Obama pulling out of Afghan

[Lone Wolf '49]

To control the poppy fields. 95% of the heroin around the world comes from Afghanistan. It's just a huge coincidence that we needed to also go there to somehow preserve and protect our freedom here.

Madd, excellent points. I am trying to keep my ol' loose trap shut here, BUT. I have a younger friend, former military, he doesn't talk about his military experience, but it was prior to 9/11, and he was in Pakistan in the 80's if that gives you an idea. Anyway, he spent two plus years as a construction contractor/supervisor in Afghan until about two years ago. Now, what I am going to try and impress here is that those people WILL not change, they are for the most part, still stone age. Some of the things he told me he saw I could not believe, but while he was there I was a subscriber to the DOD's whatever email, news thing. One day there was a briefing in Kabul and they addressed the or one of the exact things he had told me of. These people still use rocks to wipe their asses. My friend had seen what the problem causes, rocks down the toilets clogging them up. Now, that is just the bottom, if you will of the problem. All are corrupt. He still believes and I do now that we should carpet bomb the country, especially the poppy/opium areas forever, until they are gone forever. Now, I am going out on a limb here and suggest we build a new munitions/bomb plant in Okinawa where, I believe the wing of B52's are based that used to be at Altus and Clinton Sherman AF bases here in OK, they could supply the bombs day and night for that operation. All the bombs from our great McAlester plant can go to the Middle East, cause we are going to need them. Of course, I am old and silly but that makes more sense to me. Now, we all know that won't happen.

 

[SMS]

We should be in it to win it, or get out. No half measures, politically timed drawdowns or other bickering...pour it on or pack it up.

Warfighting 101: Don't tell your enemy when you are quitting the fight.

 

[Lone Wolf '49]

We should be in it to win it, or get out. No half measures, politically timed drawdowns or other bickering...pour it on or pack it up.

Warfighting 101: Don't tell your enemy when you are quitting the fight.

That goes without saying, but have we or you heard or seen common sense from this REGIME the last two years? I know other administrations have done things but what else can I say? A lot, but you don't want to here it all. Thanks.

 

[KOPBET]

I'm glad he's pulling out. Too bad his daddy didn't.

 

[cjjtulsa]

Now, what I am going to try and impress here is that those people WILL not change, they are for the most part, still stone age.

That is a big part of the problem. A buddy of mine spent a year or so in Afghanistan, and said those people are tribal, and always will be. He said trying to force our way of government, and our way of life on them is a lost cause. Even if we impose our way of government on them, they'll likely act like a united group until just after we leave, then split right back up into their tribes and go on the way they always have. We are sacrificing our young lives and borrowed money for that lost cause. The Afghan people are waiters; they waited out the Russians, and they'll wait us out, too. With their archaic way of life, they can wait forever, and they have centuries to wait. With our collapsing economy, we don't. They'll win again, waiting us out while we bleed dry.

 

[Nraman]

A buddy of mine spent a year or so in Afghanistan, and said those people are tribal, and always will be. He said trying to force our way of government, and our way of life on them is a lost cause. Even if we impose our way of government on them, they'll likely act like a united group until just after we leave, then split right back up into their tribes and go on the way they always have. We are sacrificing our young lives and borrowed money for that lost cause. The Afghan people are waiters; they waited out the Russians, and they'll wait us out, too. With their archaic way of life, they can wait forever, and they have centuries to wait. With our collapsing economy, we don't. They'll win again, waiting us out while we bleed dry.

We gave them a chance to have a better life, as you said they are too tribal along with cultural and religious issues, to take advantage of it.
They have a country rich in minerals that if produced would make an impact on their way of life.
The mission has been accomplished for some time (except for killing Mullah Omar). Get the heck out of there before we waste any more of our men.
Unfortunately this is most likely pre election BS and we'll lose more for nothing.
Besides we'll need those troops for the next war because we are constantly at war and always will be as long as we are tied up in the Middle East. In the mean time the Chinese are taking over.

 

[Cedar Creek]

+1 on the tribal society in Afghanistan. The folks I've talked with who have served there feel like the tribal people we call Afghans don't have any idea about being part of a large country with political boundries and a central government in some urban area far away. Kinda like Okies...

Cedar Creek

 

[Shriner]

How about we leave a "it's been nice to know you "gift for them ----50 mt warhead set for 30 mintues after the last plane leaves, stashed in a box in a werehouse .