Look, I know that Afghanistan was a 100% no win after Rummy let Osoma bin Laden walk @ Tora Bora ..

[Botany]

... but the idea that a Russian asset Donald J Trump let go Taliban fighters who in some
cases got paid $100,000 from Russia to kill American troops pisses me off and should piss
of any American who cares about his or her country.

[Walleye]

1. All of the failed generals and former officials or just so concerned about Biden's withdrawal

Of course never managed to get out of there. How do we get this large swath of American people to understand foreign policy when they can’t comprehend contagious diseases

[Irish_Dem]

2. The MIC is trying to point the blame everywhere else for their failure.

This sure takes me back to the Viet Nam era.

Right the American people do not have the intelligence or education to comprehend simple matters, much less complex ones.

[Walleye]

3. The troops are on a dangerous and difficult mission. Wait till they get out to pile on

Where is the usual TV media slobbering over the troops. They are giving the impression that this stuff is all happening by itself. 70,000 people airlifted out, what an accomplishment. So far that we know of not an American life lost. I remember in Vietnam they used to say never believe anything until it’s been denied by the Pentagon.

[Irish_Dem]

8. I am mixed on the press keeping quiet.

Yes the the press could dial it back for sure until the mission is completed.

However if the press had not made such a stink I am not sure the WH would have swung into such aggressive evacuation. Biden is an exemplary leader, but it is obvious that the military and CIA were lying there asses off to him regarding the end game. Perhaps it was the press who started speaking up and got his attention?

Yes it is a miracle and to Joe's credit that not a life has been lost. And it just goes to show what the military can do if it really wants to get something done.

[Walleye]

9. I feel the same.

At least we don’t have to doubt Joe’s motivations and loyalties

[Irish_Dem]

10. Yes, we don't have to second guess Joe's motives, morality or leadership.

And he has a depth of knowledge and experience to draw upon.

But I wonder if even Joe did not realize that military joint chiefs of staff looked him in the eye and bold face lied about the exit strategy.

[Walleye]

11. No doubt he realizes it now, though.

When he gives his word, he keeps it, and unfortunately he expects others to do the same. Doesn’t always work out

[Irish_Dem]

12. I thought the same thing. He is a good man and expects others to do likewise.

But he is shrewd and nobody's fool. So he caught on quickly that he cannot trust his top brass.

[Walleye]

13. Exactly, he did have an Irish mom.She was smart and strong. Shrewd as well

[Irish_Dem]

18. She taught him to question bad authority figures and not be bullied.

So I don't think Joe is going to give in to the MIC, he will not back down.
He isn't even going to back down on the exit date.

Interestingly, some of Joe's mother's family is from a small village in Ireland quite close to the village where my paternal grandparents were born and raised. So I know the mentality of those folks quite well. Joe is much like the males in my family on the Irish side. Charming, affable, glad handing, loyal and patriotic. But if you cross major lines they will fight you and fight hard. The women are outspoken, can be hell raisers, and will fight as well. Just like Joe's mother.
They are all quite smart but very stubborn as well. You don't really want to piss off these folks too much.

[Walleye]

20. That's him and his roots. Thanks for the history, interesting

[Botany]

4. We had bin Laden trapped in Dec. 2001 or Jan. 2002 @ Tora Bora. We were 1 km from him (.62 miles)

with US Army Rangers (I think it was Rangers) on the ground and total air superiority too. We could
have killed OBL and the senior leadership of al Qaeda and then left Afghanistan as "the good guys."
But Rummy let him go so Dick Cheney could have his war for oil in Iraq.

[Walleye]

5. Bush actually could've bombed the Taliban when they had that huge meeting right after 911.

[WHITT]

7. Yes

Instead of sending in the U.S. military, the Bushies sub-contracted it out to the Northern Alliance and some others, and wadda ya know, bin Laden GOT AWAY. Go figure.

[cstanleytech]

14. You do know that Generals lack the power to order our troops out

unless the government orders them to withdraw our troops?
Granted, they may or may not have been able to do a better job in Afghanistan in the end the fault is that of the politicians our country specifically the Republican ones own the entire mess.

[Walleye]

15. True. But I'm not sure the military was being entirely honest about the situation

[cstanleytech]

17. And how were they not honest?

[Champp]

6. Tora Bora, Tora Bora, Tora Bora. O' Tora Bora O'

[IronLionZion]

22. Slipping across the border to Pakistan is almost like going to Iraq

so might as well invade Iraq just in case

[gab13by13]

16. Cheney was president during Tora Bora,

he is who I blame.

[Snackshack]

19. You are right

It should. It should piss everyone off that trump allowed 640,000+ Americans to die and while this was happening he was knowingly lying about how bad COVID-19. It should really piss off everyone that COVID-19 is now surging again because of one specific group of people with a mutated variant that attack children now and the GOP is demanding that citizens funnel their children into schools is not allowing basic precautions for protection and now we are seeing hospitals fill up with children.

There is really nothing the GOP hasn’t done that shouldn’t piss off everyone and cause the majority to take to the streets to protest like we see in what we call 3rd world countries.

[lookyhereyou]

24. Truly

What if we went dancing in the streets with great bands on semi flat beds ( electric w/ power for band and quiet for the music ) and food trucks of all kinds for sustenance to celebrate peace and prosperity
and looking after the endowment for a change. That would be fun !
It would also be good contrast to the putin death cult trying to bring us down in so many ways.

[IronLionZion]

21. People are more worried about Biden's withdrawal with 0 casualties

A lot of folks on tv are genuinely disappointed that no Americans died.

The concerned folks are usually the same type who say the difference between Obama and Osama is BS.

[Midnight Writer]

23. Too bad we do not have a Left Wing media machine that would repeat these truths 24/7.

[lookyhereyou]

25. hear here