Afghanistan

[Tao_Equus]

Over here in the UK there is massive politicisation of the ongoing Afghanistan campaign mostly due to accusations of serious under-provision for the troops fighting there. Though some of my friends are happy, they are smoking types of hash they have not had access to for decades brought back by...?, how are folk here feeling and thinking about this war? Does anybody think the 'coalition' can win a war in Afghanistan?

 

[wil]

Let's see, an area of loose 'tribal' rule for centuries...Conoco spends money acquiring land rights to put a major oil pipeline thru the country...negotiating with each leader along the way. While the Russians are trying to invade so they can get a peace of the action, and while the two forces of the world are trying to see what resources they can control the Taliban rallies folks to fight the infidels from both sides. US surrepticiously provides funds for the group some fella named Osama bin Laden is with so they'll have money to fight the ruskies...ruskies back off, Taliban gets stronger, Conoco backs out and tells congress they won't work on the pipeline until the Taliban is out, Osama, 911, Taliban ousted, poppies and Conoco and blackmarket money back in...more chaos...and now we are going to 'fix it'

That is what I lkie about our new gov't ..... change....no more giving ambassadorships to cronies....change...oops...nevermind.

War? who are we fighting, what are we fighting for, who will benefit in the end and haved we asked them if they want our help....oh I forgot, we know better than them...nevermind.

 

[iBrian]

Has anyone ever won a war in Afghanistan?

 

[citizenzen]

War? who are we fighting, what are we fighting for, who will benefit in the end and haved we asked them if they want our help....oh I forgot, we know better than them...nevermind.

What the Hell are we doing over there? Can we please just let people govern themselves?

I have been terribly disappointed in Obama as he continues to perpetuate the idiotic American mind-set that the military is the way to solve social / political problems.

 

[nativeastral]

they are and have been just pawns and now ostensibly this is where the war on terrorism is concentrated...meanwhile developments are afoot elsewhere while focus is on there no doubt...war games and cat and mouse tactics that politicians just love to deflect from homegrown problems [eg no drinking water in Mississippi]

 

[Faithfulservant]

So, its not just Bush and the republicans being warmongers...?? lol had to say it.

ok seriously now...so Im worried because my nephew just joined the Marine Corp. When he said he was enlisting last year I thought it would be ok because all President Obama was saying was that he was pulling troops out..not sending them in.

 

[GlorytoGod]

The Taliban are evil and danger to the whole region and the world at large, someone needs to stop them.

If that someone is the USA, UK and whoever else is involved then they have to stop pissing around and get on with it, with full commitment either that or dont be there at all a half hearted effort is a waste of time really.

 

[shawn]

The Canadian gov't has just let us know that they are happy to inform us that they are spending 5 billion dollars to upgrade the military vehicles being used currently, but they are cutting things like healthcare and many other social programs at home.
How nice
Makes me so happy

 

[citizenzen]

The Canadian gov't has just let us know that they are happy to inform us that they are spending 5 billion dollars to upgrade the military vehicles being used currently, but they are cutting things like healthcare and many other social programs at home.

Looks like the good old U.S.A. is rubbing off on you Canucks. Yes, there's nothing like spending billions on the military while cutting back on programs for the poor, the sick and the elderly. What have they done for you lately anyway?

Welcome to my world Shawn.

 

[shawn]

It is a forehead slapper to be sure.
Thanks for the welcome, but I have been a longtime resident in this awareness already.

 

[iBrian]

The Taliban are evil and danger to the whole region and the world at large, someone needs to stop them.

No one seemed to think that before 9/11.

Or, at least, Afghanistan was seriously low down on the international political stage. Grumble about the Taliban, but with no real resources, nothing to care about.

Even Somalia has some oil, but there seems to be little international interest in the country, other than to stop the maritime piracy.

 

[GlorytoGod]

No one seemed to think that before 9/11.

Or, at least, Afghanistan was seriously low down on the international political stage. Grumble about the Taliban, but with no real resources, nothing to care about.

Even Somalia has some oil, but there seems to be little international interest in the country, other than to stop the maritime piracy.

I dont have all the answers Brian which will no doubt come as a suprise to you

but I think its best not ignore the danger of the taliban and the spreading of their ideology.

 

[wil]

No one seemed to think that before 9/11.

Or, at least, Afghanistan was seriously low down on the international political stage. Grumble about the Taliban, but with no real resources, nothing to care about.

