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Afghanistan: Was it worth it?

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Kobuk:
What was it all for? Was it worth it?
As I watch the news this morning, the Taliban have entered Kabul in Afghanistan. No matter how long we stayed in Afghanistan, we never would have fully beaten the Taliban. Just like we never would have beaten the North Vietnamese during the Vietnam War. The war in Afghanistan and Kabul falling is just another Vietnam War we didn't need and a reminder of the fall of Saigon. The Soviets spent 10 years in Afghanistan during the 80's and they couldn't beat the Taliban. We spent 20 years and we couldn't do it either. Who's next I wonder? Granted, we did achieve our goal of getting Osama bin Laden, but what else?

https://www.cnn.com/world/live-news/afghanistan-taliban-us-troops-intl-08-15-21/index.html

cause the rat:
Afghanistan is a religious war. You are not going to go in and change a system of beliefs with guns and bombs. it was a total waste of life to try. Does it show that we will stop at nothing to hunt down anyone who attacks our country? Yes it did. Will we change the world with "Truth, Justus and the American Way". No. Not everyone wants to live like we do. There is a reason why these cities are falling so fast. And it's not because they are outnumbered. You can't change a religion with guns and bombs.

Jade Sinapu:
How many American lives need be lost on people who obviously do not want to uphold what they told us they wanted?
When is the "right" time to pull out?
Is it "right" to stay forever?  Could it even be called Afghanistan if American troops numbered ten thousand and stayed forever?
When is enough, enough?  Doesn't everything have an end?

They were warned that we were going to leave, and the only one who was listening was the Taliban.
President Trump also agreed to pull troops out, but timing didn't allow it in his presidency.
This war has spanned 3 presidents , and is our longest running one.

I am of the opinion, a mess like this was never going to be good when it ended, just messier.
It was never worth it.  And I hate to say that because I work with several people who were there, fighting to help the people of Afghanistan to have more freedom etc.  But alas it looks like they did not really want it after all.

I agree with Cause, those people want a different life than what we were told they wanted. 

They wasted our time and our troops lives. They are to blame.

Kay Alett:

--- Quote from: Jade Sinapu on August 17, 2021, 09:40:14 am ---I agree with Cause, those people want a different life than what we were told they wanted. 

They wasted our time and our troops lives. They are to blame.
--- End quote ---

Cause is right that it came down to the politics of faith and belief more than money but I don't think the "people" wanted what's in place now. There's a big difference between the people and the government. The Taliban are religious fanatics who will do literally anything in service to their god, that is a level of belief that most americans can't really stand against. There's the hardcore among us who will do anything trump says even if it costs them their life, there's people who'll do anything for a large pile of money and there's people who say they will do anything for their god but most people who make that claim are of the christian faith and I don't think they'd even give up their cellphones and aircons for their god.

The citizens, the real people of Afghanistan deserved better. They deserved to have a government that will look after what the people need. The thing is, that kind of change can only come from within. It will have to be the people of the country who fight back against the Taliban and risk everything to make the change, it cannot be imposed from the outside. The Taliban are fanatical and relentless. They are people who will live in the most awful conditions to wait out anyone seeking to bring them down and an occupying force like the US military cannot stay in the country forever. It's a massive drain on the resources and will of the nation and inevitably they will pull out.

And while I feel for the Afghani people I really think we need to start fixing our own country now. We spend far too much on our military and ignore the real issues happening here. We've got our own version of the Taliban festering and forming here and it needs to be dealt with. We have massive infrastructure issues, homelessness, our medical industry is something out of a dystopian nightmare or an episode of Star Trek.

So no. It wasn't worth it. And I think if we can't admit we were mistaken and wasted our time we're just gonna go even further backwards.

DDD:
For the families and loved ones of people who died or live on with trauma or disability: No, it was not worth it.
For the families and loved ones of people who were able to escape the country while under US occupation: They probably would say it was worth it.

War is a complicated and terrible thing. I don't think it can be concluded with a simple "worth it" or "not worth it".
Is war necessary? Maybe, sometimes it is?
Can war be avoided? Yes - but requires leaders with wisdom (or people who can wisely influence said leaders).

May our leaders have the wisdom to avoid war in the future.

DDD

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