I am even more lost now than I was when I last posted about Afghanistan...

[TreasonousBastard]

As I once said, there are normally many meetings, with lots of discussion and disagreement over something this big. Eventually, a decision is made, for better or worse.

Every five minutes the news changes. No shortage of bad news, but a vast shortage of decent news.

Somehow, the Taliban seems to be letting people get to the airport, even opening routes, but still the screaming goes on about how no one can get there.

Border crossings? Anyone watching for an exodus into Iran or Pakistan? Just pix of assholes hanging off of airplane wheels.

The Taliban of 2021 is not the Taliban of 2000. They seem to have learned that wildly chopping off hands and heads does not help their cause.

But all the reporting is about an hysterical population terrified of Taliban, and how no one can get out. No mention of ID and visa problems getting our employees out. And no serious look at whether or not they really have to fear the Taliban this time.

The whole thing is a mess, and most of the press isn't helping to clean it up.

[JoanofArgh]

1. I was just watching Nichole Wallace and this Rohde guy , who's been all over

MSNBC bashing Biden , was bashing him again because his special friend in Kabul was at the airport trying to get on a flight and wasn't immediately whisked away. And then he mentioned this is going to affect Biden politically. Like it's his mission to take him down.


The press is full of hyperbole and bluster. It's all about clicks and views to them.

[Peregrine Took]

4. The "special friend" did save his life when he was a hostage over there years ago

so it doesn't seem too elitist for him to try to assist the mans's wife and kids to get out to safety

[BlueIdaho]

2. The fog of war...

Leaves room for sloppy reporting and fact finding goes out the window.

[Mr.Bill]

3. The Taliban has been presented with a great opportunity.

(Which I doubt they will take advantage of to any great extent)

If they just acted in a totally humane way, don't imprison or execute their adversaries, let women dress as they wish, let girls stay in school, let anyone who wants to leave do so, etc., they could make much of the western world look like idiots.

[TreasonousBastard]

5. They could. I did hear something about them letting girls go to school...

which, if true, is a huge step in the right direction.

Doubt they will ease up on dress codes, but a lot of others don't either.

[NJCher]

6. there isn't any way

they are going to be able to change. That's like asking zebra to change its stripes.

If anything, I think they will doubledown and they will do that because of groupthink. That comes real easily to them.

However, I say all this with the caveat of what the hell do I know? I'm just extrapolating on the basis of what I've learned about human psychology and communication over a career of 30 years in teaching.

My major reason for being negative is that they have no guiding light. Nothing is there to inspire them to change. No, all they have is this religion which is a cult.

[Mr.Bill]

8. One guiding light for them

Last edited Wed Aug 18, 2021, 06:59 PM - Edit history (1)

might be all of their assets we have frozen. Follow the money. Maybe there are religions who care about their traditions and teachings more than money, but I've never seen one.

[NJCher]

11. Hah!

you are right--that could work.

I wish we could get all our guns and ammo back. I don't like the idea of the U.S. financing more of their oppression crap.

[Cha]

7. What does he have to say about..

Top Taliban leaders are among the 5000 that Trump released last year over everyone's objections

One year ago, the Donald released 5000 Taliban fighters in exchange for a cease-fire to help his flailing presidential campaign, despite strenuous objections from both the Pentagon and the Afghan government. President Ashraf Ghani warned that their release would be a
"danger to the world."

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

*snip*

Worse, the Taliban leader who is set to
taking over Afghanistan, Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, has Trump to thank for his release:

The disaster unfolding in Afghanistan came from the deal that Trump made a year ago, except he wanted it to happen sooner—by Christmas of last year. He postponed it after his loss for Biden to deal with it in May. The Pentagon asked for more time, so Biden pushed it to the end of August. This enraged conservatives for delaying the withdrawal.

Keep in mind that Donald J. Trump invited the Taliban to Camp David the week of September 11 to strike what was essentially a surrender deal, but cancelled after the obvious backlash of hosting the Taliban on 9/11. Instead, he sent Pompeo to Qatar to sign the deal with the Taliban, and announced that he had given the Taliban everything they asked for because "everyone is tired of war."

https://www.alternet.org/2021/08/trump-taliban/

Link to tweet

[multigraincracker]

9. Here is what I think, for what it is worth.

Today the situation is fluid. As more information comes in, we will know more.

[Klaralven]

10. The Afghans that matter are that Kabuli that the US establishment has been socializing with

Western media, contractors, NGO staff, diplomats and military officers socializing with Afghan politicians, officers, intellectuals, business elites, bureaucrats, etc.