How was Biden's speech an explanation on Afghanistan?

[Chomsky]

To be honest, the polling questions are stilted to favor of Biden.
There wasn't one I could accept, so I didn't vote.
That might be a more prevalent response than you might think.

Alright, I can respect that.

There should always be an 'other' option, unless you're trying to specifically force hard choices.

 

[Acadia]

With your being a Conservative, I get your distrust of some of the media. Yeah, there is influence. But, I think you're giving it too much credit. There's also a very active Right-Wing media now, too. So for many, they never even watch or read the traditional 'mainstream' media.

This incident will not 'literally' be 'forgotten', of course. But it will (likely) lose its political import.

"This" is just beginning, and Biden is off to a terrible start.
You insist that Americans will forget these images and the terrifying situation in Afghanistan-where thousands of Americans are trapped right now. But as of right now, 6000 American troops are going back (which btw, is double the number we were just told 2-3 days ago when we were told Kabul wouldn't fall for 1-3 months) and afaik, there's no definitive mission goal or time frame for when they're ALL coming back.
This is far, far, far from over.

 

[Chomsky]

“I thought Joe Biden had been wrong on almost every major foreign policy issue over the preceding 40 years.”​

Former Obama Defense Secretary and CIA chief Robert Gates​

Former Defense Secretary Gates: Pushing Away Peaceful Protesters Was 'A Bad Mistake'​

Former Defense Secretary Gates: Pushing Away Peaceful Protesters Was 'A Bad Mistake'

Gates also told NPR on Thursday that it's time to change the names of Confederate bases. "There comes a moment when things become possible and people ought to seize a moment when it presents itself."

www.npr.org

This from a senior and experienced Obama cabinet member and now proven to be accurate in at least a number of instances, establishing the track record.

Biden and his administration completely botched what might have been an orderly withdraw, not having even learned from history, the history of Saigon. The mark of incompetence.

Well, that was a tough critique.

I'm not so harsh on Biden, relieved that he had the balls to do what no President before him did. So even if it's done sloppily, at least it's done. For that, I can live with it (barring a devastating blow-up of some sorts).

 

[Chomsky]

"This" is just beginning, and Biden is off to a terrible start.
You insist that Americans will forget these images and the terrifying situation in Afghanistan-where thousands of Americans are trapped right now. But as of right now, 6000 American troops are going back (which btw, is double the number we were just told 2-3 days ago when we were told Kabul wouldn't fall for 1-3 months) and afaik, there's no definitive mission goal or time frame for when they're ALL coming back.
This is far, far, far from over.

Yes, that is the wild card - I will not deny.

So, I guess we'll see.

 

[Acadia]

Yes, that is the wild card - I will not deny.

So, I guess we'll see.

Buckle up, it's going to be a bumpy ride.

 

[eohrnberger]

Well, that was a tough critique.

Fair, but I also think that it was an honest and accurate critique.

I'm not so harsh on Biden, relieved that he had the balls to do what no President before him did. So even if it's done sloppily, at least it's done. For that, I can live with it (barring a devastating blow-up of some sorts).

Meh. B- for making the decision. F- for execution, planning and preparedness.
But I guess you'd consider that a tough critique as well?

 

[Ren]

Rate Biden's speech on Afghanistan

You left some pretty shitty choices so I had to choose the one most representative of America's stance on this degenerate.

 

[george48]

It was callous.

He said the Afghan people lost the will to fight for their country and gave up.

Such a cruel statement. Really pathetic.

That was exactley my first thought...

It did seem rather callous...

 

[PeacefulWarrior]

'I think Americans believe what the MSM shovels into their empty heads'
'If this unfolding debacle is forgotten by midterms, it will be because the same activist media who got Joe Biden elected, has decided to stay the course.'

Unfortunately the truth. Most unfortunate.

STILL your President!!!

 

[george48]

It was good enough.

He had the courage to do what earlier Presidents did not.

I do also agree with that too...

Cos the more you think about it, the more you realise that either: he got really bad intelligence when he said last month that the afgahn millitary has it under control or he is incompetend....

After refllection...I do get what he wanted to say...

 

[Chomsky]

Fair, but I also think that it was an honest and accurate critique.

Meh. B- for making the decision. F- for execution, planning and preparedness.
But I guess you'd consider that a tough critique as well?

I might go a bit higher on the decision, and leave the jury out on execution until I see how it goes. Obviously, the execution currently appears, on the surface, to be poor.

As to your critique, it's your fair opinion & I respect that. In fact, I find your opinion to usually be pretty good, and I'm often in agreement with you.

I honestly am not really sure what to make of the exit problem, because it's so damn unusual. Either we grossly mis-estimated, or there's some kind of fix occurring under the table. But I do feel extremely positive on Biden making the decision to get out, though. I might even give it an 'A'.

 

[eohrnberger]

I might go a bit higher on the decision, and leave the jury out on execution until I see how it goes. Obviously, the execution currently appears, on the surface, to be poor.

As to your critique, it's your fair opinion & I respect that. In fact, I find your opinion to usually be pretty good, and I'm often in agreement with you.

