Today, President Joe Biden announced that by September the United States will withdraw the 2500 or so troops remaining in Afghanistan. We have been on a military mission in the country for almost 20 years, and have lost 2488 troops and personnel. Another 20,722 Americans have been wounded.
There was never any likelihood of the US accomplishing squat in Afghanistan since the Bushies wanted to go finish Iraq and as the PNAC said "real men want to go to Tehran." Twenty years of fucking up the Middle East as thoroughly as we fucked up Southeast Asia 50 years ago, and our passing will be as noticeable there as it is in Southeast Asia now. All the crap about the United States as the guarantor of stability after the fall of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War was so much hot air - we been the major destabilizer for the past 30 years. We could have helped the democractic forces in the former Soviet Union, but that would have taken too much hard work that no one would have noticed. Ukraine is run by the descendants of the Nazi collaborators from World War II. All the talk of the "victory of democracy" was the product of morons who couldn't find their ass with both hands on a clear day with a four hour advance notice. Biden's just turning off the lights and closing the theater doors.
I interviewed a retired Admiral today who fought in Vietnam as a junior officer and was present at the end in Saigon 45 years ago for my coming book. At the end he said "I hope my grandson becomes a janitor, anything but this military."
Repercussions for nefarious behaviour. A line in the sand. Taking care of business at home. Yes! To have a president that is not cozying up to evil, one with integrity and a realistic view of world affairs, is a change from what came before that is vastly reassuring. I am quite astonished at Biden. I did not think he would be, well, so progressive, or so presidential.
13 years ago my husband was deployed to Afghanistan to help train Afghan troops. Even then he recognized it as a lost cause. Withdrawing troops is far overdue. We are worlds apart culturally (that have nothing to do with religion). And as a side note, one of the very troops my husband's unit was assigned to train ended up killing 2 members of his unit.
Ah, withdrawal from Afghanistan, finally after all these years! What a pleasant distraction (just kidding) from COVID19 and the GOP and insurrectionists and Black people being executed for the crime of being Black while the gun crazies run around waving their weapons and complaining of government tyranny as the earth gets warmer and no one knows what to do about the folks crowding across our southern border, not even Joe Biden (apparently).
Seriously, the President's decision to cut the cord in Afghanistan is a good one and long overdue. Yes, I know, it was Trump's decision, but now it is grounded in actual knowledge of history and colored by a moral sense utterly absent in the former Coglione-in-chief's tiny brain.
There is a nice comment in the NYT (yesterday's) written by a former US Marine (Timothy Kudo) that is worth a read. Have a good one everyone.
Morning, all!! Morning, Dr. R!! I have no intel to tell here on this page. I am grateful for today's Letter that has informed me. I await the comments of others here that will serve to further my understanding.
It is likely today that the defense will rest its case today in the trial of Derek Chauvin, charged with the murder of George Floyd on May 25, 2020. Eric Nelson, lead counsel for the defense, to my slightly informed opinion, has served his client well. The prosecution has presented a credible case in its pursuit of justice for Mr. Floyd and our combined citizenry . The question remains, will the jury reject the notion that in this case the actions of the police on that day were "awful but lawful." Soon we will know the answer.
Thank you, HCR! I worry about the women and girls losing their identity when the taliban take over. I was glad to hear The President mention support for them going forward but donβt know how that will happen. Iβm so grateful for your letters.
It is such a gift to us to have a President who knows what he's doing after four years of Trump's incompetence and, as became clear, his intention to destroy any attempt to remove him from office.
It saddens to see that Heather has fallen into the same habit that so many do--listing only the U.S. casualties of the Afghan war. Though it is difficult to know with any precision, the best estimate from a year ago is that about 157,000 Afghanis have died in the war, not to mention many more hundreds of thousands wounded and millions displaced. (https://watson.brown.edu/costsofwar/costs/human/civilians/afghan). The U.N. estimate is that 3,035 civilians died in 2020 alone. (https://news.un.org/en/story/2021/02/1085442). Of course, not all (or even most) of these deaths are attributable to our direct actions. But when we report solely on U.S. deaths, it serves to dehumanize the people of the country we have occupied for 20 years. The war has been particularly hard on children. (https://www.mei.edu/publications/afghanistans-children-tragic-victims-30-years-war).
