How Many Future Terrorists Did We Create Yesterday? (1 Viewer)

[mjcouvi]

Thought I'd get this new politics board going with something significant. How long will the US continue to kill innocent civilians in the Middle East?

A U.S. drone strike intended to hit an Islamic State (IS) hideout in Afghanistan killed at least 30 civilians resting after a day’s labor in the fields, officials said on Thursday. The attack on Wednesday night also injured another 40 people after accidentally targeting farmers and laborers who had just finished collecting pine nuts at Wazir Tangi in eastern Nangarhar province, three Afghan officials told Reuters.

https://www.esquire.com/news-politi...ne-strike-afghanistan-kills-civilian-farmers/

 

[MT15]

While I agree with the vast majority of what you're saying, it is in every capacity a metaphorical shrug of the shoulders whenever it is done again...and again...and again. I'm not naive enough to say that it will never happen, but when it happens this consistently--and it does, then people will continually question if it is truly a mistake or reckless abandon. Until I see evidence otherwise, i'm going to go with the latter.

http://https:mad:/www.nytimes.com/2019/07/30/world/asia/afghanistan-civilian-casualties.html

Totally agree.

 

[mjcouvi]

i just have to assume that we are not privy to the real and practical reasons we can't leave
now maybe it's just some globalist nonsense, but it seems like a new president comes in and is told 'here, put your finger into this hole in the dyke - whatever you do, don't take your finger out'

That's EXACTLY what it seems like to me, great analogy. I just don't buy any of the reasons we can't leave. Maybe the guys who have access to Presidents have more convincing arguments than what I've seen, but if the arguments are so convincing, why not use those arguments to convince the public as well? My view is that these arguments about why the US must stay in the ME actually have been used to try and convince the public, but these are bad arguments.

 

[SystemShock]

That's EXACTLY what it seems like to me, great analogy. I just don't buy any of the reasons we can't leave. Maybe the guys who have access to Presidents have more convincing arguments than what I've seen, but if the arguments are so convincing, why not use those arguments to convince the public as well? My view is that these arguments about why the US must stay in the ME actually have been used to try and convince the public, but these are bad arguments.

It isn't just one answer...
There's a lot of money riding on keeping certain factions down, propping/protecting others...
Keeping troops in/controlling Afghanistan means the U.S. has 2 fronts facing Iran...

 

[SystemShock]

That is your solution for homosexuals in the Middle East? To just leave? What about trying to change hearts and minds?

You are not going to change hearts and minds when you are bombing and killing civilians.

 

[Taurus]

That is your solution for homosexuals in the Middle East? To just leave? What about trying to change hearts and minds?

Well, we could offer them asylum, since y'know, their lives are in danger.
But they're swarthy so, no. Apparently asylum is now just a thing for Nordic types fleeing the oppression of free healthcare, cheap college and legal weed.

 

[JimEverett]

These stories have a way of being inaccurate after facts come out.

However, having noted that - I think it is ridiculous that we are still engaged in combat operations in Afghanistan. WE need to get out of there and one reason being exactly the title of the OP.

 

[mjcouvi]

That is your solution for homosexuals in the Middle East? To just leave? What about trying to change hearts and minds?

A good way to change hearts and minds would be to more readily accept persecuted people from other countries into the US. Also, stopping killing folks in the Middle East would help the change of hearts and minds I think.

 

[Intensesaint]

A good way to change hearts and minds would be to more readily accept persecuted people from other countries into the US. Also, stopping killing folks in the Middle East would help the change of hearts and minds I think.

But if we have to change dont you think other regions should change as well, dont you think the Middle East should be like the US and allow gay people to live openly and freely without the fear of being persecuted or ever worse, executed.

 

[mjcouvi]

But if we have to change dont you think other regions should change as well, dont you think the Middle East should be like the US and allow gay people to live openly and freely without the fear of being persecuted or ever worse, executed.

yeah. But no one has to change. Not you or me or the US military or religious crazies. I'm clearly saying what I'd prefer. I'm saying what changes SHOULD be, not what changes HAVE TO be. Clearly there's not much of any policy that HAS TO be.

 

[BayouSAINTJoe]

New guy here...coming from a military background and I'm not even sure what in the hell the objective is anymore. I was last there in '14 and it felt like the only objective at the time was force protection...all we were doing was sustaining and protecting ourselves. What is the endgame here?

Truth be told, in my professional opinion, once we had a good idea that Bin Laden was in Abbottabad, we should've planned the pull out and executed on the day after we put a bullet through his eye. Now, we're just blowing people up for what? What is the major threat in Afghanistan

 

[mjcouvi]

New guy here...coming from a military background and I'm not even sure what in the hell the objective is anymore. I was last there in '14 and it felt like the only objective at the time was force protection...all we were doing was sustaining and protecting ourselves. What is the endgame here?

Truth be told, in my professional opinion, once we had a good idea that Bin Laden was in Abbottabad, we should've planned the pull out and executed on the day after we put a bullet through his eye. Now, we're just blowing people up for what? What is the major threat in Afghanistan

Thanks for saying this. What inspired you to serve in the first place?

 

[BayouSAINTJoe]

Thanks for saying this. What inspired you to serve in the first place?

$$$ and a need to put myself on a path to attaining a career as opposed to just a job.

 

[mjcouvi]

$$$ and a need to put myself on a path to attaining a career as opposed to just a job.

Did it work out?

 

[BayouSAINTJoe]

Pretty sure it did, I'll leave it at that

 

[SystemShock]

But if we have to change dont you think other regions should change as well, dont you think the Middle East should be like the US and allow gay people to live openly and freely without the fear of being persecuted or ever worse, executed.

That's a different discussion.