Should the West intervene again in Afghanistan?

I say no, I think what is happening is a tragedy but I think we have spent 20 years of blood and treasure trying to prop up the Kabul regime and any more would be both metaphorically and literally throwing good money after bad. All I can think off is that we continue to fund the anti-Taliban forces and just use drone strikes to keep them down. I just wonder how the Taliban can fight so fanatically for what is so evidently evil yet the Afghans won't fight to preserve their freedom, it's like the fall of Saigon all over again?

 

Stay the frick out. While Xidens withdrawal is a disaster, now that it’s done get the hell out and let it be.
The vacuum will be filled by some fringe group of terrorists. We didn’t accomplish anything in 20 years. Dont appear to have taught them how to take care of themselves, defend themselves after 20 years.
No more! No more American blood spilled for them. Let the Russians go back in to that meat grinder.

 

Why do you think they didn't learn it and why is it our job to teach it?

 

That’s a question for Xoe.

 

The president fled several hours ago. I guess they don't have as many people on their side willing to stand together to take it on. I am truly sorry about that but we can't babysit the world.

 

No, it’s over. We lost.

 

I say yes. But this time totally wipe out the taliban while they’re not expecting it. Blow the capitol sky high. I remember 9-11 and they deserve no victory like the one they’re seeing right now

 

Babysitting? That’s how you see this? The taliban needs to be obliterated not babysat. They don’t deserve to lead a country. You think allowing this to happen won’t lead to more terrorism? As a leader in a country they can influence weaponry as well. They can start making nukes or chemical warfare. They can start funding terrorism like Iran does. This is totally unacceptable and reckless. This will destabilize the region not just Afghanistan.

 

Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin laid the blame for the collapse of the Afghan forces on a lack of “willpower” and “leadership” during an all House member call

I suppose he was talking about us

 

How do you propose to do that?

How will you isolate them so innocent Afghani civilians aren't also killed?

How likely do you think it is that ALL the members of the Taliban will be in one place at the same time?

What do you propose to do about innocent civilians that become financially unstable because their loved one (Taliban member) is dead?

What prevents a new group of radicals from rising up with the same agenda?

How many deaths are "acceptable losses" (this includes US, Afghanis and anybody else caught in the crossfire)?

 

It was more than 20 years. No American blood should be spilled for them ever again.

 

Babysitting refers to standing watch over the innocent citizens. I didn't add that because it seemed like that would be obvious.

None of that is from me. It's all you. I didn't say any of it and I didn't and don't condone any of it.

 

well if this is acceptable then F it right. I mean there’s no threat at all. Just let it happen. This will be a good thing. The terrorist organization that stopped our country and killed so many isn’t a threat. They should hold the powers of a sovereign state. Hell with it, give them a seat at the UN too. Flipping [beep]

 

It's not too late.

The question posed in the opening post is a little bit of a disingenuous one.

The "West" would not be "interfering" but rather saving a project they had already embarked upon and invested heavily in.
That's the difference.

The question of whether there should be an intervention is a very different one after the US has already poured $2 trillion into a war and made major gains. After doing that, it would get a lot easier to keep the Taliban suppressed.

Well, it may by now be partially too late since many US-supplied weapons have been allowed to fall into Taliban hands.

 

For them!!!! For them!!!!!!! Do you know why our blood was spilt over there? Cowards, the whole lot of you

I’m signing off. I’m severely disappointed in this pile of garbage talk

 

By suggesting we do nothing you’re accepting all that as an outcome

 

Let me point out that "interfering again" at this point, would not be like interfering in the beginning.

Stop it now, before it gets more difficult and expensive, and the US loses its gains it has already made.

The US has already poured in lots of money and cost lots of lives. Now they better protect that investment or it will all have been for nothing.

 

Any withdrawal was going to be a disaster. Biden's or otherwise. The only long term solution given the chronic corruption and lack of political unity in the country was a permanent allied presence. That presence didn't have to be war fighters so much as a large training cadre backed up by a security detachment sufficient to protect the relevant allied bases AND a continued commitment to air support.

Take that away and this was always going to happen. Although the speed of the collapse was illuminating. It certainly says a lot about how well lead the Afghan forces were. Everything I've ever heard anecdotally indicates the 'leadership of the country' readily stole any military asset (including salaries, arms and fuel ) not under direct allied supervision and then sold the physical assets on to whoever wanted to buy it, including the Taliban! What army, no matter how well trained is going to fight on in those circumstances.

 

The question of whether we should interfere now is is not the same question as whether we should have interfered in the first place.

 

I wonder what it would have taken, or how long it would have taken, for Afghanistan to be able to be stable all on its own.

I also wonder what the difference is between a country like Afghanistan is and a country like the US is. Knowing those differences, is it possible to use that information to save Afghanistan? Or does it mean the US could end up that way someday in the distant future, since we obviously don't know how to change it.

 

Not with our current leadership.

 

A lot of this just seems like a self-fulfilling prophecy.

They thought it was a waste, and so now they are treating it just like a waste, which is causing it to be a waste.

It's like a parent who's convinced their child is worthless, treats their child as worthless and refuses to make any investment in them, and then that all but guarantees the child will turn out to be how the parent expected. Then the parent says "See, I told you so."

 

Yes but under Biden we will just needlessly throw away American lives. There is no way yhat he could handle this situation appropriately.

 

So are we going to have another war again in the future, or are we just going to resign ourselves that it will never be worth it because eventually a Democrat President will come along and have a blunderous screw-up?

By the way, this is pretty much the worst thing for women's rights that any American leader has ever done. I hope progressives realize that.