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President Biden: The NEW one and only politics thread

Discussion in 'Sports and News' started by Moderator1, Jan 20, 2021.

Page 1410 of 8882
  1. The Big Ragu

    The Big Ragu Moderator Staff Member

    I am not sure I understand why you are asking that.

    It's in our interest to stop them. Although, I'd point out that it is a portion of what they bring in. They are swimming in money from diversified sources. So shut down the drug trade (if we could) and it probably doesn't stop them.

    But to the extent it's in our interest to cut off their opium sales. ... the questions for me are: Can we? And if we even can, what is the cost (i.e. -- does the likely cost outweight the benefit)?
     
    The Big Ragu, Aug 13, 2021
    #16909
  2. TigerVols

    TigerVols Well-Known Member

    Perhaps I should have said it’s impossible to stop the Taliban in Afghanistan so why try?
     
    TigerVols, Aug 13, 2021
    #16910
  3. The Big Ragu

    The Big Ragu Moderator Staff Member

    I don't know that it is impossible to stop them. I just think in terms of costs vs. benefits. When we rush in with force, especially in places like that which are quagmires, we become our own worst enemy.

    Americans think in terms of flash-bang-get-rid-of-them-quickly kind of action. And we suck at it.

    I think that is impossible. At least at a cost people would be willing to accept. But what we can do is throw up roadblocks that make it more difficult for them and which come with a much more acceptable cost. Eventually, if anything gets rid of them it's going to be them doing it to themselves. Things will have to get shitty enough there, without an American force around for them to scapegoat and use as a distraction, where the place implodes on itself. Unfortunately. ... from a humanitarian standpoint, that is going to create a heartbreaking situation. But it's the same as when people on here tell me about all their great intentions with some domestic policy. Wanting to help is not the same as necessarily being able to at a cost that is acceptable to us. We seem to have learned slowly that intentions are not the same as results in that realm.
     
    The Big Ragu, Aug 13, 2021
    #16911
    wicked likes this.
  4. dixiehack

    dixiehack Well-Known Member

    Trump botched the execution of how to end this war, but he handed Biden a gift by making it practically irreversible. It also helps that Democrats are slowly learning that trying to posture as rough and tough on the military is never enough to satisfy the GI Joe wannabes that are never voting for them anyway. It sucks to lose but it is time to recognize the loss, not try some Greg Schiano shit to rush the quarterback on a kneel down.
     
    dixiehack, Aug 13, 2021
    #16912
  5. Songbird

    Songbird Well-Known Member

    The hate for Greg Schiano lol ...
     
    Songbird, Aug 13, 2021
    #16913
    Woody Long likes this.
  6. Justin_Rice

    Justin_Rice Well-Known Member


    Hey - it's one thing I give Trump credit for.

    After 17 years of "we're fighting them there so we don't have to fight them there" and "Obama caused Isis by pulling out of Iraq!" and "surrender monkeys!" and "you don't tell the enemy you're pulling out!", somehow Donald Trump turned the entire GOP into libertarians when it comes to foreign adventures .... mostly because they were unwilling to repudiate the stupid things he would say when talking from his ass.
     
    Justin_Rice, Aug 13, 2021
    #16914
    Baron Scicluna, 2muchcoffeeman, garrow and 3 others like this.
  7. Neutral Corner

    Neutral Corner Well-Known Member

    I agree that it was long past time to get out of there. We should have gone in there and flattened the terrorists and their training camps and gotten out, and left Iraq alone while we were at it. We didn't, and that decision has cost us twenty years of American blood and treasure.

    I also understand that what is coming for the non-crazy or secular Afghans, particularly anyone who helped us in any way, anyone who wanted their daughter to go to school, and in particular for reporters and educated women is rule by people who are a hundred times worse than the worst Trumpist. People who bomb and shoot and decapitate those they call enemies and think nothing of it. Most of them are too poor to flee, and that wouldn't be easy if they tried. Those poor bastards are about to be living in hell. I don't think anyone who lives here has any idea just how bad things are going to get for them.
     
    Neutral Corner, Aug 13, 2021
    #16915
    Spartan Squad, Mngwa, 2muchcoffeeman and 2 others like this.
  8. Justin_Rice

    Justin_Rice Well-Known Member


    Gratz to all of us for winning the birthing lottery, having managed to get ourselves born in the United States, instead of a place like - say - Afghanistan.
     
    Justin_Rice, Aug 13, 2021
    #16916
    lakefront, wicked and OscarMadison like this.
  9. Neutral Corner

    Neutral Corner Well-Known Member

    Ours don't decapitate their enemies in the street, then release the video.
     
    Neutral Corner, Aug 13, 2021
    #16917
  10. dixiehack

    dixiehack Well-Known Member

    Give it 50 years.
     
    dixiehack, Aug 13, 2021
    #16918
    TigerVols likes this.
  11. Songbird

    Songbird Well-Known Member

    Isn't China the next gutter whore that Afghanistan is getting into bed with?
     
    Songbird, Aug 13, 2021
    #16919
  12. OscarMadison

    OscarMadison Well-Known Member

    Yet.

    Edit: Are we sharing a brain this morning?
     
    OscarMadison, Aug 13, 2021
    #16920
    dixiehack and Songbird like this.
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