.John Derbyshire Demolishes The Need To Be In Afghanistan
The Corner's resident curmudgeon John Derbyshire demolishes the need to be in Afghanistan in a very succinct, cogent manner...
If Afghanistan-the-nation is a threat to our vital interests, let's carpet-bomb their cities, hang the leaders, impose a constitution, plant a couple of big fat military bases in strategic locations, and settle in for a 20-year occupation.
I don't believe for a minute that Afghanistan is such a threat. Does anyone? They are hosting people who are planning terrorism against us? So is London. So is Yemen. So are Denver and Minneapolis. Let's deal with that the right way: supporting legal action where law means anything, deploying special-ops teams and military hi-tech (drones, cruise missiles) where not, and being much more selective about whom we permit to settle in our country.
Counter-insurgency is a crock. "Winning hearts and minds" is sentimental slop. Please, don't hand out any candy to Afghan urchins on my dime. Let the little buggers wheedle candy from their parents, like mine have to.**
Labels: Afghan Strategy, Afghan War, Afghanistan, Counter Insurgency, Islam and War, Muslims
posted by Mister Ghost at 8:30 AM
14 Comments:
The Russians already tried that, the Muji tried that..What makes you think you'd get a better result from us trying that.
Mad Tom,
The US military is slightly more efficient than the other forces you named, especially when they're allowed by the ROE to focus solely on warfare
However.
If the US hadn't interfered in Afghanistan, when the Soviets controlled the country, the Afghani part of the Taliban may have never come to fruition and the events of 911 may have never occurred.
Certainly, it was far better for Afghan women under the Soviets than what occurred afterward and even today.
Sadly, Islamism was/is so bad, that even Soviet style communism was more beneficial to a large segment of the population.
"even Soviet style communism was more beneficial to a large segment of the population."
Well if that was true, then the opportunities offered by the US will sweep across the landscape like wildfire...
But you do understand that the fight for Afghanistan is not for Afghanistan proper, but the larger region and the Arabian peninsula..much like the war in Iraq. The enemy understands this all to well.
Well if that was true, then the opportunities offered by the US will sweep across the landscape like wildfire...
Hardly. Our politically correct respect for Islam ironically condemns women and children to more of the same. Less harsh, but slavery nonetheless. And wake up call here--- a large and growing portion of the human race prefers almost benign slavery to personal responsibility. That's what Iraq taught me.
"human race prefers almost benign slavery to personal responsibility."
Well we are just going to have to break them of that.
You say you want a Revolution? I don't think it's that far off. I'm still looking for the explanation of how the US government survives the debt equivalent to half a million per household... and counting. I know the plan is to devalue the dollar quickly, but not too quickly. But how the government survives is beyond me. Will we go passively into third world status if led there slowly enough? Can you feel the pan getting hot, yet?
Well, somewhere inbetween, there is room to grow out of some of that debt. And if the Chinese can find someone still willing to trade US paper for hard goods, and commodities, the dollar survives.
Just today someone sold 130 something billion in treasuries, who needs the Chinese if middle America supports the dollar. The Us Middle class is still stronger than the worlds economies combined. The Chinese don't yet understand their mistake, pray they never do.
You are delusional. Do the math and get back to me on how we grow out of any of that debt. I'll settle for the math that shows how we grow enough to just stop ADDING to that debt at the rate of less than a trillion plus dollars a year. Where do you see the economic explosion that will bring a GDP growth rate of 8% adjusted for the next decade? Homes? Autos? Or do you buy into the new miracle energy based economy? The Chinese have made no mistake. They and their fellow Communists have destroyed us on the cheap using our own naive idealism against us. Free trade! Global trade! Bring liberty and justice to all! CO2 caps to save the globe! Free health care! Free homes!---- sorry to be so negative, but it is over. It's gonna have to be destroyed to be saved at this point. My goal is to try to live long enough to see it.
Windows 7?
If you ask me, that screeching sound you hear,,that's the economy coming to screeching halt...I just hope we are near the bottom now....
Long range, who knows.
Watch you ass out there, Darwin's on the loose
If it comes down to Darwin, I've seen the competition and I'm not overly concerned, just well armed.
What you need though, is adaptive-ness
but I guess it wont hurt to be well armed too.
I grew up living on a river, living and working on farms, built things my whole life making do with old equipment and hand tools---- we'll be fine. I came within an unplanned pregnancy of moving to Alaska and homesteading between building fish processing plants in the 80's. I'm not scared, just prepared. I'm torn between hoping it's a slow slide and hoping it just drops off a cliff so the climb up can get started already.
"I grew up living on a river, living and working on farms, built things my whole life making do with old equipment and hand tools---- "
Pass it on to the young. A good Jedi master always has an apprentice.
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