Thank you so much for your historical narrative and analysis of our involvement in Afghanistan, Professor. Our government signed an agreement, even if it was made by Donald Trump, and the government is going to follow through on it.
It seems to be President Biden's focus to make democracy the pre-eminent force and norm throughout the world and at home. Whatever we consider the Republicans effort to morph our nation, an oligarchy or plutocracy, the president intends it NOT to happen. As HCR penned yesterday, 'Biden has indicated that the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan is part of a larger plan to readjust our position on the world stage. He made it a point today to say that it is time to fight the battles of the next twenty years, rather than the last twenty, and he called out 'an increasingly assertive China' as our main focus. He also called for reinforcing international norms that βare grounded in our democratic valuesβ¦ not those of the autocrats.'"
Thank you professor, I knew about our south China sea and Russia/Ukraine problems, but military solutions to domestic terrorists?
Maybe the insurrectionists AND their leaders will go to jail soon....that might solve alot of our problems here at home. We are supposed to be a nation of laws.
Does anyone remember the Powell Doctrine before Gulf War 1? Something very important Colin Powell learned from Vietnam, "Don't go to war without a plan for how to get out". I think Bush 2.0 threw that doctrine out the window, along with the surplus of Trillions in the treasury (only surplus since 1970) from President Clinton. The mission to combat/end terrorism and eliminate a breeding ground for extremism. But, "violence is not confidence, and terror is not mastery"-Tim Snyder. But we foolishly took the bait.
Strange how the tables have turned. We turned a historical surplus into a historical debt and exposed ourselves, now burdened with the scourge of disease. We have adopted a new social connection/commercial communications technology that breeds domestic extremism and terrorism at an exponentially faster rate than any Saudi Madrasas ever could have dreamed. An open door into the hearts and minds of every American. And this is happening to the most educated, prosperous, & modern society the world has ever seen, ending in a violent coup, led by a President of the United States, or is this another beginning? Trillions spent, blood spilled, lives and countries ruined. Democracy threatened. I have an important question, "Do you feel more or less safe than you did in the Fall of 2001? Is Democracy safer now than 2001?"
We consistently climb the wrong mountains. We never should have invaded and occupied Iraq and Afghanistan. We fell right in terrorism's trap. We would have been fine with air strikes, drones, special forces, intel and surveillance; all at a lower cost and higher benefit without so much risk. We consistently fail to use technology for good. All those lives lost and treasure spent could have have built all the infrastructure we needed while also providing protection for both democracy and the planet. We could have funded college for all, brought solar to every home, invested in new technology, built an electric car industry with nationwide recharging. We could have invested in and gained 100% energy independence and sustainability. And when people in a democracy are succeeding and growing a rich and satisfied life, are they susceptible to Opioid addiction and grievance politics and demagoguery, and political violence? We could have done so much better since 2001, we could have done this current infrastruce bill 20 years ago, and we could have paid cash while advancing our country forward for a century. But we made the wrong investments.
Instead we are more vulnerable to extremism now more than ever. By occupying Iraq and Afghanistan, and ignoring the needs of our own people, we have grown capable terrorist both abroad and at home. We ended up addicted to heroin ( stop using opioids/oxycontin and call it what it is). We allow a continued invasion of foreign propaganda daily into our social networks. These are real psychological weapons being deployed under a guise of free speech, that do more than antagonize, they perpetuate falsehoods, and harden anti democracy principles, that have radicalized 1/3 of our population including the highest levels of the Republican leadership, who threaten our institutions of education, science, technology, environment, and infrastructure. How do they not see the damage they are doing?
No, I do not feel safer than I did twenty years ago! And the reason is the Republican Party.
I am so grateful that this war is ending and that Biden is putting a stop to it. We have so many issues at home with dealing with insurgency, corruption, misogyny, murders of black folk, beatings of Asians, and not to mention those horrors of what the Hispanic culture received from the previous administration. I do worry about the women and children being at the hands of the Taliban though. I do.