I honestly am not really sure what to make of the exit problem, because it's so damn unusual. Either we grossly mis-estimated, or there's some kind of fix occurring under the table. But I do feel extremely positive on Biden making the decision to get out, though. I might even give it an 'A'.

Now, just ask yourself, who made that same decision before Biden did?

 

[george48]

@Chomsky I do think any debate should be centered around wether the US should have stayed there for 20 odd years...

I agree with the president...Namely: NO!

What would a year more or 10 Or 20 years more do?

Still...this could have been done better and I gave reasons as to what whent wrong in my previous post as well

 

[Ren]

What’s interesting for me is that everything hes said is exactly what the American right have been saying for years now. You’d think they would be over the moon.

It's not the fact that we left, but it's HOW we left. The sudden withdrawal was NOT cool; in fact, it was cold, callous, sloppily prepared, and well, leftist in nature.

 

[Chomsky]

I do also agree with that too...

Cos the more you think about it, the more you realise that either: he got really bad intelligence when he said last month that the afgahn millitary has it under control or he is incompetend....

After refllection...I do get what he wanted to say...

I'm also leaving open the possibility of a fix or agreement having been in. Hate to sound conspiratorial, but the fall of Kabul in a one-day peaceful transition is so hard to fathom.

The Pentagon says they have been speaking to the Taliban, which I would hope means a deal has been cut to remove the U.S. sympathizers. Yeah, that's a reach. But, one can hope. Otherwise, this evacuation is fraught with all kinds of danger!

 

[stevecanuck]

I missed it because those who like Biden would say it was a great speech and those who don't would call him a senile old man.

SO will stay off of Fox and CNN so I don't have to get a partisan evaluation.

Yup. I feel preached at every time I watch either one, which is almost never now.

 

[Chomsky]

Now, just ask yourself, who made that same decision before Biden did?

i hope you're not alluding to Trump . . .

 

[george48]

I'm also leaving open the possibility of a fix or agreement having been in. Hate to sound conspiratorial, but the fall of Kabul in a one-day peaceful transition is so hard to fathom.

The Pentagon says they have been speaking to the Taliban, which I would hope means a deal has been cut to remove the U.S. sympathizers. Yeah, that's a reach. But, one can hope. Otherwise, this evacuation is fraught with all kinds of danger!

Sure...

So what I was saying is that I think Biden received bad intelligence...

It was thought that even if the Taliban take control it would take months...well...

It took days...

That must be a faliure of intelligence...

I really hear you, man...

But what agreement would that be where their pres just fled? And the whole "well trained millitary" never fought ever?

I get you...but I do not see it at all...

 

[Chomsky]

@Chomsky I do think any debate should be centered around wether the US should have stayed there for 20 odd years...

I agree with the president...Namely: NO!

What would a year more or 10 Or 20 years more do?

Still...this could have been done better and I gave reasons as to what whent wrong in my previous post as well

I agree the 'decision to leave', will be the dominate concern in political terms - going forward. And Biden will come-out looking pretty good, if no disastrous event or quagmire takes place in the evacuations.

But it's fair for the other posters to question the execution. His political opponents & supporters will try to make the execution problems stick, but I don't see it eclipsing the dominance of Biden finally getting us out.

 

[Atomic Kid]

Biden better be right. If he's wrong and the Afghan military took massive casualties, he's a national disgrace.

I can't imagine he's wrong.

The Afghan military isn't taking any heavy casualties. They pretty much simply laid down their arms, abandoned their posts or surrendered, and either went home or joined with the Taliban

 

[ecofarm]

The Afghan military isn't taking any heavy casualties. They pretty much simply laid down their arms, abandoned their posts or surrendered, and either went home or joined with the Taliban

Apparently so.

 

[Acadia]

I agree the 'decision to leave', will be the dominate concern in political terms - going forward. And Biden will come-out looking pretty good, if no disastrous event or quagmire takes place in the evacuations.

But it's fair for the other posters to question the execution. His political opponents & supporters will try to make the execution problems stick, but I don't see it eclipsing the dominance of Biden finally getting us out.

We've basically been "out" for years. Troops have been drawn down. We haven't been nation building for a very long time.
Biden acting like he's falling on the sword for finally ending the war is nothing but a huge pat on his own back.
IF this was a monumental failure of intelligence, heads should have rolled by now.
But that's not going to happen, because we will be delighted to know that Joe Biden finally ended the war...that has been ending for a decade.

 

[Chomsky]

Sure...

So what I was saying is that I think Biden received bad intelligence...

It was thought that even if the Taliban take control it would take months...well...

It took days...

That must be a faliure of intelligence...

I really hear you, man...

But what agreement would that be where their pres just fled? And the whole "well trained millitary" never fought ever?

I get you...but I do not see it at all...

I really don't either, but thought I should toss it out there.

But the quick fall & capitulation does add even more credence to Biden making the right decision, even if the execution was less than optimal.

 

[Acadia]

I really don't either, but thought I should toss it out there.

But the quick fall & capitulation does add even more credence to Biden making the right decision, even if the execution was less than optimal.

Chomksy my friend, you're not going to Bagdad Bob us now are you?

 

[Chomsky]

Chomksy my friend, you're not going to Bagdad Bob us now are you?

Haha! Yeah, it might be time to let this theory be . . .