Arming the Taliban
[guest post by JVW]
Over the weekend, The Times of London ran an article (trapped behind a paywall, alas) which included an accounting of how much equipment the United States Military likely left behind in their disastrously-executed withdrawal from Afghanistan. Prepared to be sickened:
A mind-blowing graphic in today's Times on what $85bn worth of lost equipment means in practice for the Taliban: pic.twitter.com/GDcuNQbb6P
— Will Brown (@_Will_Brown) August 29, 2021
Neither the Pentagon nor the Biden Administration is thus far willing to confirm or deny these numbers, but with Congressional hearings looming it’s at least somewhat likely the American people will gain a clearer picture of how ridiculously awful this truly is. That it took a newspaper based in the United Kingdom to report this is of course an indictment of the lazy and partisan major news media in our country, who seem either too busy beating up on Joe Biden or covering for his rank incompetence (and, to be far, it’s far more the latter) than to actually try to get a handle on what is going on.
Round up of Afghanistan news:
Victor Davis Hansen is having none of the Biden Administration’s sorry excuses.
Bing West wonders who will trust us after our botched abandonment.
David Loyn tries to figure out what Taliban rule means for Afghanistan this time around.
Bernard-Henri Lévy fears that this is a huge blow to all liberal democracies.
Charles C. W. Cooke notices that with a Democrat in the Oval Office, the media is back to broadly assigning shared blame for the fiasco and will certainly soon resurrect the notion that the Presidency is too big a job for just one man.
Hat tip to Powerline for the weapons graphic.
– JVW
And just like that, summer is almost over and September is upon us.
JVW (ee64e4) — 8/30/2021 @ 8:36 amAddled, old St. Prick…
Colonel Haiku (2601c0) — 8/30/2021 @ 8:45 amJVW,
I’ve seen that graphic and I’ve been trying to figure out if that’s US equipment we left or if that’s equipment we sold to the Afghan government and their troops abandoned.
Since we’d already drawn our troops down to 2,500 a year ago I’m assumed this is gear week sold them. But would like to find out for sure. If that’s the case this equipment was likely always going to the Taliban if we withdrew.
Time123 (9f42ee) — 8/30/2021 @ 8:51 amWe’ll at least there’s no more mean tweets. So all is well.
DenZel (fb25e0) — 8/30/2021 @ 8:51 amIf that’s the case this equipment was likely always going to the Taliban if we withdrew.
True, but that goes back to the Biden Administration and the security apparatus being amazed by how quickly the Afghan military surrendered. Had we had any inkling of this — and if we were still resolved to leave — we should have either reclaimed or destroyed much of that hardware.
JVW (ee64e4) — 8/30/2021 @ 8:54 amfast ‘n furious — kabul drift!
JF (e1156d) — 8/30/2021 @ 8:56 amJVW nothing about this is good, I don’t think we should have left, and Biden has done a terrible job here. But unless you expected the Afghan government to fight off the Taliban the weapons we sold them were always going to be lost.
Voters wanted out. Both parties were aligned on that so when I say voters I’m talking about Biden and Trump voters.. Crap like this is part of why those voters were wrong.
Time123 (9f42ee) — 8/30/2021 @ 9:11 amThe military-industrial complex sure made out like bandits, that’s a fact.
Now, it’s China turn to make out, with OEM repair parts.
“Our Afghan allies”. SMH
nk (1d9030) — 8/30/2021 @ 9:13 amLook on the bright side, the Taliban is probably using those weapons to guard HKIA airport from ISIS-K while we evacuate.
Hoi Polloi (998b37) — 8/30/2021 @ 9:15 am. . . but unless you expected the Afghan government to fight off the Taliban the weapons we sold them were always going to be lost.
Don’t you think that we did in fact expect the Afghan government to fight off the Taliban? Or was 20 years of building up that force just one colossal jobs program? In that case, we should have had them drill with wooden rifles, like a high school JROTC corps.
JVW (ee64e4) — 8/30/2021 @ 9:17 amIf the Taliban hadn’t gotten them, “our Afghan allies” would have sold them somewhere else. And anybody who implies that we could have conceivably repossessed, spiked, or destroyed any of them after they were in the hands of “our Afghan allies” is being a big silly.
nk (1d9030) — 8/30/2021 @ 9:20 amI’m assuming that most of the equipment was “surplused” after the Afghan army collapsed, but the collapse of the Afghan army is on Biden and his gargantuan incompetence.
