Erick, I am a veteran of Army 7th Infantry Division Light.
President Reagan was my Command in Chief for all 6 years.
I was blessed.
What we have today is a situation where leadership has failed the people at many levels.
Like a sweater this administration is unraveling to expose to the American people falsehoods that some just couldn't see before the election.
However imperfect President Trump was checking the boxes of #AmericaFirst
The voting public must get up to speed and support this policy.
We need to cut out the cancer of the #CCP influence at every level of Government, Education and Economy. I said the #CCP!
(Not the Chinese People)
Any other National Directive is a Clear and Present Danger to the United States of America.
Bannon's War Room has a Mantra
"We cannot go forward as a country until we get to the bottom of Nov 3rd and the Wuhan Lab"
Erick, I am not well versed. But I am from Macon so that should help. I ask you to use your knowledge of Theology and write about (Copied from web)
Isaiah 42:16
I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them; I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth. These are the things I will do; I will not forsake them.
Donald Trump gave the incoming administration a conditions-based plan (the Doha Agreement) which would have allowed us to perform a phased, fully planned, and above all, organized withdrawal with retaining the ability to offer air support and intelligence resources the Afghans needed to continue to strengthen their ability to go it alone; in other words, a plan just like the one that we envisioned for South Vietnam back in the day. Just as in Vietnam, the Democrats took over, scrapped any and all planned assistance to the indigenous forces, then set a date certain for the cessation of support and our final withdrawal. And just as in Vietnam, the whole thing collapsed almost immediately. Even Afghan War vets who supported Biden are shocked at this: https://townhall.com/tipsheet/leahbarkoukis/2021/08/17/former-army-lietenent-and-biden-supporter-goes-off-on-entire-msnbc-panel-over-presidents-afghanistan-speech-n2594257
It's the same playbook, with the same tragic result, and just as before, the Democrats own it - every last bloodstained bit of it. My Vietnam War veteran friends feel as if the scab over their hearts has been ripped off, leaving them again lost, uncertain, and alone to confront the demons which have haunted them for almost 50 years. If you know one of them, or any Afghan War vet, please pay special attention to them, as they have never been so vulnerable as they are now. Even I, a Vietnam era non combat vet, feel much of the same hurt, betrayal, and rage that they must feel to an immensely greater degree. It's been a LONG time since I felt these emotions in me, and I don't like to admit that I do, but there it is.
Immaturity is the word for Biden and his administration along with incompetence! How anyone can listen to him pass blame when HE made the decisions that lead to this disaster is beyond me! I hope all those clowns that voted for this man-child can see how stupid their vote was! How many more will die because of this administration and their immaturity and incompetence? Disgusting! How long will the angels weep before God roars?
Why did we leave all our missiles, guns, tanks, soldier uniforms and gear for the enemy? I have never understood this. Why wasn't this equipment destroyed, blown up, instead of being left for an enemy to use against us? What dumb bunnies are making these decisions?
Janet, the same idiots who decide things based on what they feel are politically expedient beliefs, combined with visceral hatred for their predecessors, make stupid, callous, and cruel decisions. In other words, welcome to 1975 - again. See my post above.
Well the short answer is that we left them with the Afghan military that we spent 20 years training. But they abandoned the weapons we gave them and turned tail and ran once we no longer had their backs. Some army, some training!
The tone deafness of this administration is on full display with the horrible spectacle we are now seeing on TV and the internet. Apparently Biden ignored all the advice he was given by military leaders. He wanted a photo op for the 911 anniversary, but he created chaos that is leading to the death of many citizens of Afghanistan. Every nation in the world will now understandably be reluctant to trust the US for assistance, especially military assistance, while Biden is in the White House.
On top of the atrocities the taliban is committing, Biden had all of the taliban's leaders, IN ONE FREAKING PLACE, posting pictures to social media!!! I guess Joe was taking a nap and couldn't be bothered, either that or they have all our drones in the region and we couldn't take them out regardless.
The Afghan people KNEW what it would mean for the Taliban to regain power. They not only failed to stop it they mostly actively supported the Taliban’s rapid advance.