Although Dr. Ricbardson's LFAA was about the withdrawl of US troops from Afghanistan AND Russian machinations along the Eastern border with Ukraine, as I started reading this morning I realized many of us are still trying to wrap our heads around the Chauvin trial and the recent murder of a young black man in a nearby town.
Ten miles from where I am right now, lies the city of Camden, NJ. Camden has been considered the most dangerous city in the US. The city's murder rate was 18 times the national rate in 2012 and crime of all kinds was rampant. So what did Camden do?
A Political article dated 6/12/2020 says it best..
The City that Really Did Abolish the Police.
In 2012, the city of Camden did disband its police force. This effort meant cooperation from the Governor (Christie) all the way through the political spectrum down to the city's mayor and law enforcement structure.
They fought opposition from the powerful existing Police Union, as well as city residents. But they fired all officers and after careful vetting rehired former officers and hired in newer graduates from the Police Academy. They completely overhauled the system. Use of force restrictions, de-escalation and building strong community relationships replaced the old methods of policing. New officers were required to walk the sidewalks, knock on doors and introduce themselves to the residents. The police held community events like giving out free ice cream and having 'pop-up' barbecues to engage with the population which is 90% African American. Its a fascinating study of what can be accomplished when what hasn't been working is replaced with a bold new vision, crafted by community leaders, police and government together, to come up with something better. Excessive force complaints have dropped 90% and the homicide rate has dropped. As the first head of the new department, Police Chief Scott Thomson said in an interview, he recognizes the fragility of trust the police have with the community. The current police force is 50% white, which is still a problem for the community. But they are so much better than before. With a major university and hospital/trauma center anchoring the city there is finally hope for the people of Camden to build a better life. Last year when the city had its BLM march, the current Police Chief, Joseph D. Wysocki and the main organizer of the event, Yolanda Deaver, marched side by side together behind the BLM banner. 'Nuf' said. I still have HOPE.
There was never any likelihood of the US accomplishing squat in Afghanistan since the Bushies wanted to go finish Iraq and as the PNAC said "real men want to go to Tehran." Twenty years of fucking up the Middle East as thoroughly as we fucked up Southeast Asia 50 years ago, and our passing will be as noticeable there as it is in Southeast Asia now. All the crap about the United States as the guarantor of stability after the fall of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War was so much hot air - we been the major destabilizer for the past 30 years. We could have helped the democractic forces in the former Soviet Union, but that would have taken too much hard work that no one would have noticed. Ukraine is run by the descendants of the Nazi collaborators from World War II. All the talk of the "victory of democracy" was the product of morons who couldn't find their ass with both hands on a clear day with a four hour advance notice. Biden's just turning off the lights and closing the theater doors.
I interviewed a retired Admiral today who fought in Vietnam as a junior officer and was present at the end in Saigon 45 years ago for my coming book. At the end he said "I hope my grandson becomes a janitor, anything but this military."
Repercussions for nefarious behaviour. A line in the sand. Taking care of business at home. Yes! To have a president that is not cozying up to evil, one with integrity and a realistic view of world affairs, is a change from what came before that is vastly reassuring. I am quite astonished at Biden. I did not think he would be, well, so progressive, or so presidential.
13 years ago my husband was deployed to Afghanistan to help train Afghan troops. Even then he recognized it as a lost cause. Withdrawing troops is far overdue. We are worlds apart culturally (that have nothing to do with religion). And as a side note, one of the very troops my husband's unit was assigned to train ended up killing 2 members of his unit.
Ah, withdrawal from Afghanistan, finally after all these years! What a pleasant distraction (just kidding) from COVID19 and the GOP and insurrectionists and Black people being executed for the crime of being Black while the gun crazies run around waving their weapons and complaining of government tyranny as the earth gets warmer and no one knows what to do about the folks crowding across our southern border, not even Joe Biden (apparently).
Seriously, the President's decision to cut the cord in Afghanistan is a good one and long overdue. Yes, I know, it was Trump's decision, but now it is grounded in actual knowledge of history and colored by a moral sense utterly absent in the former Coglione-in-chief's tiny brain.
There is a nice comment in the NYT (yesterday's) written by a former US Marine (Timothy Kudo) that is worth a read. Have a good one everyone.
Afghanistan, graveyard of empires. Why would it be any different for the US?
