Biden ended the war in Afghanistan and should end the other forever wars and turn them into never wars. NATO should be dissolved, US Military Bases in foreign lands should be shut down and the US should negotiate with Putin and Zelensky to end the war in Ukraine and end tension with China.
It was under Trump the end of the War was negotiated and Biden had to follow the Timeline for the US exit from the 20 year, $2,000,000,000 US WAR against one of the poorest Countries on Earth. Biden had to ask for a 3 month extension from the date Trump said the US would be out of the WAR.
Thank You for the introduction of frikking FACT to the conversation, Ray.
However much equipment, weapons, weapons systems, etc, was left behind in Afghanistan was a direct result of the miniscule number of American troops and contractor still in Afghanistan to get all of that stuff out-of-country, per Trump's "deal" when it was time to leave.
The deal was signed with the Taliban in February 2020 to end the WAR and exit by May 2021. The US had 15 months to get all that equipment out with Trump's Timeline.
The frantic US exit under Biden was in August 2021 giving the US 18 months to get their men and material out.
America needs a “revolution,” not merely a “reformation.”
However, the biggest problem with having either of those significant changes to the established political and economic order is determining exactly Whose vision for the future is the one to be pursued.
Trumpatismo proposes a reformation/revolution of sorts; as do the Sandersistas, The Squad, and the rest of America’s “progressive” or “democratic socialist” wing. As does the Clinton/Obama/Biden brand of corporatist crony capitalism and perpetual war.
Whichever vision ends up getting pursued in America is almost guaranteed to alienate and even inflame a significant number of Americans, as demonstrated by the elections in 2020 and 2022.
In any event, if America does have an actual revolution, it will be America’s first.
What happened in 1776 was not a revolution, but a secession. The American Colonists did not attack London with the intent of overthrowing the King and replacing the British system with a new and different system. What they did was declare that the King and his Laws, Rules, Taxes, Troops, and Governors were no longer in force or welcome in the Colonies, and declared themselves independent of England and its Empire.
In a word, they seceded from that Empire; they didn’t overthrow and replace it in a revolution.
And that was merely the first secession in America’s history; 84 years later, the Confederacy seceded in the second.
The next revolution in America ~ when its system of government and governance will be replaced ~ will be its first.
These are the regular email addresses of Senators who replied to the Messages sent to all 100 of them in October of last year, and in early February before the WAR started February 24. Many more responded using a 'do not reply' email from their Offices. Without exception, they all replied using the standard anti-Putin talking points.
I forwarded the email sent to The Pope on November 2, ALL SOULS DAY. No one replied to that as no one here commented on the same email posted on BracingViews.
Nothing ventured, nothing gained. If everyone here forwards these email addresses to all your friends, asking they be forwarded to all their friends, maybe such an intense mail-in campaign could have an effect?
Thanks for those addresses. I've already written my Congress-critters, including Bennet; I usually get pro forma responses that don't acknowledge a single point in my letter. But I agree, nothing ventured, nothing gained. If some reasonable percent of their constituents each let them know of their displeasure with Congress' war & 'defense' spending, they actually might at least rethink it.
But honestly, it might take a much larger demonstration of public concern- a la the marches & rallies against the S.E. Asian war. We marched, etc. to try to head off the Iraq invasion, but there weren't really enough of us doing it to change the course. And the war-mongers have now perfected the use of propaganda and information suppression, so we have an even more dumbed-down populace now ... meaning there's a lot more work to do.
When You see it like this, it takes on a whole bigger meaning... :
USA’s MILITARY EMPIRE: A Visual Database
The United States of America, unlike any other nation, maintains a massive network of foreign military installations around the world.
How was this created and how is it continued? Some of these physical installations are on land occupied as spoils of war. Most are maintained through collaborations with governments, many of them brutal and oppressive governments benefiting from the bases’ presence. In many cases, human beings were displaced to make room for these military installations, often depriving people of farmland, adding huge amounts of pollution to local water systems and the air, and existing as an unwelcome presence.
