Taliban on CNN

[MarkXIX]

Anyone else watch this show and realize how sad and ignorant these people really are? These guys appear to do what they do simply because they have no real role in their society, no job, no life beyond a clay and stone hut and a few friends who are as ignorant as they are.

As a military man, I almost feel sorry for them.

 

[Freshgeardude]

Anyone else watch this show and realize how sad and ignorant these people really are? These guys appear to do what they do simply because they have no real role in their society, no job, no life beyond a clay and stone hut and a few friends who are as ignorant as they are.

As a military man, I almost feel sorry for them.

thats what happens when uneducated people get brainwashed into a medieval religion

 

[PsiStar]

Yes, that was my take on it also. Then add in the delusion about their value because of a imagined price on their head.

 

[Narmer]

Feel sorry for them? They're kicking our ass. Before that, they were kicking the Russians' ass. They love to fight and die for whatever it is they believe in. Instead of feeling sorry for them maybe we should show some respect. That way we can learn to beat them. Remember whose side you're on.

BTW, do you actually think they envy you or Americans in general with all our materialism? I doubt it.

 

[bfdd]

You think that is nuts? Have you seen the N.Korea special that was on Nat Geo? I think they have it on Netflix. WOW

 

[SamurAchzar]

Anyone else watch this show and realize how sad and ignorant these people really are? These guys appear to do what they do simply because they have no real role in their society, no job, no life beyond a clay and stone hut and a few friends who are as ignorant as they are.

As a military man, I almost feel sorry for them.

This must be shown over and over in a loop whenever some asshole complains about US troops shooting at civilians or any other such BS.

 

[Double Trouble]

Feel sorry for them? They're kicking our ass. Before that, they were kicking the Russians' ass. They love to fight and die for whatever it is they believe in. Instead of feeling sorry for them maybe we should show some respect. That way we can learn to beat them. Remember whose side you're on.

They're not kicking anything. Just because we lack the political will (or rather, we don't have the lack of humanity) to just destroy them completely and cause millions of innocents to also perish doesn't mean they are kicking any ass. They are allowed to stay because we choose not to want to hurt innocents, effectively allowing them safe refuge.

BTW, do you actually think they envy you or Americans in general with all our materialism? I doubt it.

Yes, the general population sure do. The brainwashed nuts of course don't, they prefer to live in caves and blow people up. Not much anyone can do about them.

 

[feralkid]

Before that, they were kicking the Russians' ass.

That was not the Taliban.

They came to power in 1996.

The last Russians left in 1989.

 

[Double Trouble]

Anyone else watch this show and realize how sad and ignorant these people really are? These guys appear to do what they do simply because they have no real role in their society, no job, no life beyond a clay and stone hut and a few friends who are as ignorant as they are.

As a military man, I almost feel sorry for them.

I'd feel sorry for them if they weren't out killing and hurting innocent people, and forcing others into their medieval religious fanaticism.

 

[Narmer]

They're not kicking anything. Just because we lack the political will (or rather, we don't have the lack of humanity) to just destroy them completely and cause millions of innocents to also perish doesn't mean they are kicking any ass. They are allowed to stay because we choose not to want to hurt innocents, effectively allowing them safe refuge.

Yes, the general population sure do. The brainwashed nuts of course don't, they prefer to live in caves and blow people up. Not much anyone can do about them.

Our lack of political or humane will is arguably a weakness/strength on our part. But none of that matters cause they are exploiting it just like they are exploiting the international boundary between Afghanistan and Pakistan. It's shrewd and it's working. 9 fucking years we've been there and with every year comes a new general and a new plan. But even if we were focused and had hundreds of thousands of soldiers, we probably couldn't pacify that country and turn it into a materialistic paradise. The culture, history, politics, and infrastructure simply do not support it.

You may not see our ass getting kicked but I do and I'm sure a majority of the world sees it as such as well.

 

[Narmer]

That was not the Taliban.

They came to power in 1996.

The last Russians left in 1989.

Before they were the Taliban they were mujahedeen. Same person, same turban, different insignia.

 

[feralkid]

Before they were the Taliban they were mujahedeen. Same person, same turban, different insignia.

You really don't have a clue, do you?

 

[MarkXIX]

Before they were the Taliban they were mujahedeen. Same person, same turban, different insignia.

Yeah, and it was the United States behind the scenes helping them kick the Russian's asses.

Don't buy into the hype about how they're kicking our asses. That's a media construct with a liberal slant to it. If you even watched that video you'd see that we absolutely own the battlefield in every way.

You'll be reluctant to count success in body count, but if we look solely at body count, these guys are utter failures.

Simply put, the only way to even begin to win this is to give these people productive things to do in their society. The Taliban "leader" depicted in this video could just as easily be employed building things for a community, instead, he is so ignorant and misguided that he fights for the Taliban through cowardly tactics like hiding in the mountains and shooting at military trucks driving by and calling that success.

