All purpose news and politics thread part VI: This Is Not The Time For Posing

[babyblob]

Thanks Babyblob, this isn't is larger than any political party. This is about a core belief of our nation, never leaving another behind. Yes there have been times when it's been impossible because we've been under attack forced to retreat...but this isn't that. So worried about their fate...how they must feel.

It makes me very upset. I hate that anyone can be left behind. And yea there is talk of Dual citizens that wanted to stay. But I am sure there are many that did not want to stay and were left behind. maybe they couldnt get to the airport or what ever. And Now we have or officials saying dont worry it will be fine. The Taliban will let them out when the time comes. they are going to fix up the airport and they are going to be fine. Such BS! We can joke about it, I cracked a joke. But those people were abandoned. No other word.

[babyblob]

The Taliban was beating the Hell out of people and threatening them as they they tried to get to the airport and that is with American soldiers 50 feet away. But yea now that the soldiers are are gone and the Americans were left behind, whether by their choice or not they are saying

"Yep when we come back with a commercial jet after the Talban fixes up the airport with some of the equipment we left they will let these people get on and come to the airport no problem." Its a joke to say it its a joke to buy it. And I would expect less then a week before reports come in that some of these Americans have been killed or are missing.

[shooshoomanjoe]

The Taliban was beating the Hell out of people and threatening them as they they tried to get to the airport and that is with American soldiers 50 feet away. But yea now that the soldiers are are gone and the Americans were left behind, whether by their choice or not they are saying

"Yep when we come back with a commercial jet after the Talban fixes up the airport with some of the equipment we left they will let these people get on and come to the airport no problem." Its a joke to say it its a joke to buy it. And I would expect less then a week before reports come in that some of these Americans have been killed or are missing.

I don't get why people are so angry that equipment was left behind. Should the US have air lifted all this ordinance out and leave US forces defenseless against the Taliban? We lost the war.

[JackDaw]

I don't get why people are so angry that equipment was left behind. Should the US have air lifted all this ordinance out and leave US forces defenseless against the Taliban? We lost the war.

There’s usually a plan to make sure usable armament doesn’t fall into the arms of the enemy, even in the most desperate retreat. Retreating armies spike guns, etc.

Surely every one knows the Taliban are going to put any kit they get to brutal use?

I assume nobody really believes the overall withdrawal has been really well planned??

In UK when something high profile goes badly wrong in UK, usual mechanism is to have a public enquiry to investigate what went wrong and learn lessons for future. (Often not successful!).

I assume US has some equivalent…and many questions will be asked about what could have been done better. At least one of those will surely be if you could have left less equipment in unfriendly hands.

Maybe biggest single problem is that every one has to pretend it wasn’t really a retreat?

[numberthirty]

There’s usually a plan to make sure usable armament doesn’t fall into the arms of the enemy, even in the most desperate retreat. Retreating armies spike guns, etc.

Surely every one knows the Taliban are going to put any kit they get to brutal use?

I assume nobody really believes the overall withdrawal has been really well planned??

In UK when something high profile goes badly wrong in UK, usual mechanism is to have a public enquiry to investigate what went wrong and learn lessons for future. (Often not successful!).

I assume US has some equivalent…and many questions will be asked about what could have been done better. At least one of those will surely be if you could have left less equipment in unfriendly hands.

Maybe biggest single problem is that every one has to pretend it wasn’t really a retreat?

From the looks of it...

https://www.cnbc.com/2021/08/17/demo...n-pullout.html

Democratic Sen. Menendez rips Biden administration for ‘flawed’ Afghanistan withdrawal, vows hearings

[Iron Maiden]

There’s usually a plan to make sure usable armament doesn’t fall into the arms of the enemy, even in the most desperate retreat. Retreating armies spike guns, etc.

Surely every one knows the Taliban are going to put any kit they get to brutal use?

I assume nobody really believes the overall withdrawal has been really well planned??

In UK when something high profile goes badly wrong in UK, usual mechanism is to have a public enquiry to investigate what went wrong and learn lessons for future. (Often not successful!).

I assume US has some equivalent…and many questions will be asked about what could have been done better. At least one of those will surely be if you could have left less equipment in unfriendly hands.

Maybe biggest single problem is that every one has to pretend it wasn’t really a retreat?

IMO I just think there is such a large amount of equipment, helicopters, vehicles etc that got transported there over 20 year time spaln there was just no way to arrange for the relocation on the short notice that the Trump deal set up.

[JackDaw]

IMO I just think there is such a large amount of equipment, helicopters, vehicles etc that got transported there over 20 year time spaln there was just no way to arrange for the relocation on the short notice that the Trump deal set up.

And maybe the ultimate hearing will accept that. Though..I can easily see potential counter arguments.

Personally I think Joe B should welcome future hearings but should make very sure that the terms of reference cover a fairly wide time scale (at very least the term of his immediate predecessor as well as his own).

[shooshoomanjoe]

There’s usually a plan to make sure usable armament doesn’t fall into the arms of the enemy, even in the most desperate retreat. Retreating armies spike guns, etc.