To explore this database, click on map markers or use the dashboard to make selections:
America chose a long, long time ago to be a dark fortress bristling with cannons, Bill.
Like since the end of World War II; and even before as it emerged as a growing global power with its seizure of Spanish colonies in the Caribbean and Pacific, and its incursions into China and it’s “War to End all War.”
And a restoration of liberty is going to take more than the elimination of war and militarism. But until that happens, nothing is going to change except for things to continue to get worse for everybody in this nation and on this planet.
We certainly won't be a strong voice opposing out Ukraine adventure as long as Democrat vs Republican is our prime paradigm. Congressional opposition to funding of the Ukraine war is pretty much exclusively a Republican affair, but progressives have a hard time supporting such efforts because they come from Republicans. Donald Trump as President was questioning our heavy involvement in NATO, a fact that probably led to his reelection loss, but progressives would be the last people to support Trump.
Contrary to the Democratic narrative Trump was Putin's proxy, while Obama did not send lethal equipment to Ukraine, Trump did.
Additionally, it was Trump who put Economic Sanctions on West Germany Companies who dared defy the US and continued work on completing the last few miles of Nord Stream 2.
Naturally money talks and they all stopped doing the work. Russian contractors came in to finish the pipeline.
Yes and Biden put sanctions on the entire Russian economy and continues to add them even as we speak and presumably gave the approval for someone (presumably a NATO country) to blow up a section of Nord Stream 1 and 2.
It was the Obama-Biden-Nuland regime that orchestrated the 2014 US/CIA orchestrated Coup/regime change of the elected Russian friendly government, changing it for the US proxy anti-Russian government setting the stage for the WAR.
As a trained Economist, Putin prepared Russia for the Economic WAR and the hot WAR he knew the US was planning with the Coup.
You are looking at this from a completely wrong perspective, Dennis.
* 1. First of all, given that the Total Cost [so far] of America’s post-9/11 Wars [aka “The Forever War”] thru September 1, 2021 was an estimated $8 trillion [and, obtw, killed more than 900,000 people], even $185 billion in lost equipment, gear, weapons, and ammunition would be chump change; let alone the mere $85 billion floated by Trump. How much has Team Biden pork barreled to Ukraine? Source: https://www.brown.edu/news/2021-09-01/costsofwar
* 2. Second, and far more relevant to the topic of Bill’s article: EVERY piece of equipment, gear, weapons, and ammunition that was left behind in Afghanistan will have to be replaced by… [drum roll….] guess who? Does the term “MICC” ring a bell? Just like every piece of equipment and gear going to Ukraine will have to be replaced by those same folks.
Do You detect any kind of a pattern here?
From Corporal Bonespurs’ perspective ~ knowing all he does about this nation’s Wars, its military, and its “most embarrassing moments” ~ i’m sure this is and will remain one of his top talking points about how much Greater America was when he was on the throne.
But the simple fact of the matter is that Trump was President when it was obvious to everybody who mattered that America’s War in Afghanistan ~ like its War in Iraq ~ was a complete and total failure. Just like it had been for everybody from the Russians and the British back to Genghis Kahn and beyond.