Even Somalia has some oil, but there seems to be little international interest in the country, other than to stop the maritime piracy.

Afghanistan, the Taliban and the United States (by Nafeez Mosaddeq Ahmed) - Media Monitors Network

There were more than a few screamng about it...

Ollie North and Unical both testified before congress of the problem, Fatima a friend of mine had the human rights abuses in every memu in her Afgani restaurant, a percentage of every meal went to help the abused women, but you are correct most of it fell on deaf ears....

Just as all stuff will as long as our cable tv still works....

 

[citizenzen]

I dont have all the answers Brian which will no doubt come as a suprise to you

Brian wasn't commenting on all your answers, just that one.

What you may not know is that the rise of the Taliban came during a time when Afghanistan was run by brutal and corrupt warlords. There was a need for new leadership. I'm not saying that the Taliban were the answer, just that life wasn't all peace, love and flowers before they came on the scene.

but I think its best not ignore the danger of the taliban and the spreading of their ideology.

The problem isn't their ideology. The problem occurs when government and religion merge and force the citizens to adhere to religious law, even when they don't practice that religion. Don't you agree G2G?

BTW, it's interesting to note that Saudi Arabia has an equally oppressive civil rights record when it comes to the freedom of women. And yet they are our allies. It seems like we can get along with that ideology... when it suits our needs.

 

[GlorytoGod]

Brian wasn't commenting on all your answers, just that one.

What you may not know is that the rise of the Taliban came during a time when Afghanistan was run by brutal and corrupt warlords. There was a need for new leadership. I'm not saying that the Taliban were the answer, just that life wasn't all peace, love and flowers before they came on the scene.




The problem isn't their ideology. The problem occurs when government and religion merge and force the citizens to adhere to religious law, even when they don't practice that religion. Don't you agree G2G?

well that is Islam really, government and religion all rolled into one.

BTW, it's interesting to note that Saudi Arabia has an equally oppressive civil rights record when it comes to the freedom of women. And yet they are our allies. It seems like we can get along with that ideology... when it suits our needs.

well like I said to Brian, I dont have all the answers neither do I have all the facts, I'm sorry if that comes as a shock to you

but given what I do know I think the Taliban should be stopped as IMO they are a danger to the whole region.

the Saudi's have wealth and power in other words oil which clearly counts for a lot.

 

[citizenzen]

well like I said to Brian, I dont have all the answers neither do I have all the facts, I'm sorry if that comes as a shock to you

Do my posts register shock?

Normally, when shocked I'll include one of these...

I'm really quite used to your answers G2G.

You overestimate their shock value.

 

[citizenzen]

G2G, the main problem that I see is that even though you admit you don't know "all the answers" you leap to the conclusion that, "The Taliban are evil and danger to the whole region and the world at large, someone needs to stop them."

Don't you think that before you advocate going in with guns a'blazing, that you should know the answers?

Are you a proponent of shoot first and ask questions later?

 

[shawn]

Why do people think that the Taliban is evil?
They have done far less than the superpowers as far as evil goes from what I have read.
Suppose you lived in a small country which had mineral resources which you hadn't developed and first one superpower and then another comes in and wages war, first covert infiltration and then overt obliteration, primarily to obtain access to the mineral resources of the country.
I know that if My relatives and friends had been slaughtered by greedy warmongers I would be running to the caves and looking for an AK myself.
(disclaimer: shawn is not a moslem nor supports the moslem religion nor any affiliated terrorist activities. This is just hypothetical opinion.)

 

[nativeastral]

Probably 9/11 more than anything else though the media has manifested them into the only muslim monster worth pursuing now iraq and iran has become second rate news; our boys need to fight and die just to create anger and angst and to keep the illusion that our politicians are busy doing the best they can.

[disclaimer: nativeastral is not a member of any organisation or political party and is just spouting out opinions that may not even be her own]

 

[citizenzen]

While I'm not trying to paint the Taliban as good guys, I think the main issue is that the country is in a state of civil war. Who were the "good guys" when the United States was embroiled in civil war? The circumstance breeds the worst of human nature, by all sides.

What I'd like to see is the United States cease its role as world police and turn the problem over to the United Nations. I had hoped that Obama would not follow the path of Bush. It's time we stopped listening to generals. Their advice always seems to involve the military. (Imagine that!)

I'll just have to vote more often for Green Party members (the party I'm registered with) instead of fantasizing that Democrats will act any differently from Republicans.