Afghanistan and Beyond

The lack of bloodshed in the Taliban takeover is pretty amazing. I have been reading about the culture of kinship, and of deals being struck and honored. That's what it means to be civilized... the opposing sides negotiate using social connections rather than shooting at each other.

This was an outcome that the Afghans wanted. And I am happy that the bloodshed was avoided.

There was a lot wrong with Kuwait.

It should never have happened.

It wouldn’t have happened if Saddam had been told in no uncertain terms what the consequences of his actions. Instead he was given the impression that America wasn’t bothered in Kuwait.

Afterwards Bush snr. tried to foment an unsuccessful revolution resulting in crackdowns on the Shia and Kurds.

And, as you've pointed out, it sowed the seeds for 9/11.

There was a lot wrong with the intervention in Kuwait.

It would be hard to pick a justifiable war from among our many.

I agree there was a lot wrong in the run up to Kuwait. I think the actual liberation was almost textbook perfect including the decision not to pursue the Iraqis into Iraq. There was a tremendous amount of good will in the Arab world in the direct aftermath to the point where GW Bush's election was praised throughout the Arab world because they thought he would pursue policies similar to his father's.

The Gulf states are not the Arab World.

Those living in refugee camps in Jordan did not have the same response to GW Bush’s election as people living in the Gulf.

In many ways Hussein was the champion of the Arab world. The map of the Middle East is a product of empire, the French and British carved up the Turkish empire between them after WW1.

Lots of straight lines, and importantly, lots of tiny states with most of the oil.

It has been said quite loudly and often, that God put the oil there for the Arab people, the faithful, and the infidel stole it from them by putting the wealth in the hands of a tiny bunch of aristocrats.

Seen through that lens all Saddam was doing was righting a wrong.

As many Arabs supported him as supported the action taken by the coalition forces.

What wars down through time do you consider justifiable?

WWII, I guess. The Civil War.

That's cool. So you are a member? Or did you grab that from Youtube?

I'm not a member but I plan to check into it.

A Yahoo headline:
GOP takes down 2020 page touting Trump's 'historic peace agreement with the Taliban'

The British empire fucked up so much of the world.

Don't get me started on Genghis Khan, the bastard.

No kidding - he was responsible (as were his heirs) of hundreds of millions of death. He makes Stalin and Hitler look like pussies.

And your point is????? I mean other than the obvious, just trying to antagonize the British?

My point is that Afghanistan was fucked up by British Colonialism. This is a historical fact. Did you watch the video Edgar posted?

This is important because America (and its British ally) still have a colonial attitude. Just like the British, we still believe that White people need to save the indigenous Afghan people from themselves.

We are repeating history. When will we learn?

Well thank God you're here to scold everyone if they fail to gnash their teeth while donned in sackcloth covered in ashes. It's crucial to remind everyone to acknowledge every wrong ever committed in the entire world every single time someone makes a comment.

Here is another thread where you are posting about me, rather than responding to the topic. Just saying...

Not to say that other civilizations didn't commit atrocities... it's obvious they did, and still are... the USA is a prime example, but...

"The Mongol conquests of the 13th century resulted in widespread and well-documented destruction. The Mongol army conquered hundreds of cities and villages and killed millions of people. One estimate is that about 11% of the world's population was killed either during or immediately after the Mongol invasions (around 37.75 - 60 million people in Eurasia).[1] If the calculations are accurate, the events would be the deadliest acts of mass killings in human history."

And there is no doubt that the British invasions destroyed cultures, but so did the Spanish, the French, the Portuguese, Russians... etc. Maybe not to the same degree, but ask the Mayans how they felt when Spain ripped through their lands. And much of it in the ridiculous name of 'religion' and 'enlightenment".

Peoples around the world have been destroyed by other peoples since people walked (look at any country's history). People against their own kind is still happening (China, India, for example). To focus on just one is near-sighted.

It is what people seem to do best. To blame one country in the history of mankind is simplistic.