That’s why he negotiated “The Agreement for Bringing Peace to Afghanistan,” commonly known as the “US–Taliban deal” or the “Doha Agreement”:
“A peace agreement signed by the United States and the Taliban on February 29, 2020 in Doha, Qatar, to bring an end to the 2001–2021 war in Afghanistan.[1][2] Negotiated by Zalmay Khalilzad, THE DEAL DID NOT INVOLVE THE THEN-AFGHAN GOVERNMENT.[3]
The deal, which also had secret annexes, ONE OF THE CRITICAL EVENTS THAT CAUSED THE COLLAPSE OF THE AFGHAN NATIONAL SECURITY FORCES.[4] Adhering to the conditions of the deal, the US dramatically reduced the number of US air raids, leaving the ANDSF without a key advantage in keeping the Taliban at bay. This resulted in 'a sense of abandonment within the ANDSF and the Afghan population'. ANDSF was ill-prepared to sustain security following a US withdrawal, which allowed for the Taliban insurgency, ultimately leading to the Taliban takeover of Kabul on 15 August 2021.[5]
“The agreement stipulated fighting restrictions for both the US and the Taliban, and provided for the withdrawal of all NATO forces from Afghanistan in return for the Taliban's counter-terrorism commitments. The US agreed to an initial reduction of its force level from 13,000 to 8,600 within 135 days (i.e. by July 2020), followed by A FULL WITHDRAWAL WITHIN 14 MONTHS (i.e. by 1 May 2021) if the Taliban keeps its commitments. The United States also committed to closing five military bases within 135 days, and expressed its intent to end economic sanctions on the Taliban by August 27, 2020. The agreement was supported by Pakistan, China, and Russia,[3] and unanimously endorsed by the UN Security Council.[6] India also welcomed the pact.[7][8]"
And if some of that equipment [particularly weapons systems] somehow just happens to end up in the hands of one of those many, many "Bad Guys" out there, that's even better for the Pentagon and the arms merchants: More "THREATs" to deal with and justify boosting "defense" spending even further.
Given how wrong he was and is on lots of things, on what basis do You assume that he is "more right than wrong" on this? If he's 50.01% right and 49.99% wrong, is that close enough?
At what point between $7.1 billion and $85 billion would he be "more right"?
Biden ended the war in Afghanistan and should end the other forever wars and turn them into never wars. NATO should be dissolved, US Military Bases in foreign lands should be shut down and the US should negotiate with Putin and Zelensky to end the war in Ukraine and end tension with China.
It was under Trump the end of the War was negotiated and Biden had to follow the Timeline for the US exit from the 20 year, $2,000,000,000 US WAR against one of the poorest Countries on Earth. Biden had to ask for a 3 month extension from the date Trump said the US would be out of the WAR.
Ray [with cc: Dennis Merwood]
Thank You for the introduction of frikking FACT to the conversation, Ray.
However much equipment, weapons, weapons systems, etc, was left behind in Afghanistan was a direct result of the miniscule number of American troops and contractor still in Afghanistan to get all of that stuff out-of-country, per Trump's "deal" when it was time to leave.
The deal was signed with the Taliban in February 2020 to end the WAR and exit by May 2021. The US had 15 months to get all that equipment out with Trump's Timeline.
The frantic US exit under Biden was in August 2021 giving the US 18 months to get their men and material out.
The Pentagon was asleep at the wheel!
America needs a “revolution,” not merely a “reformation.”
However, the biggest problem with having either of those significant changes to the established political and economic order is determining exactly Whose vision for the future is the one to be pursued.
Trumpatismo proposes a reformation/revolution of sorts; as do the Sandersistas, The Squad, and the rest of America’s “progressive” or “democratic socialist” wing. As does the Clinton/Obama/Biden brand of corporatist crony capitalism and perpetual war.
Whichever vision ends up getting pursued in America is almost guaranteed to alienate and even inflame a significant number of Americans, as demonstrated by the elections in 2020 and 2022.
In any event, if America does have an actual revolution, it will be America’s first.
What happened in 1776 was not a revolution, but a secession. The American Colonists did not attack London with the intent of overthrowing the King and replacing the British system with a new and different system. What they did was declare that the King and his Laws, Rules, Taxes, Troops, and Governors were no longer in force or welcome in the Colonies, and declared themselves independent of England and its Empire.
In a word, they seceded from that Empire; they didn’t overthrow and replace it in a revolution.
And that was merely the first secession in America’s history; 84 years later, the Confederacy seceded in the second.
The next revolution in America ~ when its system of government and governance will be replaced ~ will be its first.
These are the regular email addresses of Senators who replied to the Messages sent to all 100 of them in October of last year, and in early February before the WAR started February 24. Many more responded using a 'do not reply' email from their Offices. Without exception, they all replied using the standard anti-Putin talking points.
