tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11368628.post5837392408169987498..comments2024-03-28T03:24:11.539-04:00Comments on Daniel Greenfield / Sultan Knish Articles at DanielGreenfield.org : Why We Lost AfghanistanDaniel Greenfieldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13575285186581875356noreply@blogger.comBlogger21125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11368628.post-38684454828477225532012-10-17T20:52:14.971-04:002012-10-17T20:52:14.971-04:00There is some hope that we learned from Afghanista...There is some hope that we learned from Afghanistan that changing hearts and minds is a worthless goal.<br />Looking back to Vietnam, it seems a fair statement that one take-away message was the farce of a president saying, "They can't bomb an outhouse without my permission" or some such. Since that time, the US military has been pretty strong in resisting micromanagement from the CIC.<br />Is all hope lost that we'll remember the take-away message from the Af being "foreign hearts and minds will never become US possessions"?<br /><br />Bill K.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11368628.post-36840300215135394762012-10-17T17:09:49.356-04:002012-10-17T17:09:49.356-04:00Been there, done that...
See what happen when mus...Been there, done that...<br /><br />See what happen when muslims take over(the tally ban beating death of Najibullah, or the coming fate of Karzai)<br />http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hFgYuRhcQzAWabanohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04437195079842037921noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11368628.post-2919015122706754182012-10-16T21:26:16.618-04:002012-10-16T21:26:16.618-04:00Well, it seemed like a good idea at the time.
A...Well, it seemed like a good idea at the time. <br /><br />As far as "shattering the enemy's main strength and moving on",<br />and recognizing that the enemy is not just Afghanistan,<br />it seems that the enemy's main strength is its 1400 yr old ideology. <br />(it's not anything technical, that's for sure)<br /><br />How are we going to smash that?cdnbnnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11368628.post-30001277483378562962012-10-16T20:45:47.921-04:002012-10-16T20:45:47.921-04:00I think you are wrong about one thing (other that ...I think you are wrong about one thing (other that the most excellent on-going essay's): while we have the best weapons, highly trained man power, we none the less do not know how to fight a war and sadly have expended vast sums (both in money and blood) for nothing. By the way, just how much have we spent on this disaster? not with standing lives lost, wounded people and futhre debt?Workernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11368628.post-92138817499091524362012-10-16T18:58:20.415-04:002012-10-16T18:58:20.415-04:00What we're doing in Afghanistan could be calle...What we're doing in Afghanistan could be called many things. War is not one of them. We began losing the day we swapped daisy cutters for public works projects.Joseph Dooleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07666206705317908951noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11368628.post-11737177573390794042012-10-16T18:16:55.018-04:002012-10-16T18:16:55.018-04:00A great article, but the critical thinking skills ...A great article, but the critical thinking skills of the American public have been too dumbed-down by their media overlords, who feed them Reality TV stars,celebrities for no reason, and stupid punditry passing as deep intellectualism. And so it will be if our great father, leader of the nation, spear of the 47%, Abu Obama, wins re-election on the perceived promise of free cell phones and avoiding muslim terrorism through appeasement, so that the lumpen can continue to shop big box stores for trinkets peacefully, and grow obese on giantic sodas and fast food. (No I am not saying Obama is a closet Muslim, but in my opinion he does pine for the absolute power of the muslim despot (see: Obamacare).Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11368628.post-69114108856786848662012-10-16T14:58:34.455-04:002012-10-16T14:58:34.455-04:00The United States has become weaker for the effort...The United States has become weaker for the efforts we have made in the Middle East. Our enemy now laughs at us. Anyone think the US is weak is right. If China were to attack the US mainland, CodePink would propbably be out in full force protesting the instant a single Chineese invader's blood is spilled. Our National debt, the fact that we produce almost none of our own fuel, and those countries that do hate us (not just the middle east, Brazil and Venezuala too.) Even the Canadians would have to think twice about coming to our aid. <br /><br />If one of or more of our enemies decide we are weak, as we clearly are, and decide to attack the US, it is only a matter of time before our Government runs out of money and there is no military to defend you and your family.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14570178172697978366noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11368628.post-2601569339470631512012-10-16T12:45:41.733-04:002012-10-16T12:45:41.733-04:00Keli Ata is right. The original mistake was invadi...Keli Ata is right. The original mistake was invading Afghanistan rather than Saudi Arabia. <br /><br />Bombing the Taliban flat was a good idea, and should have been pursued a la WWII when we made German and Japanese civilians targets. But, the actual invasion of Afghanistan was and is a logistical nightmare that put our troops at the mercies of Russia and Pakistan. So, a war that was unwinnable in principal is now lost in fact.<br /><br />In contrast, the lightly populated, easily accessible Saudi Arabia would have been a snap. It still is. And it should be on the table.sykes.1https://www.blogger.com/profile/10954672321945289871noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11368628.post-21751497021103220032012-10-16T12:01:56.044-04:002012-10-16T12:01:56.044-04:00Afghanistan should have been razed to the ground f...Afghanistan should have been razed to the ground from the off.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11368628.post-68347064005194321842012-10-16T10:55:22.967-04:002012-10-16T10:55:22.967-04:00You cannot win a war playing by PC rules. The spee...You cannot win a war playing by PC rules. The speed and power of our initial moves had bad guys the world over quaking. (Remember Gadaffi giving up his nuclear program!) But the followup was run using PC/UN rules. THAT IS NOT HOW YOU WIN WARS! It's not that we can't. We won't.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11368628.post-79851094820075024802012-10-16T10:49:14.633-04:002012-10-16T10:49:14.633-04:00Oops. Not that the Cullens beat the Volturi, they ...Oops. Not that the Cullens beat the Volturi, they just convince them that they're wrong.Keli Atahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05089132216830000713noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11368628.post-21005175055568259102012-10-16T10:41:33.342-04:002012-10-16T10:41:33.342-04:00I still don't understand why we invade the cou...I still don't understand why we invade the country in the first place.