Afghanistan exit strategy

I never thought I’d agree with the Taliban, but I agree we need to withdraw from Afghanistan.

Fuck all those dead Americans that gave up their lives just for your hero to walk away, right?

Stop it. Dubya had a chance to nab bin Laden while he was hiding out in Tora Bora, but he flaked. Better to use him as a permanent boogeyman to rile up the Great Unwashed. No outside force, from Alexander to the USSR, has ever been able to manage Afghanistan. The attempt is futile.

My hero?

I bet you'd be less chill about a mass murderer living next door to you, or a pedophile buying a condo just down the block, or a slave owner managing the local 7-Eleven, or anti-education types shooting at the schoolgirls in your neighborhood.

Too much of Afghanistan is an inhuman nightmare for anyone that's not a Taliban psychopath, and 158 of my fellow Canadians gave their lives trying to change that. Plenty more were scarred and crippled for life for their attempt.

Just walking away from Afghanistan after all that is basically telling the world that all lives do not matter, and that some lives are a special sort of worthless.

So what's the alternative? Keeping troops there indefinitely?

Golly, we'd have to put effort into making people's lives better? Not worth it then.

"Oh, but those aren't our citizens, we don't have to care about them."

Fine. Valid point. A: So why do we have to care about any part of the rest of the world? B: We went in there and wrecked their country, right or wrong, maybe we should set it to rights before we leave?

"But our troops are dying over there!"

Okay, so some lives do matter more than others. Just say it out loud. You've got plenty of friends out there who want America to go home and stop being the world's policeman.

“The winding path to peace is always a worthy one, regardless of how many turns it takes.”

I'm not up on the nuances of how "policing" Afghanistan is helping people. Maybe you can fill me in. I'm aware that NGOs are doing their damnedest to provide education (especially for girls) and medical care, but can they only do that under the aegis of a U.S. military presence? Again, is there no alternative? Suggest something you think will work.

When in doubt, quote an evil Jedi. If that's how you feel, why haven't you served?

Agree with that last sentence 100%, and I'm not suggesting "ducking out." But there needs to be some sort of transition out of the longest war in American history.

I can think of nothing else currently beyond overwhelming force to keep the monsters at least partially in check and allow society to advance past them. Malala and her buddies need more time to infect society with their crazy ideas, push their Overton window towards basic civilization.

We can't just write off a portion of the planet.

I wasn't suggesting "writing it off," but given the history of the region, overwhelming force has failed again and again and again. If that's all you can come up with, why does it have to be U.S.-led? Are the Brits still in-country? What about an international coalition like, yanno, the U.N.?

So what if an evil Jedi said it, do you not think that we should make an effort to make peace and have an exit strategy? You’re the one that questioned if we should stay there indefinitely.

So how about you come up with a Real-Life exit strategy?

First thing we need to is get the Taliban back to the negotiation table and then go from there. Unless and until we open up a dialogue with them, nothin's going to ever change.

I'd love your asshole to negotiate with my fist. We'll open up more than dialogue, friendo.

And don't even try to complain about it, compromise is so important.



OH AND WHAT DO YOU BET FEDERAL FUCKUP DOESN'T SUPPORT NEGOTIATING WITH SOCIALISTS

That chip weighs heavily on your shoulder.

I'm skeptical. You've got over eight different ethnic groups speaking 10 different languages. Talk about the Tower of Babel -! The U.S. tried putting Karzai in charge because he spoke perfect English and was so well-dressed, but he turned out to be no less corrupt than anyone else. Worth a try, I suppose. It'll still go south once the troops leave, but Afghanistan is not so much a country as a mirage, IMO.

What elements of Taliban ideology and practice do you think are compatible with the rest of the human race? Name them.

I'll wait.

Your troops are well out of it. Easy for you to swagger and play "glass 'em."

I'd happily have my troops back.

Said the armchair general.

Their ideology doesn't have to be compatible for us to negotiate an end to hostilities. But don't take my word for it, take it from someone who has actual military experience.

https://nationalinterest.org/feature/3-step-exit-strategy-afghanistan-24607

Lol.









You got the whole squad laughing.

Well, Dayton, you can always enlist.

Perhaps you can also explain which elements of Taliban ideology you're happy to compromise with?

"Because it's always the same. When you fire that first shot, no matter how right you feel, you have no idea who's going to die! You don't know whose children are going to scream and burn! How many hearts will be broken! How many lives shattered! How much blood will spill until everybody does until what they were always going to have to do from the very beginning. Sit down and talk!"

Call me why Zygons start murdering Jews and Christians just for being Jews and Christians, or when Zygon females aren't allowed to leave their home unattended or receive education.

The Taliban aren't Zygons. The Taliban aren't the Hath. They're not the Ice Warriors. They're not the Ood.

They're the Scyorax, but they're never going to leave peacefully.


"There are some corners of the universe which have bred the most terrible things. Things which act against everything we believe in. They must be fought!"

Call me after you've killed all the Taliban. Are you sure you're not a closet American?