Dissident Politics: Any thoughts on Afghanistan?

Etiquette

DP Etiquette

First rule: Don't be a jackass.

Other rules: Do not attack or insult people you disagree with. Engage with facts, logic and beliefs. Out of respect for others, please provide some sources for the facts and truths you rely on if you are asked for that. If emotion is getting out of hand, get it back in hand. To limit dehumanizing people, don't call people or whole groups of people disrespectful names, e.g., stupid, dumb or liar. Insulting people is counterproductive to rational discussion. Insult makes people angry and defensive. All points of view are welcome, right, center, left and elsewhere. Just disagree, but don't be belligerent or reject inconvenient facts, truths or defensible reasoning.

Monday, August 16, 2021

Any thoughts on Afghanistan?

The end of the end game is starting to become clear. The next few days ought to shed more light on the end of the very end. For example, will the Taliban allow militarily unopposed flights out to evacuate Americans and allies, or will we have to fight our way out on foot into Pakistan? Will the US actually be able to evacuate its allies? How many will be left behind? Who lied to the American people, when did they lie and who gets what share of credit or blame? What did the former president do or not do to prepare the US to get out by the May 1, 2021 deadline that the usually incompetent Lyin' Donnie "negotiated," assuming he actually negotiated anything of substance? What did Biden do well or badly? What whoppers did Obama and Bush lay on us? How culpable is the US intelligence community for not coming close to reading the situation, assuming they did misread it?

Taken together, the answers will help shape reasonable answers to who gets how much credit and/or blame. Over the next month or two, it is reasonable to expect more important information to come out. That could reasonably change assessments made now.