<br /><br />Shouldn't we have invaded Saudi Arabia after 9/11?<br /><br />Keli Atahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05089132216830000713noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11368628.post-37532326308334707332012-10-16T09:16:20.174-04:002012-10-16T09:16:20.174-04:00Great commentary Mr. Knish. The idea that our brav...Great commentary Mr. Knish. The idea that our brave men and women had to go over there and start building schools, etc. instead of killing the enemy was the main reason for the failure. The U.S. Army when they entered German territory early in 1945 did not go about trying to win the hearts and minds of the Nazi population - our goal was to defeat the Nazi armies and to rub the German civilians face with that knowledge that their might Reich was kaput!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11368628.post-30541792343424028632012-10-16T09:03:54.301-04:002012-10-16T09:03:54.301-04:00I agree with a lot of this article having been in ...I agree with a lot of this article having been in Afghanistan several times.<br /><br />Looking back - we should have left the place to the Special Forces and Northern Alliance. The ROE should have been “go out and kill the enemy and have some fun.”<br /><br />Instead, we conventionalized the war, instituted insane ROE policies and brought in PC rules to win over CNN, liberals and Europe. No wonder we lost.<br /><br />The Taliban will not “win” Afghanistan back however. The Northern Alliance were fighting them pretty good without ANY foreign help. With minimal aid, light air support and just a few SF advisers, they will easily keep control over at least half of Afghanistan to include Kabul.<br /><br />Any maybe that is the best outcome we could ever achieve.2banananoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11368628.post-86649756954477555072012-10-16T06:51:20.652-04:002012-10-16T06:51:20.652-04:00This no-win situation has been military doctrine s...This no-win situation has been military doctrine since Korea. If we are looking for lessons look no farther than 1950.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11368628.post-67411575090901052552012-10-16T03:23:40.224-04:002012-10-16T03:23:40.224-04:00Add to this clusterfarck that our troops are told ...Add to this clusterfarck that our troops are told that as soon as they arrive in Afghanistan, they are fighting for the afghanis and, not for or on behalf of the USA.<br />Add then also, that suicides and murder of our troops is at an all time high as one mother recently stated - before her son died, he told his mother that he needed a 'new' presient!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11368628.post-57513191858669479482012-10-16T02:33:16.747-04:002012-10-16T02:33:16.747-04:00I'll sometimes click on the combat videos over...I'll sometimes click on the combat videos over at Weasel Zippers- the ones showing a missile strike, or a J-dam drop on some taliban or other. But it struck me that these hits, while gratifying to see, were much like watching someone swat flies around an outhouse.<br />What you need is a massive cloud of insecticide, several hundred pounds of quick lime, and then indoor plumbing to keep the pestilence away for good. Not going to happen with a people whose custom is to wipe their ass with their hand, and rape little boys.<br /><br />JWMJWMhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05564732483476859555noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11368628.post-32122337097703509562012-10-16T01:59:09.094-04:002012-10-16T01:59:09.094-04:00A paradox that shows why any war between good and ...A paradox that shows why any war between good and evil or evil and good is un-winnable.<br /><br />.....and you shall erase all the Amalakites, their women their children and their live-stock.....<br />.....and even if one Jew shall remain alive we shall have lost as conscience shall not have been eradicated from humanity....... <br /><br />mindRiderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12160934421830568737noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11368628.post-62429375111864996852012-10-16T00:33:11.146-04:002012-10-16T00:33:11.146-04:00Leftists are often idealists but the Republican Pa...Leftists are often idealists but the Republican Party has plenty of them too. The who believe that all humans are intrinsically good (whatever "good" means; Islam considers abusing women to be "good" and the left including its die-hard feminists approve) and that if everyone is treated "fairly," that the enemy will stop setting off car bombs and enslaving women.<br /><br />They will never believe that Islam is a collectivist system of life where respect for Allah and the Koran is forced on pain of death. Completely incompatible with individual rights.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11368628.post-60690823526045878932012-10-15T23:36:21.543-04:002012-10-15T23:36:21.543-04:00beautiful article, knish
...beautiful article, knish<br /><br /> --- spankyAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11368628.post-61480275618725343182012-10-15T23:25:30.965-04:002012-10-15T23:25:30.965-04:00We're constantly reminded that Afghanistan is ...We're constantly reminded that Afghanistan is the graveyard of empires. And that is largely correct, not because they're unbeatable but because the empires eventually come to understand that it's not winning. That any victory is at best hollow. That success looks more like a Potemkin village of not too many atrocities while the swarthies warm up for the next round of fanaticism. Because they're fanatics. They don't operate according to the same principles as the rest of us. They operate according to the principles of fanaticism. It would be as if every single German citizen in WW2 was an SS stormtrooper. You'd have to kill every last person to declare victory because as long as there any of them left they'd fight you until you killed them. <br /><br />And in practical terms you can't turn their whole country into rubble. It's already rubble. They like rubble. The more rubble the better. They WANT to live a thousand years in the past. You don't serve your aims by sending them back there faster.<br /><br />You can't reverse engineer medieval fanaticism and to understand how to arrive at some less than horrible barely not psychotic culture that isn't made of up maniacs who kill and eat each other. Jump-starting them into their future, our present is PRECISELY what the Shah of Iran did and what lead to current regime. It cannot be done in Iran which was already pretty close to modern, it can't be done in Afghanistan. <br /><br />All that can be done is quarantine the disease. Wall off the monster and leave them to their fate. Empress Trudyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06073538968722986065noreply@blogger.com