General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsRubin: Biden tells some hard truths few want to hear
President Biden on Thursday mournfully delivered information to the country that was disagreeable to many Americans: There is no way to withdraw from a futile war without messiness. The expectation that there would be no misery or casualties was a fantasy.
A case in point is the issue of Afghan refugees. I know of no conflict, as a student of history no conflict where, when a war was ending, one side was able to guarantee that everyone that wanted to be extracted from that country would get out, Biden said solemnly. His historical memory is accurate.
The United States has transported roughly 120,000 Afghans and American citizens to safety at great human cost. That miraculous feat is a tribute to the humanity and bravery of the U.S. military and civilian personnel and volunteers. But any hope of depopulating a war-torn country, and ending the suffering there (including the dismal future for millions of women and girls) after our defeat is not grounded in reality. It belongs with the magical thinking that the United States could create a nation state in Afghanistan.
A week ago, many in the media were lecturing the administration for abandoning Afghans. Now, after we evacuated about 120,000 people at the cost of 13 American lives, reporters wanted to know why we were keeping troops at the airport. In response to such a question on Thursday, Biden said: There are additional American citizens, there are additional green-card holders, there are additional personnel of our allies, there are additional SIV cardholders, there are additional Afghans that have helped us, and there are additional groups of individuals that who have contacted us from womens groups, to NGOs, and others, who have expressly indicated they want to get out.) He was criticized for abandoning Afghans; when we stay to rescue them he gets faulted for risking American lives.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2021/08/29/biden-tells-some-hard-truths-few-want-hear/
Typically excellent piece by Jennifer Rubin.
dchill
(38,432 posts)central scrutinizer
(11,635 posts)Biden damned if does, damned if he doesnt.
AZLD4Candidate
(5,639 posts)ShazzieB
(16,265 posts)"This next game is called Pin the blame on the donkey."
PatSeg
(47,239 posts)You'd think people would have figured it out by now.
IronLionZion
(45,380 posts)and they still end up poisoning themselves to own the libs
PatSeg
(47,239 posts)It is beyond reasonable comprehension.
calimary
(81,085 posts)And I dont know what the answer to that is.
I guess all Biden can do is hunker down, keep working, and tackling the problems bit-by-bit, step-by-step, one-by-one.
PatSeg
(47,239 posts)I had to deal with that kind of mentality when my children were very young, but THEY grew up. What on earth can you do with grown adults who think anything rational is a conspiracy or fake news?
I really feel sorry for Biden, but I am so glad we have him in the White House.
calimary
(81,085 posts)is to get involved, actively or passively.
Absolutely vow and swear to vote in every possible election! We have 2022 coming right up. Itll be here sooner than you know it. We ALSO have 2024 where Biden/Harris MUST be strongly and successfully defended!
Try to get at least one new or negligent voter to VOTE! Help save them from the sad awakening, after the election, if you didnt bother to vote and you are shocked and shaken by the disappointing results! Urge that person: DONT let that be YOU!!! Feel VINDICATED (not to mention relieved!) on the Morning After!
And do it because youll be a LOT happier with what the Democrats get done than what the GOP is guaranteed to ignore, neglect, defy, overturn, mess up, and/or defeat.
Cuz Republicans DONT want to help you. They simply dont believe thats what government is there for, in the first place!
PatSeg
(47,239 posts)not governing. They are leeches who profit off the good times and use the bad times for political advantage. They rarely ever actually do anything and when they do, it is to benefit themselves and/or their corporate donors.
Moebym
(989 posts)To let the media run its mouth, remain resolute and quietly get shit done.
Like I said once before, Biden is a doer, not a talker. Talk is cheap.
peggysue2
(10,819 posts)she's been knocking them out of the park on this subject and seems to have a much clearer eye than in the past. I don't know where she stood on Afghanistan when we went in and pretended we could 'nation-build,' impose a Jeffersonian democracy on a tribal society, but Rubin is solid in this OP and others she's written of late.
Jennifer Rubin is a dedicated Never-Trumper, hated by her own side and suspected by ours. But we need to give credit where credit is due. This OP, for instance, is spot on.
Joe Biden promised to always tell Americans the truth. That's a rare and tricky thing for a pol to say because a lot of Americans don't want the truth. They'd prefer the slick overlay of half-truth and weasel words, phrases loaded with patriotic tropes, a verbal concoction that makes a loss sound like a win. Which is why we as a nation keep repeating the same mistake.
Joe Biden isn't doing that. The evacuation has been messy, horrifying at times as has this endless war--messy, costly in blood and treasure with very little to praise beyond the courage of our soldiers and Afghan allies, those who risked all.
President Biden didn't start this war. He is, however, ending it. To insinuate that he 'lost' the war is absurd and those who keep repeating that lie are the very ones who wanted the status quo to remain intact indefinitely. Not for the sake of the country or the young men and women at risk but for their own pride and/or bank accounts, the never-ending grift.
I read yesterday that this has been the largest US-led evacuation in our history. Rubin cites 120,000 as of today. I'll be interested in seeing the final number. Regardless of the tally, it's been a huge endeavor, one put into motion to save lives, Americans and Afghans.
We want to be proud of something at the end of a miserable war? I think that's it.
niyad
(113,027 posts)crickets
(25,951 posts)emmaverybo
(8,144 posts)PatSeg
(47,239 posts)Afghanistan back in 2001. I remember there was a time when I could not stand the woman, but ever since Trump was elected, she has been a relatively consistent voice of reason. It is nice to know that I can still change my mind about some people.
crickets
(25,951 posts)It was absolutely abhorrent and inexcusable. Where was the media outrage then?
pansypoo53219
(20,952 posts)RVN VET71
(2,689 posts)because Erdogans ass was in desperate need of a wet-lipped smooch.
erronis
(15,170 posts)monkeyman1
(5,109 posts)Tom Rinaldo
(22,911 posts)She nailed every point that I keep screaming at my TV for talking heads to acknowledge, and she did so clearly, concisely, and conclusively.
I heard GOP Congressman Kinzinger the other day, being confronted by Anderson Cooper. Anderson noted that American troops expanding the perimeter around the Kabul Airport so that we didn't "need the Taliban to do our job for us", would just mean even greater numbers of U.S. troops exposed to attack outside of the gates as the circle of security they would try to hold would become even larger. And then they still would have to personally pat down all those trying to enter. Kinzinger conceded the point, then backtracked to a new talking point: The U.S. should have secured the entire city of Kabul and not have allowed the Taliban to enter Kabul until all of our evacuations were concluded.
Yes, he really said that
canetoad
(17,135 posts)And happy to be 100th rec.