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SoCalDem

(103,856 posts) Mon Mar 4, 2013, 04:21 PM Mar 2013

How to help the defense dept save big bucks? end the Afghanistan war a year early

Start bringing them home NOW.. The "fighting season" is about to start there, so why waste more bloodmoney & lives for another futile year.

What will be different a year from now?

Nothing!

Afghanistan has been in a perpetual state of civil war since ....well forever.

Nothing we do or what any other country has tried to do has made much difference.

Until they decide as a group to civilize their country, no one can help them.

For a brief time in the 50's & 60's there was a glimmer of hope that the place would join modernity, but that breath of new life was squashed like a bug on a windshield..

It's apparent that they (as a society) prefer warlord rule.

7 replies

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How to help the defense dept save big bucks? end the Afghanistan war a year early (Original Post) SoCalDem Mar 2013 OP

This seems an odd argument el_bryanto Mar 2013 #1

It cannot be our duty to change governments. The people there have to be the ones who do it SoCalDem Mar 2013 #3

I think they're actually planning to cut troops by half this year, by the fall. TwilightGardener Mar 2013 #2

I do wonder how much of a presence we'll keep in place. kentauros Mar 2013 #4

Panetta said (before he stepped down) about 8000-12000 NATO troops. TwilightGardener Mar 2013 #5

I guess that's enough to "keep the peace" kentauros Mar 2013 #6

You are completely correct. We should have bailed the day Obama was sworn in for his first term. talkingmime Mar 2013 #7

el_bryanto

(11,804 posts)

1. This seems an odd argument

Reply to SoCalDem (Original post)

Mon Mar 4, 2013, 04:26 PM

Mar 2013

I don't necessarily disagree with the idea; but saying that Afghans just deserve what they get for preferring warlord rule? Isn't it at least possible that that Afghan Warlords who are the biggest fans of it in Afghanistan?

Bryant

SoCalDem

(103,856 posts)

3. It cannot be our duty to change governments. The people there have to be the ones who do it

Reply to el_bryanto (Reply #1)

Mon Mar 4, 2013, 04:34 PM

Mar 2013

We have tried and mostly have failed since WWII (which was a totally different thing).
Look at all the places we have meddled in since then and you'll probably notice that things do not really change much until we leave the premises and let them evolve at their own pace. It sucks to be young/female in Afghanistan, but it also sucks to be the same in many other places.. Do we have a mandate to save the world?

Perhaps we do more, by staying OUT of their business and instead, become a role model..

TwilightGardener

(46,416 posts)

2. I think they're actually planning to cut troops by half this year, by the fall.

Reply to SoCalDem (Original post)

Mon Mar 4, 2013, 04:27 PM

Mar 2013

kentauros

(29,414 posts)

4. I do wonder how much of a presence we'll keep in place.

Reply to TwilightGardener (Reply #2)

Mon Mar 4, 2013, 04:37 PM

Mar 2013

Because, like with the other oil-rich areas of the world where we have some semblance of control, Afghanistan has the world's richest sources of minerals just waiting to be mined and refined. As I recall, something on the order of several trillion dollars' worth.

TwilightGardener

(46,416 posts)

5. Panetta said (before he stepped down) about 8000-12000 NATO troops.

Reply to kentauros (Reply #4)

Mon Mar 4, 2013, 05:20 PM

Mar 2013

kentauros

(29,414 posts)

6. I guess that's enough to "keep the peace"

Reply to TwilightGardener (Reply #5)

Mon Mar 4, 2013, 05:33 PM

Mar 2013

and protect the mining camps...

talkingmime

(2,173 posts)

7. You are completely correct. We should have bailed the day Obama was sworn in for his first term.