Paul Montagu (f9db85) — 8/30/2021 @ 9:25 amJVW, unless you have time travel not giving those weapons to the Afghan army (if that’s where they came from) wasn’t an option.
They were able to hold of the Taliban with our support pretty well. But we made the decision to hand the country back over to the Taliban so here we are.
Time123 (9f42ee) — 8/30/2021 @ 9:26 amThe blame lands squarely on Biden and the military brass leadership.
IF the Afgan army was only able to hold off the Taliban along with US air support. There should’ve been plans to continue that, along with parallel programs to train the Afgan army on air support so that we can disengage in a stable manner.
This chaos the Biden facilitated is/was avoidable and it’s probably the most despicable policy decision in modern times.
whembly (7c17c7) — 8/30/2021 @ 9:32 am@14, we screwed this up royally and Biden owns that. But you’re suggesting that we give Afghanistan an air force….which would have taken more time and money and none fo the Biden or Trump supporters were on board for that.
I would have been okay with is staying for as long as that would have taken.
Time123 (9f42ee) — 8/30/2021 @ 9:37 amHard to argue otherwise… http://ace.mu.nu/archives/meme%2020210830%2000.jpg
Colonel Haiku (2601c0) — 8/30/2021 @ 9:41 amJVW (ee64e4) — 8/30/2021 @ 9:17 am
JB has already said he expected the AF government to fall to the Taliban. He just didn’t expect them to fall so fast. He expected that even when he said publically it wasn’t inevitable.
Yes, we should have reclaimed or destroyed any equipment we didn’t want to fall into the hands of the Taliban. That is especially odd with regards to the biometric data systems we left. You’d be forgiven for suspecting none of that was an accident and might explain why we aren’t being attacked by the Taliban.
frosty (f27e97) — 8/30/2021 @ 9:47 am@15 I’m suggesting that our leadership informs the voters that afganistan needed a trained airforce as a requirement for a full pullout. I think voters would be onboard when there’s clearly defined objectives.
whembly (0a8536) — 8/30/2021 @ 9:49 amThe guns, radios, and goggles certainly would have been hard to reclaim and hardly worth our time. And I don’t even care that much about the trucks or transport aircraft. But no way you can tell me that the U.S. military couldn’t have taken back or destroyed many of the helicopters and the armored vehicles. Especially once it became clear that the Taliban was routing the Afghan army throughout the country.
JVW (ee64e4) — 8/30/2021 @ 9:59 amOver the weekend, The Times of London ran an article (trapped behind a paywall, alas) which included an accounting of how much equipment the United States Military likely left behind in their disastrously-executed withdrawal from Afghanistan.
Forbes had these numbers w/equipment breakdown estimates last week – no paywall.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/adamandrzejewski/2021/08/23/staggering-costs–us-military-equipment-left-behind-in-afghanistan/
DCSCA (f4c5e5) — 8/30/2021 @ 10:00 amwhembly (0a8536) — 8/30/2021 @ 9:49 am
Or at least not said they already had an air force
frosty (f27e97) — 8/30/2021 @ 10:01 amhttps://freebeacon.com/national-security/senator-seeks-investigation-into-americans-reportedly-denied-entry-to-kabul-airport/
Colonel Haiku (2601c0) — 8/30/2021 @ 10:02 amBlackhawks over Kabul
mg (8cbc69) — 8/30/2021 @ 10:03 amWho taught the tally band how to fly them?
Feckless-Dementia-Ridden??????
Joe has always fancied himself another ‘F.D.R.’.
DCSCA (f4c5e5) — 8/30/2021 @ 10:06 am@18, None of this was known for certain in advance. I’m sure Biden’s teams were given scenarios that called for that. No one went to the public and said “This might not work well.” The public didn’t want to hear it and half would have rejected it for sure. His base wanted out and wanted a leader to tell them it would be easy and just get it done. Anything to the contrary would have been ‘deep state forever war’
Biden for sure could have done better. But it’s clear in hindsight he would have needed to add a lot of troops to the region to do so. Which is what he should have done.
Time123 (9f42ee) — 8/30/2021 @ 10:12 am@19, JVW, we could probably go destroy them now. But we’ve had a peace / surrender treaty with the Taliban for over a year and blowing this stuff up might violate that.
Time123 (9f42ee) — 8/30/2021 @ 10:13 amMore intriguing is who is financing them. Our own government keep boasting of still having ‘leverage’ over the Taliban via future economic assistance— which is creepy to say the least as our dead come home to Dover.