Had the US waited until winter set in, it would have only delayed the total collapse of the nation state by a few months. And the collapse would have been just as quick as it was this time. Only the Taliban would have to wait for the passes to thaw.
I don’t see any reason to believe either the Afghan government would have been in a better position to resist the Taliban (if they ever really wanted to do so) or that the US would have been better prepared to evacuate those that deserve our protection.
The muhajadeen used to say “the Russians have watches, but we have time.”
We are not the first empire to learn that place is is a problem with no solution.
Now I hope we adopt a drone strike strategy that suppress’s any terrorist camp the Taliban may host. But I am not in favor of another US dollar being spent on a country that does not want our support.
What about all of the Afghans scrambling to get out? Did you read or comprehend Erick’s post? His friend was executed by the Taliban! How many more executions do you think are happening? Would many have been avoided by providing time for these folks to get out by a decent planned exit strategy?
And “I am not in favor of another US dollar being spent on a country that does not want our support.” But you say “I hope we adopt a drone strike strategy that suppress’s (spelling incorrect BTW) any terrorist camp the Taliban may host.” How much do you think a drone strike cost?? More than “another US dollar I bet…….
A Tomahawk cruise missile costs right at $1 million each. One kit to convert any "dumb" bomb into a Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM), aka the latest "smart bomb", is a relative bargain at $20,000, plus the cost of the bomb itself. Our aircraft can easily penetrate Afghan airspace, at least until their newfound Chinese and Russian buddies supply them with advanced surface to air systems, and get within range to launch JDAMs against ground targets. The problem now which didn't exist before is that we have no forward bases from which to base aircraft, nor do we have any available Combat Search And Rescue (CSAR) assets available in the event that an aircraft is shot down. Given that reality, I don't see us as being all that able to launch any credible air strikes any time soon. This is what happens when idiots burn every bridge behind them on the way out.
1. If the US had any inkling of the speed at which the state would collapse, they would have been better prepared. This day was coming for a long time. Waiting 3 more months is not evidence those months would have bees used to properly prepare to evacuate.
2. Killing the enemies of this country is not the same thing as supporting anyone or anything.
Sometimes victory is found in denying the enemy the opportunity to strike.
First, I would point out that I am the only one that posted a comment that was not critical of the method of withdrawal. That is not the same thing as I am the only one that holds this position. As the original author often points out, social media can easily become an echo chamber. So I draw no conclusion at all that I stand alone on this thread.
Second, Gen. Dan Bolger (ret.) wrote Why We Lost in 2007. It was his autopsy of the US failures in Iraq and Afghanistan. The withdrawal is at least 10 years too late. And I still haven’t heard a coherent argument to either stay in Afghanistan or how to withdraw without chaos.
My main point is to never reinforce failure. The US has finally accepted that maxim of war.
I agree that we should have withdrawn years ago. That is not my point and I suspect many of the others who have posted here on this subject. The point is the method of withdrawal: Biden went military first and civilians second. That this is wrong is not even debatable. Look at the results. They speak for themselves. The proper way is civilians first, military last with all the weapons they can carry out. Any left should be destroyed and not left for the enemy. If this is is not coherent to you then nothing will be.
In the State Department, the writing of a "dissent cable" disagreeing with formal U.S. policy is a serious matter. Those who write such a cable are placing their careers on the line to express their reservations with our policy as set by the President and Secretary of State. But, that's exactly what 23 staffers in the U.S. Embassy in Kabul did in July:
"U.S. diplomats at the embassy in Kabul warned in a classified memo to Secretary of State Antony Blinken and the department's leadership last month that the Afghan government was at risk of collapse as the Taliban offensive swept across the country, a source familiar with the memo confirmed to ABC News.
"The dissent cable, as such memos are called at the agency, was sent on July 13 and was immediately brought to Blinken's attention, the source said. [...]
[...] "It's another example of how U.S. officials had been warning senior Biden administration officials about the risks of the president's decision to withdraw from Afghanistan, although even diplomats on the ground had no idea the collapse could come so quickly.
Sorry, Tim, but you can put down the water you're trying to carry for this God-forsaken administration now; no one's drinking it. They KNEW, they were WARNED, and they did NOTHING.
