Comments on: “Let’s get those palefaces out of there.” https://habitablezone.com/2021/08/13/lets-get-those-palefaces-out-of-there/ Tue, 07 Apr 2026 09:51:21 -0700 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: podrock https://habitablezone.com/2021/08/13/lets-get-those-palefaces-out-of-there/#comment-47043 podrock Sun, 15 Aug 2021 17:22:59 +0000 https://habitablezone.com/?p=88665#comment-47043 Does this remind you of another conflict? <blockquote> A confidential trove of government documents obtained by The Washington Post reveals that senior U.S. officials failed to tell the truth about the war in Afghanistan throughout the 18-year campaign, making rosy pronouncements they knew to be false and hiding unmistakable evidence the war had become unwinnable. <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2019/investigations/afghanistan-papers/afghanistan-war-confidential-documents/" rel="nofollow">https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2019/investigations/afghanistan-papers/afghanistan-war-confidential-documents/</a> </blockquote> Does this remind you of another conflict?

A confidential trove of government documents obtained by The Washington Post reveals that senior U.S. officials failed to tell the truth about the war in Afghanistan throughout the 18-year campaign, making rosy pronouncements they knew to be false and hiding unmistakable evidence the war had become unwinnable.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2019/investigations/afghanistan-papers/afghanistan-war-confidential-documents/

]]> By: ER https://habitablezone.com/2021/08/13/lets-get-those-palefaces-out-of-there/#comment-47042 ER Sun, 15 Aug 2021 17:05:25 +0000 https://habitablezone.com/?p=88665#comment-47042 Second...and third, thoughts This sordid episode in American history will no doubt be litigated for decades to come, but I must add a bit more to what I've already said. On second reading, it sounds like I'm trying to make excuses for my man Joe. Sure, it was Trump who announced our leaving the country prematurely and opened pointless negotiations with the Taliban. And sure, Obama fiddled while the country burned for both his terms in office. And ultimately, Bush set this ball of shit rolling when he shifted American emphasis from Afghanistan and 9/11 to geopolitics and nation-building in Iraq. Like I said, there's plenty of bi-partisan blame to spread around. But to be fair, this happened on Biden's watch and he deserves the lion's share of the blame. He knew what was coming, or should have known, and all he could think of was how to get out before the whole place imploded. At the very least, it was a colossal intelligence failure, and at worst, he had the right intelligence but failed to act on it. Perhaps no one can be blamed for the unexpected collapse of the US trained and equipped local forces, but to be fair, it did happen on Biden's watch, and he was the only one in any position to do anything about it. He didn't, and he deserves the blame. I fear this episode is the final nail in the coffin of US world leadership. We might be able to survive this disaster, as the Afghani defeats of Great Britain and the USSR eventually played out, (not to mention our Vietnam experience) but I can't see how it will not lead to defeat of the Democratic Party by the forces of Trumpian fascism in 2022 and 2024. Its all a question of Karma. History shows nations pay for their sins, even if those who pay the price aren't necessarily the ones who committed the crimes. The only difference is that I once felt I might be long gone when the bills came due. Now it appears I may very well be still be around. Second…and third, thoughts

This sordid episode in American history will no doubt be litigated for decades to come, but I must add a bit more to what I’ve already said.
On second reading, it sounds like I’m trying to make excuses for my man Joe.

Sure, it was Trump who announced our leaving the country prematurely and opened pointless negotiations with the Taliban.
And sure, Obama fiddled while the country burned for both his terms in office.
And ultimately, Bush set this ball of shit rolling when he shifted American emphasis from Afghanistan and 9/11 to
geopolitics and nation-building in Iraq. Like I said, there’s plenty of bi-partisan blame to spread around.

But to be fair, this happened on Biden’s watch and he deserves the lion’s share of the blame. He knew what was coming, or should have known, and all he could think of was how to get out before the whole place imploded. At the very least, it was a colossal intelligence failure, and at worst, he had the right intelligence but failed to act on it. Perhaps no one can be blamed for the unexpected collapse of the US trained and equipped local forces, but to be fair, it did happen on Biden’s watch, and he was the only one in any position to do anything about it. He didn’t, and he deserves the blame.

I fear this episode is the final nail in the coffin of US world leadership. We might be able to survive this disaster, as the Afghani defeats of Great Britain and the USSR eventually played out, (not to mention our Vietnam experience) but I can’t see how it will not lead to defeat of the Democratic Party by the forces of Trumpian fascism in 2022 and 2024. Its all a question of Karma. History shows nations pay for their sins, even if those who pay the price aren’t necessarily the ones who committed the crimes. The only difference is that I once felt I might be long gone when the bills came due. Now it appears I may very well be still be around.

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