Which banks funnel finances to the Taliban across the internatonal spectrum? Whoi their Charlie Wilson’ or Citibank? Them there Toyota pick-up-trucks they love don’t mate like camels.
Ahhhh, the sweet smell of capitalism.
DCSCA (f4c5e5) — 8/30/2021 @ 10:21 am@All
The question that hasn’t been asked is this: did we tacitly give up $80 billion dollars of military equipment to the taliban for some reason?
whembly (7c17c7) — 8/30/2021 @ 10:29 am@26 Time, the Taliban has no intention of abiding by any agreement. They broke their promise under Trump’s plan numerous times. So I think claiming the agreement did “x” is a bit of a red herring or simply a fig leaf.
whembly (7c17c7) — 8/30/2021 @ 10:30 amBut we’ve had a peace / surrender treaty with the Taliban for over a year and blowing this stuff up might violate that.
The same Taliban who let the ISIS suicide bomber through the security lines to kill 13 Americans and 170+ Afghans? Heaven forbid we fail to keep our commitments to that bunch!
JVW (ee64e4) — 8/30/2021 @ 10:35 amWhembly, the Taliban was never a trustworthy partner. Neither was the Afghan government but the Taliban is worse.
Time123 (9f42ee) — 8/30/2021 @ 10:37 am15. We did give Afghanistan an Air Force. But they needed either U.S. military or ex-military (contractors) to maintain them and keep them in good repair, and Biden pulled out both of them.
Sammy Finkelman (51cd0c) — 8/30/2021 @ 10:39 amJVW, so you want to go back to war with them? Re-invade now that we’ve started our retreat and the locals won’t trust us? What’s your proposed path forward?
Mine is that we send in large number of troops. Take control of the region. Grant any of our allies who need it asylum. Pull the military out last.
My solution would be expensive in terms of money and life but I think it’s the right thing to do.
Time123 (9f42ee) — 8/30/2021 @ 10:40 amJVW, so you want to go back to war with them? Re-invade now that we’ve started our retreat and the locals won’t trust us? What’s your proposed path forward?
This question is so similar to the nonsense the pro-Iran Deal crowd was putting out six years ago: either agree to Obama’s deal with Iran, or war would commence again. As with Iran back then, there were other choices available to Biden: tell the Taliban that in light of their failure to honor their commitments, we would be extending our evacuation presence well past August 31 and, in fact, would not depart until we felt that we had made all of the final preparations that needed to be made, which would have included retrieving all of the equipment that had not as of yet fallen into Taliban hands. Recall how easily we routed the Taliban 20 years ago; I don’t think they would have been too keen to try to directly confront us again. The August 31 deadline is completely meaningless and arbitrary, and there is no reason on earth that Joe Biden should feel bound in any way by it. This is what makes his actions so especially disgraceful.
JVW (ee64e4) — 8/30/2021 @ 10:51 amsackless clown-in-chief
Colonel Haiku (2601c0) — 8/30/2021 @ 10:57 amfeckless reckless just plain dumb
dementia ridden
Might work. Could also lead to them butchering thousands of people as a reprisal. Or ISIS doing it specifically to draw us back in. One thing that’s pretty clear. As long as we’ve ceded control of the region to them we have very little actual leverage given our limited force presence.
To me this feels like a ‘reasonable’ version of what the re-treat crowd wanted; us to of the Afghanistan. It’s definitely on the bottom end of that. But with only 13 American soldiers dead and 100,000+ Pulled out of Kabul it’s in the Zone.
Time123 (9f42ee) — 8/30/2021 @ 10:58 amto be clear, being at the bottom end still means Biden has done a terrible job.
Time123 (9f42ee) — 8/30/2021 @ 10:58 am34… so similar and yet they never learn
Colonel Haiku (2601c0) — 8/30/2021 @ 10:59 amlearned at barry’s knee
Colonel Haiku (2601c0) — 8/30/2021 @ 11:04 ampallets of cash are en route
corn pop not amused
29 whembly (7c17c7) — 8/30/2021 @ 10:30 am
And if they do, it’s not because of the agreement. It’s because of fear of what we might do otherwise = deterrence.
But they kept their pledge not to attack U.S. forces even after Joe Biden extended the withdrawal date. Because it still made sense for them. They also avoided taking provincial capitals till about August 8. They were taking everything else.
