Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Maybe this is why our foreign policy seems to be outdated in many ways.
From my own questioning of our current wisdom in foreign policy, the one thing I have noticed most of all is that anything short of intervening everywhere is considered isolationist. The term less interventionist apparently doesn't exist because apparently either you intervene everywhere or you wall yourself in a cave and there is no scaled approach. *shrugs*
In any event, it seems our straw is focused on the Middle East with almost 99% of our gaze, while the rest of the world carries on forward. Like our shock and surprise at the Russian response in Georgia.
In any event, it seems our straw is focused on the Middle East with almost 99% of our gaze, while the rest of the world carries on forward. Like our shock and surprise at the Russian response in Georgia.
... the focus on MEast would be fine provided we were handling it well, which we are not. You mentioned you saw C/Wilson's war. The jehadis in Afghanistan are all leftover from the Russian era (which the movie alludes to). There is open support (funding, narco-profits etc) in many regions of Pak/Afghanistan for these people. Saudi has gone largely unchallenged in its indirect involvement with 9-11. So has Pakistan in its indirect attacks in India or its sale of nuclear technologies. Iraq was almost a $800 billion disaster. Iran is the big winner of the Iraqi war with its main rival weakened and with US unable to curb its nuclear ambitions. The moment we want "democracy", we get into trouble - look at Hezbollah's (sp?) democratic rise, and election problems (assasinations etc) in Pakistan. And then there is our absolute unwavering support to Israel (there is much more debate of Israeli govt policies within their parliament than within the US House / Senate). Despite our MiddleEast focus, our foreign policy there has been a failure.
US ground control has always been spotty and limited there. It controls Kabul and ..and ..and ...OK , just Kabul. Well most of it. OK actually the entire downtown area. Alright, would you believe 10 blocks?
That's what you get when your country is run by a moron who wandered off instead on a wild-goose chase looking for the "man who tried to kill my pappy!" a few countries away.
Thats the horror of Aghanistan . The Pushtun people have been held captive by one outside militia after another.
Which is why they operate in tribal war lords but no one there can beat the Taliban.
Most villages there are just that poor villages no protection so not like war lords in every village as far from it.
The Taliban has lots of outside help,resources and big pockets to buy weapons
Thats the horror of Aghanistan . The Pushtun people have been held captive by one outside militia after another.
Which is why they operate in tribal war lords but no one there can beat the Taliban.
Most villages there are just that poor villages no protection so not like war lords in every village as far from it.
The Taliban has lots of outside help,resources and big pockets to buy weapons
Basically the same problem we have in Compton with the Crips...
US ground control has always been spotty and limited there. It controls Kabul and ..and ..and ...OK , just Kabul. Well most of it. OK actually the entire downtown area. Alright, would you believe 10 blocks?
That's what you get when your country is run by a moron who wandered off instead on a wild-goose chase looking for the "man who tried to kill my pappy!" a few countries away.
Like the saying goes "Afghanistans Prime Minister controls his actual back yard nothing else and only due to our guards is he kept alive in his backyard"
Many of his guards are bearded ,tanned American special forces .
US ground control has always been spotty and limited there. It controls Kabul and ..and ..and ...OK , just Kabul. Well most of it. OK actually the entire downtown area. Alright, would you believe 10 blocks?
I referred to a really good piece on the situation that I still can't remember where I put it... Anywho, one of the interesting things it mentioned was the early abandonment of the ground gained during the early phase of the conflict. Once we turned to face Iraq, Afghanistan returned to point reminiscent of the post Soviet era in 1990. I even made a few threads over the past year or so about how we "forgot" about Afghanistan and as you might guess, I was met with chuckles and ooorah, were kickin butt.
However the lost of ground seems to be getting more like a geometric progression and I half expect to turn the tube on one day to find what is left of the UN holed up in an embassy, awaiting an airlift and a Time Life photo op.
Quote:
Originally Posted by calmdude
... the focus on MEast would be fine provided we were handling it well, which we are not. You mentioned you saw C/Wilson's war. The jehadis in Afghanistan are all leftover from the Russian era (which the movie alludes to). There is open support (funding, narco-profits etc) in many regions of Pak/Afghanistan for these people. Saudi has gone largely unchallenged in its indirect involvement with 9-11. So has Pakistan in its indirect attacks in India or its sale of nuclear technologies. Iraq was almost a $800 billion disaster. Iran is the big winner of the Iraqi war with its main rival weakened and with US unable to curb its nuclear ambitions. The moment we want "democracy", we get into trouble - look at Hezbollah's (sp?) democratic rise, and election problems (assasinations etc) in Pakistan. And then there is our absolute unwavering support to Israel (there is much more debate of Israeli govt policies within their parliament than within the US House / Senate). Despite our MiddleEast focus, our foreign policy there has been a failure.
In addition to the troubling signs out of Afghanistan, the rhetoric between India and Pakistan is really starting to heat up. Being Pakistan is one of the keys in maintaining stability in Afghanistan, it should make a difficult situation all the more interesting.
Thats the horror of Aghanistan . The Pushtun people have been held captive by one outside militia after another.
Which is why they operate in tribal war lords but no one there can beat the Taliban.
Most villages there are just that poor villages no protection so not like war lords in every village as far from it.
The Taliban has lots of outside help,resources and big pockets to buy weapons
Sounds like they need the UN to step in and set things right.
The Taliban has lots of outside help,resources and big pockets to buy weapons
.. and a lot of the money is coming from narcotics, open fundraising in Pakistan and some segments of Saudi Arabia. We can thank our allies.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