Surely every one knows the Taliban are going to put any kit they get to brutal use?

I assume nobody really believes the overall withdrawal has been really well planned??

In UK when something high profile goes badly wrong in UK, usual mechanism is to have a public enquiry to investigate what went wrong and learn lessons for future. (Often not successful!).

I assume US has some equivalent…and many questions will be asked about what could have been done better. At least one of those will surely be if you could have left less equipment in unfriendly hands.

Maybe biggest single problem is that every one has to pretend it wasn’t really a retreat?

I think the UK did leave equipment behind in Afghanistan.

Ben Wallace told LBC on Friday morning: "We have taken some decisions that no doubt will play out in a few days in order to get more Afghans out and more British nationals. We've squeezed the timetable for getting our military out, which might mean we have to leave equipment behind."

"No doubt we'll see in the media 'how could we leave a Land Rover behind' or something, but all I ask for listeners to remember is that Land Rover probably represented 30 to 40 people that we took on a plane instead."

The US also left equipment in Vietnam after we lost the Vietnam War. It's just the way it is when you're on the losing side.

[Tami]

GOP Congressman Says He Wants to Bust Out Jan. 6 ‘Political Prisoners’

When Republican Rep. Madison Cawthorn was asked about what he’s doing to help the hundreds in jail awaiting trial for their roles in the violent January 6 riots, he called them “political prisoners”—and said he wanted to “bust them out.”

“The big problem is we don’t actually know who all the political prisoners are, and so if we were actually to go and try to bust them out—and let me tell you, the reason why they have taken these political prisoners is they’re trying to make an example, because they don’t want to see the mass protest going on in Washington,” he said at a Macon County Republican Party event on Sunday.

Someone in the audience then asked, “When will you call us to Washington again?”

“We are actively working on this,” Cawthorn responded. “We have a few plans in motion I can’t make public right now,” he said, before calling those facing charges for their role in the January 6 insurrection “political hostages”—for the second time.

The speech was streamed live on Facebook by the Macon County Republican Party on Sunday.

[worstblogever]

Probably an Argo about a specific success.

A film more in the vein of Blackhawk Down, maybe.

[babyblob]

GOP Congressman Says He Wants to Bust Out Jan. 6 ‘Political Prisoners’

What I love is how this dumbasses cant keep their story straight in their own party.

Half are still trying to blame Antifa and Black Lives Matter, while the other half are giving speeches about freeing the political prisoners. Hell even the talking heads on Fox news bounce back and forth. And the QOP cult bounces back and forth depending on what Cult Leader is talking. One minute they bitch about being framed then proudly yell about standing up for the country.

[Zauriel]

I think the UK did leave equipment behind in Afghanistan.



The US also left equipment in Vietnam after we lost the Vietnam War. It's just the way it is when you're on the losing side.

If they couldn't bring the equipment with them, why not destroy the equipment to prevent it from falling into wrong hands. The British-captured German sailors scuttled their own ships to keep them out of British hands.

[babyblob]

If they couldn't bring the equipment with them, why not destroy the equipment to prevent it from falling into wrong hands. The British-captured German sailors scuttled their own ships to keep them out of British hands.

Some was destroyed. But a lot of things like guns, ammo, trucks, tanks were not. At the Airport that USA just left they did do damage to the planes and helicopters left behind. But there were many places that they did not.

[PwrdOn]

If I'm not mistaken, all of that hardware belonged to the Afghan army, and thus destroying it or taking it back would be tantamount to declaring "look you guys are about to lose the war anyway, so we're taking all our stuff back before we leave. The administration still had to at least keep up the pretense that the Afghans could still hold out after the US withdrawal, and there were probably still some who thought that letting them keep all of these weapons would help them fight the Taliban more effectively.

But we also have to get real about this - whatever equipment we saw fit to give to the Afghans was all probably outdated surplus junk anyway, there is NO chance we'd let one of our high tech cutting edge toys fall into the hands of the enemy who could sell the wreckage to Russia or China for a hefty sum. And while capturing all of these weapons is a propaganda coup for the Taliban, they don't really have the infrastructure or know how to maintain it, nevermind operate it properly. Even if they could, the Taliban is not about to start engaging in conventional warfare against neighboring countries, any of which could crush them like a bug in that scenario. And on our end, whining about the money that we lost equipping the Afghan army, which amounted to only a small fraction of the $2 trillion we spent on the war, is really beyond childish. We lost the war, the Taliban earned the right to parade around in our trucks wearing our uniforms, that's just how these things go. If we don't want this to happen again, we should maybe think about not starting any wars we can't win.

[kidfresh512]

GOP Congressman Says He Wants to Bust Out Jan. 6 ‘Political Prisoners’

Yet there are people that say we should just "get over" Jan 6. "Move On" they say. Active members of Congress out there doing events like these supporting these insurrectionists and defending them. Instead of the oath of office or the country.

Still out riling up these idiots telling them lies about fraud and "stolen elections".

That clip is like a Klan rally without hoods.