Biden is claiming heavy fighting would have erupted had he not proceeded with his withdrawal. He is on very shaky ground here. There hadn’t been any heavy fighting for U.S. forces in the previous four years or more.
The U.S. was averaging 20 killed a year, which is not nothing. It’s not Korea, but it isn’t a major war, either. It would have been a problem getting a real ceasefire.
Afghans lost 55,000 to 65,000 (I’ve heard different figures) in the course of the 20 years. The U.S. some 2,000 in all.
Sammy Finkelman (51cd0c) — 8/30/2021 @ 11:05 am28-
mg (8cbc69) — 8/30/2021 @ 11:08 amSo the tally band can hang traitors from blackhawks and fly them over Kabul.
joe’s new fave flavor
Colonel Haiku (2601c0) — 8/30/2021 @ 11:08 amTaliban Ripple Effect
they drank his milkshake
to be clear, being at the bottom end still means Biden has done a terrible job.
Gee… ya think.
Colonel Haiku (2601c0) — 8/30/2021 @ 11:11 amEven Biden was not going to let it be said that not only did we abandon “our Afghan allies” we also destroyed their weapons on our way out.
And even that is putting the cart before the horse. “Our Afghan allies” are sissier than the Taliban. Venal, treacherous, and corrupt. But they’re still Afghans. Who also whipped the Soviets to a frazzle. We would have needed to send a few hundred thousand of our tatters back in again to disarm them.
nk (1d9030) — 8/30/2021 @ 11:18 amLeverage:
https://www.foxnews.com/transcript/fox-news-sunday-on-august-29-2021
IF YOU HAD THAT KIND OF LEVERAGE, and I’m not saying you don’t, in fact there’s leverage over Pakistan now, as there was in 2001, YOU COULD HAVE KEPT THEM OUT OF KABUL, TOO, AND BAGROM AIR BASE, OR ARRANGED FOR GRACE PERIOD – SF
Jake Sullivan continues with proof of leverage:
Now, he’s forgetting about the Afghan allies. They throw them in, and then, when it’s convenient, they leave them out of their rhetoric.
The Taliban in fact have said that people will be permitted to leave Afghanistan – once they have passports – and anyone with permission to go to another country – that’s a Catch-22 by the way – will be permitted to leave. Pakistan has said they let through any Americans and people authorized to travel further or something like that. If Americans are not leaving it could be in some cases it’s because they think they won’t be killed and neither will they kill others in front of them and let them go, but if they leave people behind, who knows?
Sammy Finkelman (51cd0c) — 8/30/2021 @ 11:35 amDuring WW2, the dictum for weaponry and munitions procurement was to design and purchase ‘product’ which could be economically absorbed as acceptable losses. In other words- they were ‘disposable stuff’ – affordably made to lose. Examples:
THE PRICE OF VICTORY (cost of an aircraft in WWII dollars)
B-17 $204,370. P-40 $44,892.
B-24 $215,516. P-47 $85,578.
B-25 $142,194. P-51 $51,572.
B-26 $192,426. C-47 $88,574.
B-29 $605,360. PT-17 $15,052.
P-38 $97,147. AT-6 $22,952.
Not ‘cheap’- just affordable enough to absorb as acceptable losses. You can do the conversion today’s $ if you want, but today, America’s war profitering MIC has larded up the costs of today’s weapons platforms to the point of making them so expensive as to be ‘unaffordable to lose’ – which is absurdly counterproductive to their intented purpose to begin with- but highly lucrative for arms merchants suckling at the government teet. $15 billion aircraft carriers which can be sunk by a couple of $1.5 million Exocet missiles is not particularly cost-effective thinking.
DCSCA (f4c5e5) — 8/30/2021 @ 11:41 amFrom a previously posted article:
Apparently the Trump-Taliban agreement curtailed US offensive engagements, including US air support, (at least according to a top Afghan general) and once the contractors left so did the ability of the Afghan Army (and now the Taliban) to use Black Hawk helicopters, etc. efficiently.
Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 8/30/2021 @ 11:49 am@47: whatabout trump
over/under was 37
over wins
JF (e1156d) — 8/30/2021 @ 11:59 amHow dare RIP provide a link to an article that’s pertinent to the OP. Good thing JF is here to clutter up the thread pointless trolling.
Time123 (9f42ee) — 8/30/2021 @ 12:03 pmArms cost- in WW2 $:
$15. M1911 .45cal pistol.
$70. Thompson SMG.
$83. M1 Garand rifle.
$46,000. M4 (Sherman) tank. 35 tons. 75mm main gun.
$50,000. F6F Hellcat fighter
http://www.ww2f.com/threads/cost-of-ww2-weapons.20291/
DCSCA (f4c5e5) — 8/30/2021 @ 12:07 pmCompare & Contrast…
https://pjmedia.com/instapundit/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Screen-Shot-2021-08-30-at-12.43.23-PM-600×596.png
Colonel Haiku (2601c0) — 8/30/2021 @ 12:07 pmhttps://www.nbcnews.com/meet-the-press/meet-press-august-29-2021-n1277894
Note, he mentions “people who were supposed to come out” but does not explain who they are and who they are not. Even those who could be put on such a list, aren’t yet on it. People evacutaed from the airport include people who owned stores there or right outside.
???
Sammy Finkelman (51cd0c) — 8/30/2021 @ 12:10 pm@51. Jesus. Is he that stupid?
Watch word:
[ ] Mickey Mouse
[ ] Spiro Agnew
[ ] Sundial
Choose.
DCSCA (f4c5e5) — 8/30/2021 @ 12:12 pm@46,’
That could have been because Jesse Jones had a big role in production.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jesse_H._Jones
This might be the wrong person to attribute this common sense approach, though.
Sammy Finkelman (51cd0c) — 8/30/2021 @ 12:17 pm@49 another fan of whatabout trump chimes in
it had already been posted
and, it’s a disservice to the article to reduce it to but trump
“Mr. Biden’s full and accelerated withdrawal solely exacerbated the state of affairs.”
biden reversed countless trump decisions on day one — border policy, iran nuclear deal, climate accords — but this one his hands were clearly tied for seven months
what a joke
keep covering for your dementia ridden piece of crap prez
JF (e1156d) — 8/30/2021 @ 12:22 pm@55, he didn’t. You’re just obsessed with reducing everything to Trump, or you’re not smart enough to notice RIP pointed out how the deal impacted the functionality of the helicopters, which is pertinent to this post.
Either way I’m going to go back to ignoring you.
Time123 (9f42ee) — 8/30/2021 @ 12:30 pmYes, but the Taliban carry face covering cloth everywhere which makes them morally superior, and smarter than Trump voters.
steveg (ebe7c1) — 8/30/2021 @ 12:36 pmNo word yet on how well the Taliban is doing on getting its fighters to vaccinate but in all fairness, they’ve been busy
@56 bullcrap
the helicopters were impacted by the loss of contractors, who left in july according to that same article
trump made them leave in july, is that your sorry azz story?
quit making crap up
JF (e1156d) — 8/30/2021 @ 12:40 pmEven WaPo allows that the Taliban breached its end of the deal and Trump had threatened to use overwhelming force to counter violations and Biden choose not to.
“Trump spoke cautiously about the deal’s prospects for success, warning of military firepower if “bad things happen.” Pompeo similarly said the U.S. was “realistic” and “restrained,” determined to avoid endless wars.
U.S. officials made clear at the time that the agreement was conditions-based and the failure of intra-Afghan peace talks to reach a negotiated settlement would have nullified the requirement to withdraw.
One day before the Doha deal, a top aide to chief U.S. negotiator Zalmay Khalilzad said the agreement was not irreversible, and “there is no obligation for the United States to withdraw troops if the Afghan parties are unable to reach agreement or if the Taliban show bad faith” during negotiations”
steveg (ebe7c1) — 8/30/2021 @ 12:45 pmSteveG, I agree, it’s a bad deal and a bad policy. Biden could have tossed it, but he and his based wanted out also. So this is on him and them as well.
Time123 (9f42ee) — 8/30/2021 @ 1:00 pm@58, you have summarized the same point that RIP made, only you did it badly, and with more profanity. It’s nice that you and RIP can agree on this.
Time123 (9f42ee) — 8/30/2021 @ 1:01 pmBiden was too busy making vaccines, sewing masks in the WH kitchen with Dr. Jill, saving us all from COVID to pay attention to the Taliban’s breaches of contract.
steveg (ebe7c1) — 8/30/2021 @ 1:05 pmDo you think its good policy to have our Blackhawks being flown by the tally band with people hanging by a rope from them?
mg (8cbc69) — 8/30/2021 @ 1:07 pmSilly frat boy pranksters, those Taliban…
Regarding the hardware, if only we had planes who were invented to deal with mechanized armies with no air cover, then we could of dealt with this for the last three months.
steveg (ebe7c1) — 8/30/2021 @ 1:13 pmOh. A-10’s were sent home and Bagram was closed. Never mind
biden/harris has created a new army that will be seated next to India at the United Nations…
mg (8cbc69) — 8/30/2021 @ 1:15 pm@61 you’d even lie about ignoring me
JF (e1156d) — 8/30/2021 @ 1:16 pmWhatever happened to Col. klank?
mg (8cbc69) — 8/30/2021 @ 1:17 pmBreaking- Pentagon announced last C-17 left with U.S. personnel aboard [a general and ambassador aboard] 12 hours ago.
