.org/man/smedley.htm

[Crantag]

Politically it was imperative the US do something after 9/11. Still it shouldn't have been so naive to think people everywhere else will accept US ways.

Sort of how, politically, it was a political imperative for the Nazi government in Germany to do something, after the Reichstag Fire.

[Igor Antunov]

delet dis rong fred

[Igor Antunov]

I seriously doubt it. There are two 'stans immediately to the north of Afghanistan: Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, the march of the Taliban is creating some nervousness there. Both 'stans just held a Russian led military drill; in all likelihood the first of many drills to come. Maybe the Taliban may leave the 'stans to the north alone, but can Russia bet on that?

Cut n Run Joe's gift to Russia may turn out to be a poisoned pill.

It just gives Russia international leeway to reincorporate those stans into the empire/federation on the basis of keeping radical Islam at bay. Classic protectorate acquisition, classic reason for it-latent border threat. It's how America's nato dominions grew eastward, it's how Russia should behave also. And thankfully, it already is - Georgia, Ukraine and soon Belarus, all proof that Russia is taking itself seriously again.

[Juin]

It just gives Russia international leeway to reincorporate those stans into the empire/federation on the basis of keeping radical Islam at bay. Classic protectorate acquisition, classic reason for it-latent border threat. It's how America's nato dominions grew eastward, it's how Russia should behave also. And thankfully, it already is - Georgia, Ukraine and soon Belarus, all proof that Russia is taking itself seriously again.

You are correct. As a statement of fact, more so than opinion. Its just the way things role. It is straight from Imperialism 101. A play as old as mankind itself. You recall how the first Punic war came about? Locals squabbling in Sicily. Some factions appealed to Rome; and Rome quickly found legalistic and practical justifications to weigh in.

[Skynet]

Machiavelli said Terror during a rule should be brutal but short, people hate enduring low itense terror.

I guess the Taliban will overdo with regulations: like no football or sports.


I thought the Conference of Islamabad research groups came to the the minimum age 16.

[Politics_Observer]

@Sandzak

A lot of dictatorships and groups that seek to assert dictatorial rule over a country take a Machiavellian approach to getting and keeping power. But that kind of approach to getting and keeping power isn't worth it.

[Politics_Observer]

@Sandzak

Check this video out: