Sometimes I wonder: Why not diplomacy?

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Spitfire175

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cuddly_tomato said:
The problem is they would have to stay there. The Taliban heirarkee hirearchy hir... bosses are not as dumb as I clearly am. They won't try a full on offensive and I think wiping them out is too much to ask of any military. They know those mountains very well and even if it was successful the death toll could be catastrophic.
Increasing US presence in Afganistan doesn't just mean more guns, jets and tanks and stuff. It also means helping the Afgan goverment to get on its feet and start functioning as a proper goverment instead of just hiding behind the American's backs. Eventually, the US troops could leave, when the country would be restored... well, not, but shaped to be a real country that could stand on its own.
 

Duskwaith

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Spitfire175 said:
No it isn't. The war in Afganistan was won, now they're fighing in no man's land and Pakistan. Against guerillas, who cannot hope to regain lost ground for good, not an army. The infrastructure of Vietnam is/was very different. Afganistan was a wreck to begin with and the Americans forgot they have to set up a proper goverment.

In Vietnam, US casualties mounted and morale was low, they had to pull out. In Afganistan, there aren't enough soldiers to execute proper operations. There are more police officers In New york than soldiers in Afganistan. If the US increased the number of troops significantly, they could perhaps stabilise parts of the country. Just perhaps.
Im sorry who declared victory? and what over. As you said they invaded a already pretty awful county and the taliban are still there and stronger so i doubt thats a victory.

I was refferring to Vietnam cause its a winless battle, the americans wont defeat the Taliban and so are pretty much in stalemate.
 

Fulax

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asinann said:
Fulax said:
Seeing as the Taliban, the people of Afghanistan and the people of Iraq did fuck all to harm the US, it's probably about time American/coalition forces got out of their respective countries.

The Taliban were prepared to hand over bin Laden if the US could prove he was behind the 9/11 attacks. Unfortunately they didn't bother and just invaded.
You mean the tape Bin Laden made wasn't enough proof for the Taliban and they refused to hand him over based on it. They were never exactly the legitimate government in Afghanistan anyway, they just moved in and took over when the real government couldn't stop them.

Iraq we should never have gone in to, but even the UN agreed that the US had legitimate business going into Afghanistan and kicking the crap out of the Taliban while searching for Bin Laden.
You mean that blurry tape that proved fuck all? Yes, I suppose that wasn't enough proof. And of course the fact that bin Laden initially denied any involvement might have confused them. The CIA could have shown that bin Laden was responsible, but they didn't bother. Oh well.

By the time the US invaded the Taliban controlled 95% of the country and were seen as the official government.

Did the Taliban attack the US? No. Therefore the US has no right to kick the crap out of them. Simple as.
 

BaldursBananaSoap

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Akai Shizuku said:
BaldursBananaSoap said:
-snip-
He was a successful chancellor, and awesome.

Hitler would be great for this situation.
Are you...are you freaking serious?
Yes, would you be so kind as to give me a reason why he wouldn't be awesome in this situation.
 

Akai Shizuku

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BaldursBananaSoap said:
Akai Shizuku said:
BaldursBananaSoap said:
-snip-
He was a successful chancellor, and awesome.

Hitler would be great for this situation.
Are you...are you freaking serious?
Yes, would you be so kind as to give me a reason why he wouldn't be awesome in this situation.
While he would eliminate Israel, he would then proceed to murder countless Jews who had nothing to do with this conflict. And then everyone else whose skin is a shade darker than chalk.
 

Spitfire175

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Duskwaith said:
Im sorry who declared victory? and what over. As you said they invaded a already pretty awful county and the taliban are still there and stronger so i doubt thats a victory.

I was refferring to Vietnam cause its a winless battle, the americans wont defeat the Taliban and so are pretty much in stalemate.
The Coalition decleared victory over the taleban regime and its army. In terms of the military, that was a victory. A clear one at that.

Vietnam wasn't a winless battle, because the "winlessness" happened in Kambodia and Laos, where the US troops didn't have the authority to go to. In Afganistan, the insurgents, what's left of them, they're not stronger, dwell in the Pakistani mountains or land that is a part of a country only on maps. It is rather impossible to defeat an enemy that has no structure. That's why they just have to be kept at arms length. However, it migh be possible to cripple the taleban: take out their funds, teh drug dealing. Al quaida decleared that it has no money left. The Taleban have tuned down the religious mania and turned into a criminal organisation: they sell opium and heroin, steal supplies from UN and the red cross, loot the locals and smuggle goods and people. They are not running out of money. Yet.
 

ReZerO

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Poomanchu745 said:
So for the past 8ish years we have been in a war against the Taliban in Afghanistan and if anyone knows the history of wars in Afghanistan it seems to be going down the exact same path as the others. It is clear now that victory doesn't just come by "beating" the other side. It comes by winning over the people who will then essentially kick out the Taliban because they see that what we have to offer is better. Even though a lot of the blood thirsty Americans wouldn't want to sit down at a table with a "terrorist" I think that it might be time to talk this one out. Both sides don't like each other but I don't think that starting another war in their country is really helping much. Concessions need to be made on both sides if anything is actually going to get done. America will have to swallow the fact that we really should not try to control ever country because they are their own sovereign state and have the right to do what they will inside their borders.

However, If we can sit down at the table and have productive peace talks maybe we will be able to accomplish something that has never been done before and actually get something done that doesn't piss off one side or the other.
there have been attempts at talks and there are ongoing disscusions, at least that's why we often hear on the news here in Canada. Diplomacy is going on, although it is in the background right now.
 

Master_Fubar23

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BaldursBananaSoap said:
Akai Shizuku said:
BaldursBananaSoap said:
-snip-
He was a successful chancellor, and awesome.

Hitler would be great for this situation.
Are you...are you freaking serious?
Yes, would you be so kind as to give me a reason why he wouldn't be awesome in this situation.
hey he kicked europes ass...so why not :p and as for israel. if the UN didnt act like Bush when we went into iraq ie not know or care about the ppl there; then maybe the arabs alrdy there wouldnt of been pissed off when they had to pack there stuff and move thus becoming refugees. why do u think every single person has to join the military in israel...its so the can protect a land that was givin to them by ppl who didnt own it to begin with so israelites can deal with the ppl who are angry that they were displaced for reasons that didnt include them to begin with. dont get me wrong i dont agree with ppl killing ppl for any reason but with israel being a complete fucking dick it leaves arabs left with the only option they know how to do... well i guess but then if they can only blow themselves then how can anyone really help em...
 

Spitfire175

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Akai Shizuku said:
While he would eliminate Israel, he would then proceed to murder countless Jews who had nothing to do with this conflict. And then everyone else whose skin is a shade darker than chalk.
While that is possibly very much true, there is actually a poin to the basic idea.

Hitler(or Stalin or Mao or Pol Pot), who didn't give a rats arse about human rights, got stuff done. Bad stuff mostly, but stuff nevetheless. So if someone, like the Americans, were to act like a lunatic dictator, they would ignore all critisizm and just nuke the entire middle east. It would stop the fighting. That's something no one can deny.

However, that would have consequenses beyon anyone's imagination. Just like Hitler's little holiday in Poland. Or Stalin's great communist plan to kill 30 million people. Or Mao's collectivisation of the farms, which lead to the biggest famine in history. What I'm saying here, is that if someone wants to stop the fighting in Afganistan forever, it requires ruthless force and ignoring humans altogether. And that afterwards, other bad things would happen.

Just to make sure: I don't, for one second, want the Americans to start acting like Hitler and nuking anyone who disagrees with them. