President Trump attempted to pull out of Syria and Afghanistan but was stopped by the #Democrats and #SpeakerNancyPelosi, here and here. It's important to understand the cautionary words, sorrow and logic of President Ronald Reagan on why he pulled out of Lebanon after 241 US military personnel (220 Marines, 18 Sailors and 3 Soldiers) were killed in a suicide bombing in Beirut on October 23, 1983.
Reagan sent the Marines to Lebanon on a peace keeping mission. The nation was embroiled in a lengthy civil war involving several factions that included Sunni, Shiite, Christian, Hezbollah, Israel & other factions. Tribalism and religious sects define the Middle East and feuds are quite common.
America is seeped in the delusion that we can fix anything with a military intervention. However, the US foreign policy establishment consists of know nothing idiots with collossal egos who believe that anybody will submit to the US if enough pain is inflicted with bombs, occupations, brutality and sanctions. Not only is it a recipe for disaster, its a policy that has rightfully earned America the reputation of being an arrogant and murderous global bully.
Reagan is one of the few who actually reflected on one of his military intervention decisions; the Beiruit bombing weighly heavily on his conscience. Going forward, his remarks should be a lesson on how things can go wrong and mostly do. Yet the policy wonks are just too damn arrogant to ever learn from their mistakes.
Although Reagan was accused of cutting and running, he grasped a deeper understanding of the foreign policy situation.
"Perhaps we didn’t appreciate fully enough the depth of the hatred and the complexity of the problems that made the Middle East such a jungle. Perhaps the idea of a suicide car bomber committing mass murder to gain instant entry to Paradise was so foreign to our own values and consciousness that it did not create in us the concern for the marines’ safety that it should have.
In the weeks immediately after the bombing, I believe the last thing that we should do was turn tail and leave. Yet the irrationality of Middle Eastern politics forced us to rethink our policy there. If there would be some rethinking of policy before our men die, we would be a lot better off. If that policy had changed towards more of a neutral position and neutrality, those 241 marines would be alive today."
Sadly for America, we are now experiencing the horrors of another foreign policy failure. The situation in Afghanistan is turning into a bloodbath as Biden and his foreign policy wonks ordered the US to withdraw and all without a plan to secure a nation torn apart by decades of war and bombings, from the Soviet invasion to the US being there for 20 years.
This is another foreign policy failure that won't fade quickly and is likely to get worse, far worse. A major humanitarian tragedy is unfolding. The simple truth is that the US can't save Afghanistan or implement a functioning Jeffersonian democracy in a nation of Muslim tribes. Cutting and running from this quagmire is long overdue. Afghanistan isn't worth anymore US human or financial treasure. We NEVER should have invaded in the first place.
Historically speaking, Afghanistan has never been successfully invaded by anybody. It's rugged mountainous terrain functions as a natural defense barrier, as does the feuding tribalism of the Afghan people. The British were literally slaughtered there and Alexander the Great, viewed as one of the greatest conquering generals of all time, failed to subdue it.
Whatever the future holds for Afghanistan, it's not good. The Tailban is ruthless, murderous and will slaughter its perceived enemies, real or imagined. That's the Muslim way.
Anyway, somebody on Twitter posted this pix along with a very astute observation "Pulling out was always going to be a shit show but it didn't have to be this incompetently managed."
Sadly for America, we are now experiencing the horrors of another foreign policy failure. The situation in Afghanistan is turning into a bloodbath as Biden and his foreign policy wonks ordered the US to withdraw and all without a plan to secure a nation torn apart by decades of war and bombings, from the Soviet invasion to the US being there for 20 years.
This is another foreign policy failure that won't fade quickly and is likely to get worse, far worse. A major humanitarian tragedy is unfolding. The simple truth is that the US can't save Afghanistan or implement a functioning Jeffersonian democracy in a nation of Muslim tribes. Cutting and running from this quagmire is long overdue. Afghanistan isn't worth anymore US human or financial treasure. We NEVER should have invaded in the first place.
Historically speaking, Afghanistan has never been successfully invaded by anybody. It's rugged mountainous terrain functions as a natural defense barrier, as does the feuding tribalism of the Afghan people. The British were literally slaughtered there and Alexander the Great, viewed as one of the greatest conquering generals of all time, failed to subdue it.
Whatever the future holds for Afghanistan, it's not good. The Tailban is ruthless, murderous and will slaughter its perceived enemies, real or imagined. That's the Muslim way.
Anyway, somebody on Twitter posted this pix along with a very astute observation "Pulling out was always going to be a shit show but it didn't have to be this incompetently managed."
