Rolling Afghanistan Thread
- Thread starter padraig (u.s.)
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- #squadgoals allahu ackbarz barry chateau battle rhymes bit of a pickle come mr taliban tally me banana designer fundamentalism do not face allah alone when astral projecting every possible contingency is biden's fault follow the white high-tops islamic magic jihaute just do it lord miles moon demon popping down to afghanistan roadman mask servis cheetahs that spring we lived on bowls of risotto the hexing of an oppressive regime the taliban's secretive one-eyed spiritual leader the whitest most out of touch witchcraft tl;dr
Clinamenic
Binary & Tweed
Strategically short term memory
It's just been announced that 3,000 US troops are being sent back in to help officials leave and 600 British troops will be doing the same.
Clinamenic
Binary & Tweed
We seem to have trouble teaching them to fish.
Clinamenic
Binary & Tweed
At least according to the accounts of things I'm relying on.
Clinamenic
Binary & Tweed
So our imperial fishing lessons aren't actually sought after worldwide?
I think America would fare better if they didn't insist on installing democracy and just provided support where they saw fit. Obviously it's difficult if the country in question has conflicting values, but it seems too grand an ambition to shape the rest of the world like that.
It'll be interesting to see whether the Chinese can resist the same temptation.
It'll be interesting to see whether the Chinese can resist the same temptation.
On second thought, I dunno whether it is difficult if the country in question has conflicting values. The US have turned a blind eye or actively supported plenty of appalling things when it suited them.
I guess I was thinking more of whether America as an ideal and the American public can stomach offering support without trying to change things that conflict with their alleged values, e.g. the treatment of women in the Middle-East.
I guess I was thinking more of whether America as an ideal and the American public can stomach offering support without trying to change things that conflict with their alleged values, e.g. the treatment of women in the Middle-East.
Clinamenic
Binary & Tweed
I would tend to agree, but perhaps the major talking point on pro-occupying Afghanistan is the protection of women and children who would otherwise be at the mercy of fundamentalist forces, etc. Not to say that everyone who employs this argument is doing so in good faith, however.
Clinamenic
Binary & Tweed
I'm not convinced that a multi-polar world is impossible. What would a multi-polar liberal-democratic world order look like? Do we already have some taste of it?
WashYourHands
Cat Malogen
Leo
Well-known member
yeah, it's a noble sentiment and nice talking point but I'd guess occupation is probably more about trying to prevent it from becoming a full-on narco state (estimated the Taliban pulls in $400+ million a year in opium trade), haven for terrorists, influencing the balance of power in the region, etc.
Is that Mick Harris?
WashYourHands
Cat Malogen
Indeed
WashYourHands
Cat Malogen
Clinamenic
Binary & Tweed
Good points, plus whatever chance any of the "grabbag of Jihadis" comes into possession of nuclear weaponry of the materials therefor. One of the senators in the intelligence committee has used that phrase more than once, as the geopolitical threat following China, Russia, North Korea and Iran.
padraig (u.s.)
a monkey that will go ape
obviously, yes
By any measure the occupation has been a resounding failure, if success means achieving any of those goals, which should surprise exactly no one who had ever read like, literally any book about the history of Afghanistan.
there are many, many other places around the world where "women + children are at the mercy of fundamentalist forces" (for example, yunno, Saudi Arabia) or etc, that the U.S. - and every other power - are content to let be. I'm sure some ppl who employ that line are sincere - and many are not, or less so - but in practice it's just one of the 21c versions of using the threat of Communism to justify decades of coups + other CIA etc fuckery
padraig (u.s.)
a monkey that will go ape
Nor yr Chinas + Russias etc are any better - they emphatically are not - but they at least make less "won't someone think of the children" pretense