 

[101mpg]

If we were actually fighting a war and not so concerned about collateral damage that whole country would be a parking lot by now. It's funny how our military gets it from both sides, "omg an innocent child was killed in an air strike! oh the hummanity!" and then on the other side "look how we can't even win a war against people fighting with the equivalent of sticks and stones!"

 

[feralkid]

If we were actually fighting a war and not so concerned about collateral damage that whole country would be a parking lot by now. It's funny how our military gets it from both sides, "omg an innocent child was killed in an air strike! oh the hummanity!" and then on the other side "look how we can't even win a war against people fighting with the equivalent of sticks and stones!"

You surely realize that Afghanistan is our ally and they are helping us fight the insurgent Taliban, right?

 

[Double Trouble]

You surely realize that Afghanistan is our ally and they are helping us fight the insurgent Taliban, right?

Not so sure about that one, with Karzai taking cash from the Iranians and such. That place is a mess. We've accomplished the goals that could be accomplished (ie, military dominance), but we're never going to be able to build a real nation there, nation building is a losing proposition.

The US is not getting its ass kicked in any sense, I agree with MarkXIX on that one. What we will end up losing is a political "war", which is something we should never be engaged in anyway. It's kind of like engaging in an argument with a stupid guy, with a bunch of stupid people standing around listening. You're never going to "win" it anyway, and since the listeners are stupid you're not going to convince them either. Basically the argument is pointless.

 

[Narmer]

Yeah, and it was the United States behind the scenes helping them kick the Russian's asses.

Don't buy into the hype about how they're kicking our asses. That's a media construct with a liberal slant to it. If you even watched that video you'd see that we absolutely own the battlefield in every way.

You'll be reluctant to count success in body count, but if we look solely at body count, these guys are utter failures.

Simply put, the only way to even begin to win this is to give these people productive things to do in their society. The Taliban "leader" depicted in this video could just as easily be employed building things for a community, instead, he is so ignorant and misguided that he fights for the Taliban through cowardly tactics like hiding in the mountains and shooting at military trucks driving by and calling that success.

Yeah, we win every battle but lose the war. This is no different from what happened to the Soviet Union or American forces in Vietnam. Look, no matter how you look at this, I simply don't know where your sympathy for them is coming from. The current government is a billion times more corrupt; it has been useless in stopping heroin growth and the raping of boys is rampant again. Under the Taliban none of this shit was happening. Criminals were severly punished (as they should be). Over time, given what was available to them, I'm sure the Taliban government would've become more competent.

IMHO, our goal should've focused ONLY on finding OBL, smash the Taliban, left, and warn them that we will hold them responsible if OBL returns. The latter is what we did in July of 2001. No need to save every people. Let them develop their own government. Democracy is not important. Competent governance is.

 

[feralkid]

Not so sure about that one, with Karzai taking cash from the Iranians and such. That place is a mess. We've accomplished the goals that could be accomplished (ie, military dominance), but we're never going to be able to build a real nation there, nation building is a losing proposition.

The US is not getting its ass kicked in any sense, I agree with MarkXIX on that one. What we will end up losing is a political "war", which is something we should never be engaged in anyway.

I don't disagree regarding Karzai. My point being some people don't seem to understand exactly who we are at war with.

 

[Narmer]

You really don't have a clue, do you?

So are you telling me that the Taliban spontaneously came about in 1996?

 

[feralkid]

Under the Taliban none of this shit was happening. Criminals were severly punished (as they should be). Over time, given what was available to them, I'm sure the Taliban government would've become more competent. .

Good lord, a Taliban apologist, right here in P&N!

 

[feralkid]

So are you telling me that the Taliban spontaneously came about in 1996?

No I'm telling you that you are an idiot if you think that it was the Taliban who beat the Russians.

 

[Narmer]

No I'm telling you that you are an idiot if you think that it was the Taliban who beat the Russians.

Like I said, before they were called the taliban they were part of the mujahedeen. This isn't hard to understand. I didn't say they alone beat them. There were other afghan tribes that were part of the mujahedeen. However, the Pushtu's were vehementally against the Russians. Other Afghans were pro-Russian.

 

[Narmer]

Good lord, a Taliban apologist, right here in P&N!

I am not an apologist. Unlike you, I accept things as they are rather than try to convert them to a certain world view.

 

[feralkid]

Like I said, before they were called the taliban they were part of the mujahedeen. This isn't hard to understand. I didn't say they alone beat them. There were other afghan tribes that were part of the mujahedeen. However, the Pushtu's were vehementally against the Russians. Other Afghans were pro-Russian.

Sure sounded like that.


p.s. it's Pashtun.

 

[feralkid]

I am not an apologist. Unlike you, I accept things as they are rather than try to convert them to a certain world view.

When you post statements like "Over time, given what was available to them, I'm sure the Taliban government would've become more competent", some people are going to get that impression.

Does "more competent" mean they were just about to kick out Al Qaida and start playing nice with the people?


Is that your "world view"?