“War over.”
Centcom’s McKenzie then says Americans “left behind” in Afghanistan number in ‘the low hundreds.’
Douche nozzle.
DCSCA (f4c5e5) — 8/30/2021 @ 1:52 pmWheels Up/Heals Up/2024
mg (8cbc69) — 8/30/2021 @ 1:59 pm“We did not get everybody out who we wanted to get out.” – General McKenzie, CENTCOM
Idiot.
DCSCA (f4c5e5) — 8/30/2021 @ 2:00 pm‘Did you really call a one-star General a nincompack?’ – Henry Blake [McLean Stevenson] ‘MASH’ CBS TV
Stamp of Approval: http://ace.mu.nu/archives/meme%2020210830%2000.jpg
Colonel Haiku (2601c0) — 8/30/2021 @ 2:07 pmUnsophisticated cavemen from centuries past with sophisticated weapons of today.
mg (8cbc69) — 8/30/2021 @ 2:18 pmWheels Up!
Beauing, Beauing, gone, eh, Joe?!
“These things happened. They were glorious and they changed the world… and then we fvcked up the endgame.” – Charlie Wilson [Tom Hanks] ‘Charlie Wilson’s War’ 2007
DCSCA (f4c5e5) — 8/30/2021 @ 2:28 pmCLG News: “Glenn Beck had a private plane try to pick up Americans in Afghanistan. The State Dept. told him to stand down or the plane would be shot down. But Biden made sure he got 120,000+ unvetted Afghans out-to flood the US w. even more illegal immigrants to destroy the US from within.”
https://twitter.com/legitgov/status/1432380355063975949?s=21
Obudman (46eeea) — 8/30/2021 @ 2:29 pmWho will trust us? They need us more then we need them. Trust has nothing to do with it. If senile joe is replaced by harris and squad member veep. You prefer this?
asset (55426c) — 8/30/2021 @ 2:30 pm@56. It’s now a parts store:
“Tally Towelhead’s War Surplus.”
‘Be-headin’ our way where every deal’s a steal!’
DCSCA (f4c5e5) — 8/30/2021 @ 2:40 pmGiven Biden’s Christmas in August event gifting the Taliban with that ginormous amount of military equipment and weaponry, it’s likely they will sell much of it off. It’s not a stretch to think there’s potential for the USA becoming Number 1 funder of global terrorism.
Colonel Haiku (2601c0) — 8/30/2021 @ 2:44 pmIn his Farewell Address to the newly freed American people, George Washington warned against three things: hyperpartisanship, excessive debt, and interference in foreign conflicts. He was what we would call today a classical liberal, in the Enlightenment sense, like Jefferson, Adams and Franklin. They lived over 250 years ago, but look at us today.
https://reason.com/2021/08/27/libertarians-correctly-predicted-the-afghanistan-fiasco/
I consider myself a classical liberal, but the Libertarian Party nowadays is full of kooks. None of them have a clue, but then neither do the Democrats or the Republicans. So I am basically a man without a party.
Gawain's Ghost (c6fd3b) — 8/30/2021 @ 2:44 pmI feel you pain GG
Time123 (edb5fd) — 8/30/2021 @ 2:45 pmWhere’s the ‘blinken’ goddamned President?
Why Big Tone on TeeVee and not the CIC?????
DCSCA (f4c5e5) — 8/30/2021 @ 2:48 pmPopulism is now the driving force in both parties as free trade economic libertarian capitalism has failed the working class. Uncle milty was wrong people won’t put up with anything.
asset (55426c) — 8/30/2021 @ 2:54 pm@78/79George Washington warned against three things: hyperpartisanship, excessive debt, and interference in foreign conflicts.
Pffft.
You’ve never read ‘George Washington’s Expense Account’ by Marvin Kitman have you…
“Everybody knows George Washington as our foremost Founding Father, the man who led the forces that liberated the Colonies and became our first President. But how many today give him due credit for his unprecedented successes with creative accounting and financial wizardry?