The blood is on the hands of the President, the Secretary of State, and the senior Department of Defense leadership (I'm looking at you, General Milley). And there will be even more blood in the days to come.
Military planning must allow for the "inkling" you now use to excuse an inept administration. This is a total abject failure and there is no way you can sugarcoat it with a "if we only knew" statement.
Were it that simple, Kern. The very best contingency planning must assume that those charged with executing any plan have some basic degree of competence, which is a quality sorely lacking among the Bidenauts. Or as the 19th Century philosopher, author and playwright Frederich Schiller aptly put it, "Against stupidity, the gods themselves rage in van."
If this doesn't serve to eradicate leftist ideology and political correctness, I don't know what will. I've been on a slow boil for a long time over the left's defund the police movement, BLM, Antifa, et.al. and their anti-capitalist, anti-Constitution bent on literally everything that made this country exceptional. Their handling of the border crisis and COVID turned up the heat a notch. Now, I'm just straight P*SSED as I watch this geriatric marionette urinate on the sacrifices of our soldiers and allies while handing over a country to our sworn enemy. Oh, and bonus: Their rare-earth and precious metals are going to China! THAT should help stabilize our world! Words like "debacle" and abject failure" fall SO short of how bad this really is. And Biden blames Trump?? Trump was a lot of things, but he would've NEVER allowed this to happen.
Unfortunately, and I do believe by design, milquetoast millennials are haplessly ignorant. And forget about logical, critical thinking.
There is BC, AD, and BY, before you. Natural Pride is racism, Obama told them we are not exceptional, apologizing for America.
These are the left's myrmidons, burning cities in the Summer of 2020 over a false narrative, engaging in actual insurrection, CHAZ, no self reflection, unrepentant.
What Biden just did is just on a large scale, and a word away. The will shake their heads and say what a shame, buy the straw field of lies and deception that let's them have a clear conscious. There is no accountability, no holding accountable because, unlike Reagan, our politicians don't sell a vision and then measure, they simply tayler the narrative after the fact to define success ex post facto.
"Don't underestimate Joe's ability to F$#% things up." Barack Hussein Obama In context Obama was talking about the 2020 election but it obviously applies to just about everything Joe touches.
Obama's Secretary of Defense, Robert Gates, also noted of Joey that "he's been wrong on every foreign policy decision for the last 40 years." It seems his perfect record is, tragically, unbroken.
Biden's speech yesterday was an example of what a stupid person does when confronted with the consequences of their bad decisions: deny, shift the blame, make excuses. As with all stupid people Biden is convinced of his own infallibility. Recall, this is a person who's one achievement in more than four decades of public service was getting re-elected over and over. That's it. Nobody in DC ever sought his counsel, and if they did they never took it because it is well known Biden is one of the dumber members of Congress, now President. He's not Hank Johnson or Maxine Waters or Kamala Harris dumb, but he's pretty close.
If Biden were the captain of the Titanic, he, his crew and the wealthiest men aboard would have taken to the lifeboats, leaving women, children and lower level passengers standing on the deck, he’d have claimed that some deaths were inevitable because there weren’t enough lifeboats for everyone, but he hadn’t arranged that, that was on the shipbuilders, and the drowned passengers should have learned to swim before taking a sea voyage.
Biden is a senile puppet who looks harmless. Who are the puppet masters behind him? What is their game plan? How do our enemies, Russia and China, benefit? How does this affect our relationship with Israel? Are they next to be sacrificed?
Erick, I am a veteran of Army 7th Infantry Division Light.
President Reagan was my Command in Chief for all 6 years.
I was blessed.
What we have today is a situation where leadership has failed the people at many levels.
Like a sweater this administration is unraveling to expose to the American people falsehoods that some just couldn't see before the election.
However imperfect President Trump was checking the boxes of #AmericaFirst
The voting public must get up to speed and support this policy.
We need to cut out the cancer of the #CCP influence at every level of Government, Education and Economy. I said the #CCP!
(Not the Chinese People)
Any other National Directive is a Clear and Present Danger to the United States of America.
