http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x7379312Oh my.
The mountain man primitive who, like all men, nightly pitches his tent one day's march nearer the mausoleum:
ThomWV (1000+ posts) Sat Jan-02-10 02:31 PM
THE MOUNTAIN MAN PRIMITIVE
Original message
I ask for you help in my on-going attempt to understand why we are in Afghanistan
The other night I was watching some news-cast on the TV and as a bunch of GI's in full modern battle gear waked down a road, through a village, along with everyday Afghans. The voice in the background explained something about our new policy of integrating with the people, indeed living in their midst. So if I'm reading this correctly we are we in Afghanistan to act as a substitute for a non-existant national police force. This makes sense in one context.
Is it our purpose there to make sure that people we have already run out of the country can't return with our intention there to simply maintain a barrier composed of the bodies of US troops along the border for as long as it takes for either our unmanned war machinery to kill all of our enemies (one presumes that would take a while) or our political leaders to bribe Pakistan's to do it for us.
I am open to other versions of why we are there.
peacebird (1000+ posts) Sat Jan-02-10 02:41 PM
Original message
we screwed up so badly that we can't leave now or evil people will take over and come kill us all....
but actually i think that is partly what the military thinks. That the place is a cesspool of anti-american sentiment, and we can't afford to leave it that way.
I personally do not believe we can "win" in Afghanistan now, & I think we should pull out.
notadmblnd (1000+ posts) Sat Jan-02-10 02:41 PM
Response to Original message
1. Because we wanted to control the flow of oil out of the region.
That and Bin Laden took credit for 9/11 which gave our arrogant government an excuse to make a grab for it.
Oil flows out of Afghanistan? Didn't know that.
panader0 (1000+ posts) Sat Jan-02-10 02:41 PM
Response to Original message
2. I can't help you-------- I don't understand either
Pipeline? Look tough? Placate hawks?
I still maintain that any "police-ing" of the region could be done without ground troops.
mmonk (1000+ posts) Sat Jan-02-10 02:48 PM
Response to Original message
3. Pipeline construction in 2010.
http://americancommentary.wordpress.com/2009/12/03/wher... /
http://americancommentary.wordpress.com/2009/12/06/more...
Parker CA (1000+ posts) Sat Jan-02-10 03:22 PM
Response to Reply #3
6. Great links, thank you!
mmonk (1000+ posts) Sat Jan-02-10 03:26 PM
Response to Reply #6
7. You're welcome.
I gather the 2011 date given as possible for troop reduction is that they may expect the construction to possibly be complete and protection of the infrastructure of it they think might can be maintained with less troops and Afghan government troops.
timeforpeace (1000+ posts) Sat Jan-02-10 02:53 PM
Response to Original message
4. A lot of the bad guys did actually go to fight us in Iraq and thus never came back so it should be a little safer. As to why, someone wants to have a war win on his resume. You get that, right?
GreenPartyVoter (1000+ posts) Sat Jan-02-10 03:02 PM
Response to Reply #4
5. I wonder if that "Mission Accomplished" banner is still available?
ThomWV (1000+ posts) Sat Jan-02-10 03:37 PM
THE MOUNTAIN MAN PRIMITIVE
Response to Reply #5
9. They ought to fly a jet and wave that banner all over the world then bring our troops home.
ThomWV (1000+ posts) Sat Jan-02-10 03:35 PM
THE MOUNTAIN MAN PRIMITIVE
Response to Reply #4
8. It was like discovering there was no Santa Claus
It may indeed be as simple as that in the end - someone gets to take credit for a win. The thing is, the only way you can take credit for a win is to come home victorious. At least I think that's the only way.
By the way, and I don't know if I might post this some time in the future or not, but it seems to me that the pipeline reason never made any sense. What do we care about a pipeline? There isn't enough profit in just running one, the thing would transport gas, not oil - and we have plenty of gas and never have got our gas from that part of the world anyway. Just never made any sense and particularly not now that the price of gas is just plain silly low.
Hmmmm. "The price of gas is just plain silly low."
I recall that when George Bush was at the helm, and the price of diesel was less than two bucks a gallon--the mountain man primitive drives a great big huge brand-new diesel-hogging pick-up truck--the mountain man primitive was whining about the high price of that.
Oh. I forgot. Everything changed on January 20, 2009.
