Trump national security adviser confirms U.S. troop withdrawal in Afghanistan

[TU Curmudgeon]

The United States has sided with terrorism as often as fought against it. Case in point, at the moment we are sided with the Taliban and the Kurds against the governments of their nations. Which one is "the people"?

Which one promises to produce the most profit for American companies?

 

[TU Curmudgeon]

No, we are not sided with the Taliban against the Afghan government, especially considering that we helped repulse the Taliban’s latest offensive in Helmand only about a week or so ago.

Equally the US has not sided with the Afghan government against the Taliban (at least not since Mr. Trump became the Commander-in-Chief and discovered that the US had bought into a war that it simply could not win because (to stretch a point) in Afghanistan "stranger" and "enemy" have much the same meaning to the average Afghan.

Given how brutally the Kurds have been abused, and their willingness to fight ISIS and other such groups, trying to equate them to the Taliban is a bit absurd. They are as much a terrorist movement as the Viet Cong, and plenty of progressives supported them back in the day.

The difference between the Kurds and the Vietnamese is that the Vietnamese were fighting to recover the independence which the Vietnamese had obtained from their colonial masters (France) and which the US government had assisted the French government in quashing while the Kurds have NEVER had an independent national existence. I am sure that you are aware that the US government stands firmly on the position that

NO group has the right to independence from an existing national body UNLESS the US government doesn't like the existing national body, in which case NO existing national body has any right to refuse to allow any group which says it wants independence from it that independence.​

 

[Tigerace117]

The Taliban was NOT a "terrorist group" (backwards as their world view was) since the only thing that the Taliban was interested in was removing Western (and/or non-Muslim) influence from Afghanistan. As long as the Taliban was in power in Afghanistan al-Qa'eda (and its successors) was NOT a problem in Afghanistan.

Oh yeah thats right, the “women voting is imperialism“ shtick “progressives“ love so much. I’m sure the millions of women in the Islamic world would be delighted to know that you consider thrm having rights “non-Muslim”. After all, that’s a large part of what the Taliban are fight for.

The Taliban absolutely was and is a terrorist group, as shown by their repeated attacks against minority groups like the Hazara. I’m sure they’d, likewise, he delighted to know you don’t think the Taliban‘s routine attacks against the,— which began long before they were kicked out of power— were a “problem”. Oh and providing Osama Bin Laden a staging bass and safe haven, from which he was able to plan and launch an attack which murdered thousands of Americans. But that isn't a problem either to Canada, I forgot.

 

[Tigerace117]

As was the case in Iran before the CIA toppled the democratically elected government of Iran (and, in the name of peace and freedom) installed an absolute monarchy in order to ensure that the Iranian government would not take steps to ensure that the Iranian people were receiving a fair return on the sale of Iranian natural resources.

Do the vehement urging of the British, whose advice and perspective on the region the United States deeply trusted due to their centuries of presence in the region. But clearly the US should not have listened to the British. Oh, and trying to imply Iran was in any way “stable“ before Ajax is a bad joke regardless.

 

[Tigerace117]

Equally the US has not sided with the Afghan government against the Taliban (at least not since Mr. Trump became the Commander-in-Chief and discovered that the US had bought into a war that it simply could not win because (to stretch a point) in Afghanistan "stranger" and "enemy" have much the same meaning to the average Afghan.



The difference between the Kurds and the Vietnamese is that the Vietnamese were fighting to recover the independence which the Vietnamese had obtained from their colonial masters (France) and which the US government had assisted the French government in quashing while the Kurds have NEVER had an independent national existence. I am sure that you are aware that the US government stands firmly on the position that

​

NO group has the right to independence from an existing national body UNLESS the US government doesn't like the existing national body, in which case NO existing national body has any right to refuse to allow any group which says it wants independence from it that independence.​

Clearly the United States has been remiss, and therefore we should immediately ship as many Abrams tanks, M-16s, and Javelin anti tank launchers to the remnants of the Quebecois independence movement as they want, well as providing them our support in seizing any and all disputed territory from Canada that they so wish. After all, got to live up to your standards.

Except Vietnam‘s independence had not been quashed, and therefore arguing that they were fighting for independence against the US is laughable. Furthermore, the North Vietnamese routinely conducted terrorist attacks as part of their war effort, as well as ethnically cleansing “disloyal“ groups like the Hmong.

On the other hand, the Taliban possess no capability to defeat the Afghan government, and therefore are forced to skulk around the deep back country of Afghanistan.

 

[Metric Mouse]

]

Which one promises to produce the most profit for American companies?

Neither any more. Which is probably why we have been withdrawing for the better part of a decade.

 

[Metric Mouse]

As was the case in Iran before the CIA toppled the democratically elected government of Iran (and, in the name of peace and freedom) installed an absolute monarchy in order to ensure that the Iranian government would not take steps to ensure that the Iranian people were receiving a fair return on the sale of Iranian natural resources.

Yep. It's good to be king. Probably best to progress and let things sort themselves out going forward, now that the United States does not need the oil nor the allies that we used to buy with it. Intervention was rarely helpful to the people of the region.

 

[99percenter]

Republicans are celebrating trump being a puss.

 

[TU Curmudgeon]

Clearly the United States has been remiss, and therefore we should immediately ship as many Abrams tanks, M-16s, and Javelin anti tank launchers to the remnants of the Quebecois independence movement as they want, well as providing them our support in seizing any and all disputed territory from Canada that they so wish. After all, got to live up to your standards.

Except Vietnam‘s independence had not been quashed, and therefore arguing that they were fighting for independence against the US is laughable. Furthermore, the North Vietnamese routinely conducted terrorist attacks as part of their war effort, as well as ethnically cleansing “disloyal“ groups like the Hmong.

I see that the fact that the US government assisted the French government in ousting the Vietnamese government and re-establishing colonial rule has escaped you.

On the other hand, the Taliban possess no capability to defeat the Afghan government, and therefore are forced to skulk around the deep back country of Afghanistan.

The Afghan government, as has every imposed government in Afghanistan, doing quite a good job of ousting itself.

 

[Tigerace117]

I see that the fact that the US government assisted the French government in ousting the Vietnamese government and re-establishing colonial rule has escaped you.



The Afghan government, as has every imposed government in Afghanistan, doing quite a good job of ousting itself.

“Ousting the Vietnamese government”? So North Vietnam didn’t exist? France destroyed Ho Chi Minh’s regime and restored “colonial rule”? And you lot complain about our textbooks being bad

The Viet Minh were unable to take root in southern Vietnam. Tonkin was their main stronghold, due in large part to the sanctuaries over the Chinese border. The State of Vietnam—what would become South Vietnam—actually preceded North Vietnam by the way. The French set the State of Vietnam up in 1949; North Vietnam only formally came into existence following the Geneva Peace Conference in 1954. Therefore, arguing that the US “helped the French oust the government of Vietnam” is wrong on every level.

Not at all. The current Afghan government is actually fairly stable by Afghan standards(which, of course, are the only ones that matter).