In George Washington’s Expense Account, coauthor Marvin Kitman shows how Washington brilliantly turned his noble gesture of refusing payment for his service as Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army into an opportunity to indulge his insatiable lust for fine food and drink, extravagant clothing, and lavish accommodations. In a close analysis of the actual documents that financed our Revolution, Kitman uncovers more scandals than you can shake a Nixon cabinet member at–and serves each up with verve and wit.” -https://groveatlantic.com/book/george-washingtons-expense-account/
DCSCA (f4c5e5) — 8/30/2021 @ 2:55 pmHundreds of hostages at the ready, eh mick? Taliban pot ‘o’ gold at the end of your Rain-Beau.
Which is why this man is smiling:
https://qph.fs.quoracdn.net/main-qimg-fc01411200d26acc65cfad513ef0d657-c
DCSCA (f4c5e5) — 8/30/2021 @ 3:12 pmWith the US and allies holding Afghanistan’s cash and leaving the government and Afghan people, I can see the Taliban starting to sell some of our military equipment that they cannot use or want to raise money.
I wonder if the smartest president ever – Joe Biden – thought of that.
Probably not.
Too busy looking at his watch…
Hoi Polloi (093fb9) — 8/30/2021 @ 3:25 pmJust heard cellar joe left our service dogs in the kennels.
mg (8cbc69) — 8/30/2021 @ 3:38 pmMaybe we could have sent Rudi Giuliani and Sidney Powell to repossess the weapons.
nk (1d9030) — 8/30/2021 @ 3:40 pmAnd the boots, too. In addition to carrying M-16s and M-4s, there are photos of Taliban wearing American army boots.
nk (1d9030) — 8/30/2021 @ 3:42 pm“You imam wears army boots!”
felipe (484255) — 8/30/2021 @ 3:45 pmhttps://www.state.gov/
Blinken was supposed to speak at 5pm eastern. It was rescheduled to 6pm. Still nothing.
BuDuh (fdd65e) — 8/30/2021 @ 3:50 pmPerhaps the urinating hookers,nk.
mg (8cbc69) — 8/30/2021 @ 3:54 pmSec of State takes a victory lap. Nice!
Colonel Haiku (2601c0) — 8/30/2021 @ 4:02 pmWell.. that was pathetic. Blinken is counting of the Taliban brushing up on their humanitarian credentials while the Taliban are swinging bodies from helicopters.
Truly a lofty goal.
BuDuh (fdd65e) — 8/30/2021 @ 4:18 pmThe President should have made that speech.
O.M.G. First, second, thirdly, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh… did somebody stick a Hellfire up his blinken azz?? He’s a drone, too.
That was the worst displays by a public servant since Budd Dwyer resigned at gunpoint.
DCSCA (f4c5e5) — 8/30/2021 @ 4:19 pm85.Just heard cellar joe left our service dogs in the kennels.
Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh Talilunch!
DCSCA (f4c5e5) — 8/30/2021 @ 4:22 pmThe US will use caution fighting Covid in Afghanistan until the Taliban respect women and treat them equally.
I think the don’t blame me crowd who voted 3rd party so they could pin the responsibility on their State’s unchangeable electoral vote, probably should at least be pissed at the people in their State that chose this administration.
BuDuh (fdd65e) — 8/30/2021 @ 4:23 pmSecretary of State Wint leaves ‘with his tails between his legs’:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a2GHL8VhMjo
DCSCA (f4c5e5) — 8/30/2021 @ 4:28 pmIf it were Trump having these issues – special impeachment sessions would have already taken place.
mg (8cbc69) — 8/30/2021 @ 4:29 pm@97. Cannot possibly imagine in this Universe or any other that Pompeo would allow himself to deliver a pathetic address like that.
He’d resign first.
That ‘Duty, Honor, Country,’ West Point thingy.
DCSCA (f4c5e5) — 8/30/2021 @ 4:34 pmFWIW, dug out our 13 star flag bougtt for the Bicentennial back in ’76- usually fly it only on July 4.
No half staff crap: have it full up for the Fallen 13. A star for each of them.
DCSCA (f4c5e5) — 8/30/2021 @ 4:39 pmEven Biden was not going to let it be said that not only did we abandon “our Afghan allies” we also destroyed their weapons on our way out.