Bannon's War Room has a Mantra
"We cannot go forward as a country until we get to the bottom of Nov 3rd and the Wuhan Lab"
Erick, I am not well versed. But I am from Macon so that should help. I ask you to use your knowledge of Theology and write about (Copied from web)
Isaiah 42:16
I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them; I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth. These are the things I will do; I will not forsake them.
Donald Trump gave the incoming administration a conditions-based plan (the Doha Agreement) which would have allowed us to perform a phased, fully planned, and above all, organized withdrawal with retaining the ability to offer air support and intelligence resources the Afghans needed to continue to strengthen their ability to go it alone; in other words, a plan just like the one that we envisioned for South Vietnam back in the day. Just as in Vietnam, the Democrats took over, scrapped any and all planned assistance to the indigenous forces, then set a date certain for the cessation of support and our final withdrawal. And just as in Vietnam, the whole thing collapsed almost immediately. Even Afghan War vets who supported Biden are shocked at this: https://townhall.com/tipsheet/leahbarkoukis/2021/08/17/former-army-lietenent-and-biden-supporter-goes-off-on-entire-msnbc-panel-over-presidents-afghanistan-speech-n2594257
It's the same playbook, with the same tragic result, and just as before, the Democrats own it - every last bloodstained bit of it. My Vietnam War veteran friends feel as if the scab over their hearts has been ripped off, leaving them again lost, uncertain, and alone to confront the demons which have haunted them for almost 50 years. If you know one of them, or any Afghan War vet, please pay special attention to them, as they have never been so vulnerable as they are now. Even I, a Vietnam era non combat vet, feel much of the same hurt, betrayal, and rage that they must feel to an immensely greater degree. It's been a LONG time since I felt these emotions in me, and I don't like to admit that I do, but there it is.
Immaturity is the word for Biden and his administration along with incompetence! How anyone can listen to him pass blame when HE made the decisions that lead to this disaster is beyond me! I hope all those clowns that voted for this man-child can see how stupid their vote was! How many more will die because of this administration and their immaturity and incompetence? Disgusting! How long will the angels weep before God roars?
Why did we leave all our missiles, guns, tanks, soldier uniforms and gear for the enemy? I have never understood this. Why wasn't this equipment destroyed, blown up, instead of being left for an enemy to use against us? What dumb bunnies are making these decisions?
Janet, the same idiots who decide things based on what they feel are politically expedient beliefs, combined with visceral hatred for their predecessors, make stupid, callous, and cruel decisions. In other words, welcome to 1975 - again. See my post above.
But fret not, Janet; all that gear will be welcomed by al-Qaeda 3.0 when it is welcomed back into Afghanistan with open arms by the Taliban.
Well the short answer is that we left them with the Afghan military that we spent 20 years training. But they abandoned the weapons we gave them and turned tail and ran once we no longer had their backs. Some army, some training!
Why is this worthless piece of crap still in the Oval Office? I'm shocked that Pelosi has allowed Biden to sit this long.
Are you kidding, she has more power than ever right now.
The tone deafness of this administration is on full display with the horrible spectacle we are now seeing on TV and the internet. Apparently Biden ignored all the advice he was given by military leaders. He wanted a photo op for the 911 anniversary, but he created chaos that is leading to the death of many citizens of Afghanistan. Every nation in the world will now understandably be reluctant to trust the US for assistance, especially military assistance, while Biden is in the White House.
On top of the atrocities the taliban is committing, Biden had all of the taliban's leaders, IN ONE FREAKING PLACE, posting pictures to social media!!! I guess Joe was taking a nap and couldn't be bothered, either that or they have all our drones in the region and we couldn't take them out regardless.
The Afghan people KNEW what it would mean for the Taliban to regain power. They not only failed to stop it they mostly actively supported the Taliban’s rapid advance.
Had the US waited until winter set in, it would have only delayed the total collapse of the nation state by a few months. And the collapse would have been just as quick as it was this time. Only the Taliban would have to wait for the passes to thaw.
I don’t see any reason to believe either the Afghan government would have been in a better position to resist the Taliban (if they ever really wanted to do so) or that the US would have been better prepared to evacuate those that deserve our protection.
The muhajadeen used to say “the Russians have watches, but we have time.”
