Not that this was unexpected but the Taliban are sweeping all before them.

Otto Harkaman posted a link on China and Afghanistan.

Hmm Will China be the next country who will try to suppress the Afghan people and beat Taliban ?

if this would be the case I think China would have a better chance-They don't have to take democracy into consideration.

Best thing is leave Afghanistan alone.

Markus

I think it's a superpower thing Markus, 2 have tried and failed already and now it's China's turn, if they stick to infrastructure building they'll be ok, but they won't, eventually they'll want a say in how to run Afghanistan and that's where they too will fail.

I guess you're right

I was thinking like-The Chinese does not have to stand trail to their media when they have killed 50 civilians in their effort to get 5 Taliban.

You do not kill civilian(my point)

Markus

Which Taliban faction are we talking about? I’m guessing their several moving in various parts of the country jockeying for position. My other guess is we may also be supporting one or more of those groups.

I say:
Leave Afghanistan alone, let them fight their own war. Try to impose an effective blockade of the country-This to prevent weapons getting into the country
(I know weapon will come into the country whatever our leaders do)

Markus

If they go in, the Chiense will try to bribe and elase themselves in, then try to abuse the guilt their debtors have mounted. I do not think they will go in militarily.

That calculation sounds promising at first, but an old Afghan saying is about that you can never forever buy an Afghan, only temporarily hire him. History shows this to be true.You do not buy yourself in in Afghanistan.

I wonder whether the Chinese step into the trap or not. They might think their approach is superior. Well, it works great in Africa and on the Balkan and brings many states into dependecny form China, and in the EU's flank it is a poisonous arrow with hooks on it. But I am quite confident it will not work in Afghanistan. Possible however that the Chinese then become so furious that they start runnign amok then. Not hot but ice-cold amok, of course. They already commit genocide against many minorities and ethnicities, they will not suddenly grow moral scruples.

Stay well out of it....no good will ever come of it.

Looks like the Biden administration is all talk but so far no action.



https://www.foxnews.com/world/milita...-afghan-allies

Well, that's another war we lost. Cannot believe how pitiful the Afghans are, they had freedom in their grasp, handed to them on a silver platter, and after 20 years of protection, they give it away.

Stupid Biden administration.

What a waste. :(

Biden? He just draws the consequences needed. Or did you wish for staying another 20, 30 years there, being rewarded with nothing but stagnation that would reverse thigns to their worst status before the moment you one day pull out in one generation?

In the wake of 9-11 the US had certain hard reasons to go in and do what it did. It achieved those missions by trial and error and patience, but the problem were the follow-up ideas of nation-building and exporting democracy. Totally stupid idea in that part of the world, it is not civilised Germany or disciplined Japan. That is what broke the operation its neck. Not the original reason - the follow up ideas were the problem.

The way Bagram was left, probably was a good idea. To prevent the retreating last troops being shot in their back and their transports being "misseled down". And finally, there was no reason to walk out with a parade. The mission was not a success story, so silently leaving is somewhat adequate.

Worse is if the troops do not get politically recognised in their home country, like in Germany. Your troops silently sneaked out. But the German troops were met with total and complete political ignoration on their return to Germany. By the government. By the ministry, by the parliament. Disgusting. I do not want a parade, I do not like parades. But a welcoming back home. Some gesture showing class and format. Anything. Instead: nothing. To not remind of how totally orientationless the German political caste, responsible for and in command of this blind, clueless tapping around in the Afghan maze, has acted in the past 20 years.

End of an era.
 

I think that as my title says. This is the end of an era. Where many lives were taken, a lot of suffering happened. And all sadly for nothing. We can see from the Soviet Afghan war, Israeli Lebanese war and many others that this type of nation building with deep changing of the society just can't work, sadly it took many lives to see this. I hope that this end of an era, 20 years to be exact will give some wisdom to the US commanders, but I think I'm being positive here.


“History never repeats itself. Man always does.”