The Afghan Army, such that it was, had already had their asses kicked all over the Hindu Kush. Best thing we could have done is take away their heavy equipment (it’s true that confiscating their guns, trucks, etc. would have been useless), tell half of them they’re free to go join the Taliban (which is pretty much what was happening, as I gather) and then provide a flight out of Afghanistan for the rest of them: “You and your family are just going to love Germany, Hamid.”
JVW (ee64e4) — 8/30/2021 @ 4:39 pmWest Point thingy just surrendered.
mg (8cbc69) — 8/30/2021 @ 4:40 pmMy neighbor has his flying, DCSCA.
mg (8cbc69) — 8/30/2021 @ 4:44 pmI need a new one.
Cannot possibly imagine in this Universe or any other that Pompeo would allow himself to deliver a pathetic address like that.
He’d resign first.
That ‘Duty, Honor, Country,’ West Point thingy.
You think Anthony Blinken, former editor of the Harvard Crimson and intern at The New Republic, might have a particularly tenuous grasp on how people act away from “Porc” and Spee and the restaurant at the Hay-Adams Hotel?
JVW (ee64e4) — 8/30/2021 @ 4:45 pmHe actuall said we’ll give the Taliban aid.
Petrol for planes and tanks, Secretary of State Wint?
DCSCA (f4c5e5) — 8/30/2021 @ 4:49 pm@103. the restaurant at the Hay-Adams Hotel….
Is that where he and Mr. Kidd practice dessert spooning and shish-ka-bob diplomacy?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a2GHL8VhMjo
DCSCA (f4c5e5) — 8/30/2021 @ 4:53 pm@102. Spoke to a friend last night who has two different contacts who knew two of the dead Marines. It’s just devastating.
DCSCA (f4c5e5) — 8/30/2021 @ 4:55 pm“United Teachers Los Angeles President Cecily Myart-Cruz says learning loss is a myth. “It’s OK that our babies may not have learned all their times tables…. They know the difference between a riot and a protest. They know the words insurrection and coup.”
https://www.eiaonline.com/intercepts/2021/08/30/los-angeles-magazine-gives-union-president-the-profile-shes-earned/
Obudman (46eeea) — 8/30/2021 @ 4:56 pmBeau to Hell, Joe.
DCSCA (f4c5e5) — 8/30/2021 @ 4:57 pmWest Point thingy just surrendered.
Not a surprise when this is what is going on at the service academies:
Or
Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 8/30/2021 @ 5:00 pmvictory mincing
Colonel Haiku (2601c0) — 8/30/2021 @ 6:12 pmWinkin Blinken and Nod off
forever haunt us
mg (8cbc69) — 8/30/2021 @ 1:17 pm
Been wondering the same. I can do a “this thing isn’t that thing” and “words mean things” every so often if you’re really missing him. I’m not sure I can replicate his more recent stuff though.
frosty (f27e97) — 8/30/2021 @ 9:26 pmWe armed north vietnam in 1975.
asset (4988cd) — 8/31/2021 @ 2:14 amI just wanted to hear his spin, like nk’s b.s.
mg (8cbc69) — 8/31/2021 @ 2:35 am96. I clicked on this now. Saw an out-of-date ad about Afghanistan from the International Rescue Committee about increasing violence, 300.000 homeless, size of Afghan staff and 30,000 Afghans fleeing each week into other counties. It asks people to go to rescue.org
I think most of those NGO people were evvacated – at least those who could get to Kabul.
Sammy Finkelman (51cd0c) — 8/31/2021 @ 5:47 am113… “Jussie and teh Moonshiner Show”?
Colonel Haiku (2601c0) — 8/31/2021 @ 6:20 amMore like $24 billion, which is still not good, but the more lethal stuff was “demilitarized”, i.e., destroyed in place.
Paul Montagu (5de684) — 8/31/2021 @ 6:48 amLink.
Paul Montagu (5de684) — 8/31/2021 @ 6:48 amYou know there’s precedent for this. Atalanta and the golden apples. Medea and the pieces of her brother’s dead body. The sleigh and the passenger being thrown to the wolves (the most apt, I think). The Taliban occupied with securing the weapons (and boots) from “our Afghan allies” would have less incentive and fewer resources to chase down our fleeing troops and take theirs.
nk (1d9030) — 8/31/2021 @ 7:51 am112.We armed north vietnam in 1975.
North Korea, too. That USS Pueblo is a lovely museum.
DCSCA (f4c5e5) — 8/31/2021 @ 7:53 am