Quote (Plaguefear @ 16 Aug 2021 09:53)

90% of the taliban leadership will be in the palace in Kabul celebrating right this second.

Quote (Goomshill @ Aug 16 2021 06:03am)

The Taliban taking control when the US left was inevitable. Everything else wasn't. We could have easily staged a clean exit, disarmed the ANA, withdrew westerners in an orderly fashion and closed up shop before the Taliban arrived at Kabul.
There was never any plausible scenario that resembled the fiction we kept being sold, that the ANA would somehow hold the Taliban in check and Afghan government would continue to exist. None of that made a lick of sense and we knew it.
The takeaway won't be a politician ending a bitter war, it will be a commander fucking up a retreat in an embarrassing rout. It was an exit without a strategy, a complete and utter failure of leadership.

2022 won't be a debate stage, it will be this footage played on every TV in America during ad time.

Quote (IceMage @ Aug 16 2021 05:12am)

Disarming the Afghans before leaving, ahead of a Taliban takeover, is probably worse optics than the inevitable videos of the Taliban using our equipment.

Again, Americans don't care that much about Afghanistan, they wanted out, and I think in 2024 it's pretty easy for Biden to counter the criticism. He could honestly just parrot what Trump has said about the conflict and pulling out, and it would go okay.

I suppose a midterm message which included this failure of leadership makes sense, but as a standalone message it's weaksauce.

Quote (Saucisson6000 @ 16 Aug 2021 11:46)

no because it's an embarrassing backyard.
funny thing is if some day china does something here, americans would give money or weapons to talibans (they already did in the past btw)

Quote (Goomshill @ Aug 16 2021 11:31am)

Some more footage shows that there were about 8+ people sitting on the landing gear door of a C-17 as it was moving on the runway
..which swings under to close after takeoff

At least some flights were stopped on the runway, turned around and tried again after mobs were still on the tarmac, but it looks like the situation at kabul is so chaotic they're clearing flights even as afghans literally cling to the sides of them for a guaranteed death
here's what the situation looks like right now;

https://files.catbox.moe/bzizr0.mp4

Gonna be more dead before this is under control

Quote (JohnnyMcCoy @ Aug 16 2021 04:32am)

these same fighting age men surrendered without a fight and now want to jump on a plane out

fucking trash, seriously

https://twitter.com/MacaesBruno/status/1427210941561778178?s=19

darwin award winner 2021

Quote (fender @ 16 Aug 2021 10:25)

apparently you haven't been paying attention to how china conducts its business in unstable regions to get ahead of its competition, which is significantly more efficient than the old ham-fisted proxy war or nation building approach. they back the ruling party and all other emerging parties, regardless of any ideological / political differences, to achieve their goal - which often is to construct massive, chinese "populated" infrastructure projects in order to extract resources or establish trade hubs. they don't openly mess with those countries' internal power struggles and will negotiate with whoever is in charge.

this is a big opportunity for china for sure, economically as well as propaganda wise.

Quote (LoverManGenius @ Aug 16 2021 12:37pm)

Turns out its easier raping Swedish girls than it is standing up to militias in your own country.

Quote (Djunior @ 16 Aug 2021 10:54)

Don't worry the "pogressives" in EU will say wir schaffen das and trigger huge streams of migrants once again. Other migrant nationalities seizing the opportunity and tagging along, of course.

EU civilians better prepare for another stream of hardcore muslims entering their society, remember the mass assaults like Cologne Germany 2015-2016 caused by the massive immigration spike back then.

BTW the rape of Scandinavian women prompted responses like this one here, beware the cringe

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s2Uru_vZZ8U

Quote (Saucisson6000 @ Aug 16 2021 07:05am)

how much dozens or hundreds of millions in the NRA scam scandals ? or in build da wall trick ?