We are not the first empire to learn that place is is a problem with no solution.
Now I hope we adopt a drone strike strategy that suppress’s any terrorist camp the Taliban may host. But I am not in favor of another US dollar being spent on a country that does not want our support.
What about all of the Afghans scrambling to get out? Did you read or comprehend Erick’s post? His friend was executed by the Taliban! How many more executions do you think are happening? Would many have been avoided by providing time for these folks to get out by a decent planned exit strategy?
And “I am not in favor of another US dollar being spent on a country that does not want our support.” But you say “I hope we adopt a drone strike strategy that suppress’s (spelling incorrect BTW) any terrorist camp the Taliban may host.” How much do you think a drone strike cost?? More than “another US dollar I bet…….
A Tomahawk cruise missile costs right at $1 million each. One kit to convert any "dumb" bomb into a Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM), aka the latest "smart bomb", is a relative bargain at $20,000, plus the cost of the bomb itself. Our aircraft can easily penetrate Afghan airspace, at least until their newfound Chinese and Russian buddies supply them with advanced surface to air systems, and get within range to launch JDAMs against ground targets. The problem now which didn't exist before is that we have no forward bases from which to base aircraft, nor do we have any available Combat Search And Rescue (CSAR) assets available in the event that an aircraft is shot down. Given that reality, I don't see us as being all that able to launch any credible air strikes any time soon. This is what happens when idiots burn every bridge behind them on the way out.
1. If the US had any inkling of the speed at which the state would collapse, they would have been better prepared. This day was coming for a long time. Waiting 3 more months is not evidence those months would have bees used to properly prepare to evacuate.
2. Killing the enemies of this country is not the same thing as supporting anyone or anything.
Sometimes victory is found in denying the enemy the opportunity to strike.
Well Tim….did you see “Paul C’s” reply below?? Do you still agree to disagree?? And yes you are the only one with your point of view.
First, I would point out that I am the only one that posted a comment that was not critical of the method of withdrawal. That is not the same thing as I am the only one that holds this position. As the original author often points out, social media can easily become an echo chamber. So I draw no conclusion at all that I stand alone on this thread.
Second, Gen. Dan Bolger (ret.) wrote Why We Lost in 2007. It was his autopsy of the US failures in Iraq and Afghanistan. The withdrawal is at least 10 years too late. And I still haven’t heard a coherent argument to either stay in Afghanistan or how to withdraw without chaos.
My main point is to never reinforce failure. The US has finally accepted that maxim of war.
I agree that we should have withdrawn years ago. That is not my point and I suspect many of the others who have posted here on this subject. The point is the method of withdrawal: Biden went military first and civilians second. That this is wrong is not even debatable. Look at the results. They speak for themselves. The proper way is civilians first, military last with all the weapons they can carry out. Any left should be destroyed and not left for the enemy. If this is is not coherent to you then nothing will be.
In the State Department, the writing of a "dissent cable" disagreeing with formal U.S. policy is a serious matter. Those who write such a cable are placing their careers on the line to express their reservations with our policy as set by the President and Secretary of State. But, that's exactly what 23 staffers in the U.S. Embassy in Kabul did in July:
"U.S. diplomats at the embassy in Kabul warned in a classified memo to Secretary of State Antony Blinken and the department's leadership last month that the Afghan government was at risk of collapse as the Taliban offensive swept across the country, a source familiar with the memo confirmed to ABC News.
"The dissent cable, as such memos are called at the agency, was sent on July 13 and was immediately brought to Blinken's attention, the source said. [...]
[...] "It's another example of how U.S. officials had been warning senior Biden administration officials about the risks of the president's decision to withdraw from Afghanistan, although even diplomats on the ground had no idea the collapse could come so quickly.
"The cable, which was first reported by The Wall Street Journal, called on the Biden administration to begin an airlift operation immediately for Afghans who helped the U.S., according to the source." https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/us-diplomats-warned-afghanistans-collapse-dissent-cable-month/story?id=79549635
Sorry, Tim, but you can put down the water you're trying to carry for this God-forsaken administration now; no one's drinking it. They KNEW, they were WARNED, and they did NOTHING.