Morning, all!! Morning, Dr. R!! I have no intel to tell here on this page. I am grateful for today's Letter that has informed me. I await the comments of others here that will serve to further my understanding.
It is likely today that the defense will rest its case today in the trial of Derek Chauvin, charged with the murder of George Floyd on May 25, 2020. Eric Nelson, lead counsel for the defense, to my slightly informed opinion, has served his client well. The prosecution has presented a credible case in its pursuit of justice for Mr. Floyd and our combined citizenry . The question remains, will the jury reject the notion that in this case the actions of the police on that day were "awful but lawful." Soon we will know the answer.
Thank you, HCR! I worry about the women and girls losing their identity when the taliban take over. I was glad to hear The President mention support for them going forward but donβt know how that will happen. Iβm so grateful for your letters.
It is such a gift to us to have a President who knows what he's doing after four years of Trump's incompetence and, as became clear, his intention to destroy any attempt to remove him from office.
It saddens to see that Heather has fallen into the same habit that so many do--listing only the U.S. casualties of the Afghan war. Though it is difficult to know with any precision, the best estimate from a year ago is that about 157,000 Afghanis have died in the war, not to mention many more hundreds of thousands wounded and millions displaced. (https://watson.brown.edu/costsofwar/costs/human/civilians/afghan). The U.N. estimate is that 3,035 civilians died in 2020 alone. (https://news.un.org/en/story/2021/02/1085442). Of course, not all (or even most) of these deaths are attributable to our direct actions. But when we report solely on U.S. deaths, it serves to dehumanize the people of the country we have occupied for 20 years. The war has been particularly hard on children. (https://www.mei.edu/publications/afghanistans-children-tragic-victims-30-years-war).
Thank you so much for your historical narrative and analysis of our involvement in Afghanistan, Professor. Our government signed an agreement, even if it was made by Donald Trump, and the government is going to follow through on it.
It seems to be President Biden's focus to make democracy the pre-eminent force and norm throughout the world and at home. Whatever we consider the Republicans effort to morph our nation, an oligarchy or plutocracy, the president intends it NOT to happen. As HCR penned yesterday, 'Biden has indicated that the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan is part of a larger plan to readjust our position on the world stage. He made it a point today to say that it is time to fight the battles of the next twenty years, rather than the last twenty, and he called out 'an increasingly assertive China' as our main focus. He also called for reinforcing international norms that βare grounded in our democratic valuesβ¦ not those of the autocrats.'"
I have a t-shirt that says "US Out Of North America." I'm rarely brave enough to wear it.
I have mixed feelings about the withdrawal of troops only as it will affect women and children there. Twenty years is a long time to see few results, so it is time. But, what I like about Biden's approach....he phoned Bush and Obama before making his announcement to tell them of his decision. https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/548257-biden-spoke-to-bush-obama-ahead-of-afghanistan-withdrawal-announcement. Can you imagine tRump having the courtesy to do this?
Thank you professor, I knew about our south China sea and Russia/Ukraine problems, but military solutions to domestic terrorists?
Maybe the insurrectionists AND their leaders will go to jail soon....that might solve alot of our problems here at home. We are supposed to be a nation of laws.
Does anyone remember the Powell Doctrine before Gulf War 1? Something very important Colin Powell learned from Vietnam, "Don't go to war without a plan for how to get out". I think Bush 2.0 threw that doctrine out the window, along with the surplus of Trillions in the treasury (only surplus since 1970) from President Clinton. The mission to combat/end terrorism and eliminate a breeding ground for extremism. But, "violence is not confidence, and terror is not mastery"-Tim Snyder. But we foolishly took the bait.
Strange how the tables have turned. We turned a historical surplus into a historical debt and exposed ourselves, now burdened with the scourge of disease. We have adopted a new social connection/commercial communications technology that breeds domestic extremism and terrorism at an exponentially faster rate than any Saudi Madrasas ever could have dreamed. An open door into the hearts and minds of every American. And this is happening to the most educated, prosperous, & modern society the world has ever seen, ending in a violent coup, led by a President of the United States, or is this another beginning? Trillions spent, blood spilled, lives and countries ruined. Democracy threatened. I have an important question, "Do you feel more or less safe than you did in the Fall of 2001? Is Democracy safer now than 2001?"
