Afghanistan

 About 15 years ago I had a boss that was from Afghanistan and he was taking his family on vacation back to  Afghanistan. When he got back 2 weeks later we had a meeting and he told what I still literally believe the most amazing story I have ever been told.  

After he finished all of us pleaded with him to write this down as it was edge of the seat excitement.  From people being hung in the town square 10 miles away to his constant bribing government officials. all the way to his family having to bribe officials to get into the airport to his family RUNNING to the plane.  If you have ever seen Argo the movie . . sort of like that!   

I will always remember him for his story. 

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I see the shit hit the fan in Afghanistan while we were camping.   Let's all remember that this was actually Trump's plan, and all of the Republicans  seemed to love the idea back then, only he wanted out even sooner.

Now those same people are blaming Biden for the outcome that everyone knew would happen.  Personally I think it was the right move. It is not our job to spend our blood and treasure in any foreign country indefinitely after we did what we came there to do.

This was always going to happen there, the only question was when. The Taliban will be back up to their old tricks and it will probably become a breeding ground for more terrorism aimed at America, but everyone knows that and we will be watching. 

The next time there is a terrorists issue, it should be a quick strike to end whatever imminent attack they were planning  and with excessive force, and then we come back and let the Afghans and Taliban sort out the carnage they brought on themselves by not being willing to fight for their own country.

It is not our country, and we shouldn't be running it or babysitting it.

My only criticism is there was no plan to get all those that helped us during the last 20 years out of there before they get beheaded in the town square.

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I'm a fanboy of Rick Steves.  He has traveled the backroads of the world for 50 years writing travel books and had a hippy tour Afghanistan in the late 70's.  He has written a lot in the last few days on his thoughts.   

It’s easy to point fingers: Should George W. Bush have invaded the country in 2001? Should Donald Trump have made a deal with the Taliban in early 2020? Should Joe Biden have withdrawn American troops so quickly? But ultimately, nobody has the answers...which is exactly why we keep finding ourselves in this same place.

One thing is clear: The repeated failures of mighty nations to force our will on the Afghan people is a reflection of our ethnocentrism...our inability to understand what motivates them. And using Afghanistan to score political points with the American electorate ignores the horrifying human cost of the instability that has wracked the lives of everyday Afghans for generations.

The Russians are watching America and laughing - YUP - been there, done that!  The Taliban now in control AGAIN are the same ones that defeated Russia.  

We suffered 20,000 casualties and 20 years teaching the Afghanistan males how to fend for themselves, how to protect themselves, we gave them weapons and infrastructure and told them years in advance that America might leave.  When we did leave - the males laid down their arms and surrendered without a fight!   

So don't blame America for leaving a forever war.