I forwarded the email sent to The Pope on November 2, ALL SOULS DAY. No one replied to that as no one here commented on the same email posted on BracingViews.
senator@klobuchar.senate.gov; Senator_Kennedy@Kennedy.senate.gov; Senator_Merkley@Merkley.senate.gov; senator_ossoff@ossoff.senate.gov; mike@rounds.senate.gov; phillip_waller@wicker.senate.gov; elizabeth_warren@warren.senate.gov; Senator_Bennet@bennet.senate.gov; senator@cotton.senate.gov; correspondence_reply@durbin.senate.gov; Info_Sanders@sanders.senate.gov; SenatorHawley@hawley.senate.gov; Senator@cortezmasto.senate.gov; Hirono.outgoing.mail@hirono.senate.gov
Nothing ventured, nothing gained. If everyone here forwards these email addresses to all your friends, asking they be forwarded to all their friends, maybe such an intense mail-in campaign could have an effect?
Thanks for those addresses. I've already written my Congress-critters, including Bennet; I usually get pro forma responses that don't acknowledge a single point in my letter. But I agree, nothing ventured, nothing gained. If some reasonable percent of their constituents each let them know of their displeasure with Congress' war & 'defense' spending, they actually might at least rethink it.
But honestly, it might take a much larger demonstration of public concern- a la the marches & rallies against the S.E. Asian war. We marched, etc. to try to head off the Iraq invasion, but there weren't really enough of us doing it to change the course. And the war-mongers have now perfected the use of propaganda and information suppression, so we have an even more dumbed-down populace now ... meaning there's a lot more work to do.
When You see it like this, it takes on a whole bigger meaning... :
USA’s MILITARY EMPIRE: A Visual Database
The United States of America, unlike any other nation, maintains a massive network of foreign military installations around the world.
How was this created and how is it continued? Some of these physical installations are on land occupied as spoils of war. Most are maintained through collaborations with governments, many of them brutal and oppressive governments benefiting from the bases’ presence. In many cases, human beings were displaced to make room for these military installations, often depriving people of farmland, adding huge amounts of pollution to local water systems and the air, and existing as an unwelcome presence.
To explore this database, click on map markers or use the dashboard to make selections:
https://worldbeyondwar.org/no-bases/
Shared to FaceBook
America chose a long, long time ago to be a dark fortress bristling with cannons, Bill.
Like since the end of World War II; and even before as it emerged as a growing global power with its seizure of Spanish colonies in the Caribbean and Pacific, and its incursions into China and it’s “War to End all War.”
And a restoration of liberty is going to take more than the elimination of war and militarism. But until that happens, nothing is going to change except for things to continue to get worse for everybody in this nation and on this planet.
We certainly won't be a strong voice opposing out Ukraine adventure as long as Democrat vs Republican is our prime paradigm. Congressional opposition to funding of the Ukraine war is pretty much exclusively a Republican affair, but progressives have a hard time supporting such efforts because they come from Republicans. Donald Trump as President was questioning our heavy involvement in NATO, a fact that probably led to his reelection loss, but progressives would be the last people to support Trump.
Contrary to the Democratic narrative Trump was Putin's proxy, while Obama did not send lethal equipment to Ukraine, Trump did.
Additionally, it was Trump who put Economic Sanctions on West Germany Companies who dared defy the US and continued work on completing the last few miles of Nord Stream 2.
Naturally money talks and they all stopped doing the work. Russian contractors came in to finish the pipeline.
Yes and Biden put sanctions on the entire Russian economy and continues to add them even as we speak and presumably gave the approval for someone (presumably a NATO country) to blow up a section of Nord Stream 1 and 2.
It was the Obama-Biden-Nuland regime that orchestrated the 2014 US/CIA orchestrated Coup/regime change of the elected Russian friendly government, changing it for the US proxy anti-Russian government setting the stage for the WAR.
As a trained Economist, Putin prepared Russia for the Economic WAR and the hot WAR he knew the US was planning with the Coup.
When You say "WE CAN ONLY DREAM," Dennis: Are You speaking as a New Zealander?
Or as a US Citizen and Voter who pays Taxes?
Or something else?
You are looking at this from a completely wrong perspective, Dennis.
* 1. First of all, given that the Total Cost [so far] of America’s post-9/11 Wars [aka “The Forever War”] thru September 1, 2021 was an estimated $8 trillion [and, obtw, killed more than 900,000 people], even $185 billion in lost equipment, gear, weapons, and ammunition would be chump change; let alone the mere $85 billion floated by Trump. How much has Team Biden pork barreled to Ukraine? Source: https://www.brown.edu/news/2021-09-01/costsofwar
* 2. Second, and far more relevant to the topic of Bill’s article: EVERY piece of equipment, gear, weapons, and ammunition that was left behind in Afghanistan will have to be replaced by… [drum roll….] guess who? Does the term “MICC” ring a bell? Just like every piece of equipment and gear going to Ukraine will have to be replaced by those same folks.
Do You detect any kind of a pattern here?
From Corporal Bonespurs’ perspective ~ knowing all he does about this nation’s Wars, its military, and its “most embarrassing moments” ~ i’m sure this is and will remain one of his top talking points about how much Greater America was when he was on the throne.
But the simple fact of the matter is that Trump was President when it was obvious to everybody who mattered that America’s War in Afghanistan ~ like its War in Iraq ~ was a complete and total failure. Just like it had been for everybody from the Russians and the British back to Genghis Kahn and beyond.
That’s why he negotiated “The Agreement for Bringing Peace to Afghanistan,” commonly known as the “US–Taliban deal” or the “Doha Agreement”:
“A peace agreement signed by the United States and the Taliban on February 29, 2020 in Doha, Qatar, to bring an end to the 2001–2021 war in Afghanistan.[1][2] Negotiated by Zalmay Khalilzad, THE DEAL DID NOT INVOLVE THE THEN-AFGHAN GOVERNMENT.[3]
The deal, which also had secret annexes, ONE OF THE CRITICAL EVENTS THAT CAUSED THE COLLAPSE OF THE AFGHAN NATIONAL SECURITY FORCES.[4] Adhering to the conditions of the deal, the US dramatically reduced the number of US air raids, leaving the ANDSF without a key advantage in keeping the Taliban at bay. This resulted in 'a sense of abandonment within the ANDSF and the Afghan population'. ANDSF was ill-prepared to sustain security following a US withdrawal, which allowed for the Taliban insurgency, ultimately leading to the Taliban takeover of Kabul on 15 August 2021.[5]
“The agreement stipulated fighting restrictions for both the US and the Taliban, and provided for the withdrawal of all NATO forces from Afghanistan in return for the Taliban's counter-terrorism commitments. The US agreed to an initial reduction of its force level from 13,000 to 8,600 within 135 days (i.e. by July 2020), followed by A FULL WITHDRAWAL WITHIN 14 MONTHS (i.e. by 1 May 2021) if the Taliban keeps its commitments. The United States also committed to closing five military bases within 135 days, and expressed its intent to end economic sanctions on the Taliban by August 27, 2020. The agreement was supported by Pakistan, China, and Russia,[3] and unanimously endorsed by the UN Security Council.[6] India also welcomed the pact.[7][8]"
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/US%E2%80%93Taliban_deal [EMPHASES added.]
And if some of that equipment [particularly weapons systems] somehow just happens to end up in the hands of one of those many, many "Bad Guys" out there, that's even better for the Pentagon and the arms merchants: More "THREATs" to deal with and justify boosting "defense" spending even further.
All that "lost" military equipments gives us an excuse to build more and to wage another war to blow up the "lost" stuff. Hooray!
Given how wrong he was and is on lots of things, on what basis do You assume that he is "more right than wrong" on this? If he's 50.01% right and 49.99% wrong, is that close enough?
At what point between $7.1 billion and $85 billion would he be "more right"?
Even a broken Trump is right twice a year.
Heh. Roger that.
Free cash flow is basically profit plus depreciation.