We consistently climb the wrong mountains. We never should have invaded and occupied Iraq and Afghanistan. We fell right in terrorism's trap. We would have been fine with air strikes, drones, special forces, intel and surveillance; all at a lower cost and higher benefit without so much risk. We consistently fail to use technology for good. All those lives lost and treasure spent could have have built all the infrastructure we needed while also providing protection for both democracy and the planet. We could have funded college for all, brought solar to every home, invested in new technology, built an electric car industry with nationwide recharging. We could have invested in and gained 100% energy independence and sustainability. And when people in a democracy are succeeding and growing a rich and satisfied life, are they susceptible to Opioid addiction and grievance politics and demagoguery, and political violence? We could have done so much better since 2001, we could have done this current infrastruce bill 20 years ago, and we could have paid cash while advancing our country forward for a century. But we made the wrong investments.
Instead we are more vulnerable to extremism now more than ever. By occupying Iraq and Afghanistan, and ignoring the needs of our own people, we have grown capable terrorist both abroad and at home. We ended up addicted to heroin ( stop using opioids/oxycontin and call it what it is). We allow a continued invasion of foreign propaganda daily into our social networks. These are real psychological weapons being deployed under a guise of free speech, that do more than antagonize, they perpetuate falsehoods, and harden anti democracy principles, that have radicalized 1/3 of our population including the highest levels of the Republican leadership, who threaten our institutions of education, science, technology, environment, and infrastructure. How do they not see the damage they are doing?
No, I do not feel safer than I did twenty years ago! And the reason is the Republican Party.
I am so grateful that this war is ending and that Biden is putting a stop to it. We have so many issues at home with dealing with insurgency, corruption, misogyny, murders of black folk, beatings of Asians, and not to mention those horrors of what the Hispanic culture received from the previous administration. I do worry about the women and children being at the hands of the Taliban though. I do.
Although Dr. Ricbardson's LFAA was about the withdrawl of US troops from Afghanistan AND Russian machinations along the Eastern border with Ukraine, as I started reading this morning I realized many of us are still trying to wrap our heads around the Chauvin trial and the recent murder of a young black man in a nearby town.
Ten miles from where I am right now, lies the city of Camden, NJ. Camden has been considered the most dangerous city in the US. The city's murder rate was 18 times the national rate in 2012 and crime of all kinds was rampant. So what did Camden do?
A Political article dated 6/12/2020 says it best..
The City that Really Did Abolish the Police.
In 2012, the city of Camden did disband its police force. This effort meant cooperation from the Governor (Christie) all the way through the political spectrum down to the city's mayor and law enforcement structure.
They fought opposition from the powerful existing Police Union, as well as city residents. But they fired all officers and after careful vetting rehired former officers and hired in newer graduates from the Police Academy. They completely overhauled the system. Use of force restrictions, de-escalation and building strong community relationships replaced the old methods of policing. New officers were required to walk the sidewalks, knock on doors and introduce themselves to the residents. The police held community events like giving out free ice cream and having 'pop-up' barbecues to engage with the population which is 90% African American. Its a fascinating study of what can be accomplished when what hasn't been working is replaced with a bold new vision, crafted by community leaders, police and government together, to come up with something better. Excessive force complaints have dropped 90% and the homicide rate has dropped. As the first head of the new department, Police Chief Scott Thomson said in an interview, he recognizes the fragility of trust the police have with the community. The current police force is 50% white, which is still a problem for the community. But they are so much better than before. With a major university and hospital/trauma center anchoring the city there is finally hope for the people of Camden to build a better life. Last year when the city had its BLM march, the current Police Chief, Joseph D. Wysocki and the main organizer of the event, Yolanda Deaver, marched side by side together behind the BLM banner. 'Nuf' said. I still have HOPE.
https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2020/06/12/camden-policing-reforms-313750
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/new-jersey-city-disbanded-its-police-force-here-s-what-n1231677
Much thanks to Alle in Oregon for her extensive knowledge of policing instruction and policies.
And as I type this, the news is that a 13 year old boy in Chicago has been shot and killed by the police....