1773

Please throw these guys in prison.

1774
1775

Only about 18 years too late. If he actually does it, though, it will be a good thing.

1776

Well how the fuck about that.

1777

Cue FOX News segments about abandoning our allies and letting ISIS return, because there is no shame remaining.

1778

I still can’t believe it’s been nearly two decades. I remember as a kid watching Vietnam shows/movies in the 80s and the war seemed like something that happened a long time ago to my young mind. Meanwhile today we have kids deploying to the same place their fathers did.

1779

We really showed Russia we can sustain a pointless occupation way longer than they could. More than doubled their high score. Still the British remain the reining champions.

1780

I’m fearful of what we leave in its place, when we leave.

1781

For sure. Not that it was in a great place before we got there, but still. The Afghani people seem screwed no matter what.

1782

Foreign powers trying to meddle did not improve anybodies’ lot though. So yeah, good news!

1783

It’s like, 2500 troops total. Not really destabilizing to remove them.

1784

You could argue that removing the Taliban from power did improve some peoples lots, particularly women. But whether there are better ways to achieve that end is unknown. And, of course, the one positive outcome of the whole thing was undone by the Orange One inviting the Taliban back ‘they’re sorry’ style.

1785

This. It’s 2500 troops.

But it may put some strain on our ability to maintain an embassy in Kabul. We’ll see.

1786

No skin in the game (I’m a brit) but why announce it now? Why not just do the withdrawal coordinating with the Afghans.

The barracks cleaners turn up on September the 12th to a note saying ‘so long and thanks for all the elbow grease’. It’s announced at home after it’s actually happened everybody has a party.

Nobody gets to be even more of a target for 6 months or am I being naive?

1787

I am very much worried about the gains that women have made will be lost when the US pulls out.

It’s one thing to argue that we should not have troops there, but there will be consequences of us leaving. That really makes me sad.

I don’t know what the solution could be.

1788

As soon as someone gives an order or communicates the intention to the Afghans, it will be leaked, so might as well be up front with it.

1789

September 11, 2021 is the goal for withdrawal of US troops. They’ve already said it might happen faster. If they become even greater targets, bet on “faster”.

1790

Very true. I suppose it’s never going to be a secret for long.

1791

If the only thing protecting human rights in Afghanistan is US troops, we’ve failed anyhow. The goal was not to perpetually occupy the place, but to effect change that would result in a stable, or at least mostly stable, place where folks like Bin Laden couldn’t set up their training bases and whatever. Bringing democracy and human rights awareness etc. was never really the goal, and laudable as those ideas are, to us, we can’t force that on anyone really. Not without perpetual occupation.

1792

So much wasted money that’s been reaped for lots of money by Lockheed Martin.