The blood is on the hands of the President, the Secretary of State, and the senior Department of Defense leadership (I'm looking at you, General Milley). And there will be even more blood in the days to come.
You have similar characteristics as Biden……you cannot admit your point of view has no merit.
Agree to disagree.
Military planning must allow for the "inkling" you now use to excuse an inept administration. This is a total abject failure and there is no way you can sugarcoat it with a "if we only knew" statement.
Were it that simple, Kern. The very best contingency planning must assume that those charged with executing any plan have some basic degree of competence, which is a quality sorely lacking among the Bidenauts. Or as the 19th Century philosopher, author and playwright Frederich Schiller aptly put it, "Against stupidity, the gods themselves rage in van."
The Taliban probably would have taken over faster, but they feared the withdrawal was a ruse to draw them out. - If only
I guess it should not surprise me that the Dems still blame Trump for everything. The best we can do now is pray for the souls of those left behind.
If this doesn't serve to eradicate leftist ideology and political correctness, I don't know what will. I've been on a slow boil for a long time over the left's defund the police movement, BLM, Antifa, et.al. and their anti-capitalist, anti-Constitution bent on literally everything that made this country exceptional. Their handling of the border crisis and COVID turned up the heat a notch. Now, I'm just straight P*SSED as I watch this geriatric marionette urinate on the sacrifices of our soldiers and allies while handing over a country to our sworn enemy. Oh, and bonus: Their rare-earth and precious metals are going to China! THAT should help stabilize our world! Words like "debacle" and abject failure" fall SO short of how bad this really is. And Biden blames Trump?? Trump was a lot of things, but he would've NEVER allowed this to happen.
Unfortunately, and I do believe by design, milquetoast millennials are haplessly ignorant. And forget about logical, critical thinking.
There is BC, AD, and BY, before you. Natural Pride is racism, Obama told them we are not exceptional, apologizing for America.
These are the left's myrmidons, burning cities in the Summer of 2020 over a false narrative, engaging in actual insurrection, CHAZ, no self reflection, unrepentant.
What Biden just did is just on a large scale, and a word away. The will shake their heads and say what a shame, buy the straw field of lies and deception that let's them have a clear conscious. There is no accountability, no holding accountable because, unlike Reagan, our politicians don't sell a vision and then measure, they simply tayler the narrative after the fact to define success ex post facto.
"Don't underestimate Joe's ability to F$#% things up." Barack Hussein Obama In context Obama was talking about the 2020 election but it obviously applies to just about everything Joe touches.
Obama's Secretary of Defense, Robert Gates, also noted of Joey that "he's been wrong on every foreign policy decision for the last 40 years." It seems his perfect record is, tragically, unbroken.
Biden's speech yesterday was an example of what a stupid person does when confronted with the consequences of their bad decisions: deny, shift the blame, make excuses. As with all stupid people Biden is convinced of his own infallibility. Recall, this is a person who's one achievement in more than four decades of public service was getting re-elected over and over. That's it. Nobody in DC ever sought his counsel, and if they did they never took it because it is well known Biden is one of the dumber members of Congress, now President. He's not Hank Johnson or Maxine Waters or Kamala Harris dumb, but he's pretty close.
"He's not Hank Johnson or Maxine Waters or Kamala Harris dumb, but he's pretty close." GREAT line!!
Nonsense! He is dumber than those three put together.
Thanks. One tries. :)
I'd say the he's as dumb as a box of rocks, but I'd rather not insult all those boxes of rocks out there.
This disaster/debacle is going to haunt us for decades to come. We will likely never know the full extent of the damage this will do to us.
If Biden were the captain of the Titanic, he, his crew and the wealthiest men aboard would have taken to the lifeboats, leaving women, children and lower level passengers standing on the deck, he’d have claimed that some deaths were inevitable because there weren’t enough lifeboats for everyone, but he hadn’t arranged that, that was on the shipbuilders, and the drowned passengers should have learned to swim before taking a sea voyage.
Biden is a senile puppet who looks harmless. Who are the puppet masters behind him? What is their game plan? How do our enemies, Russia and China, benefit? How does this affect our relationship with Israel? Are they next to be sacrificed?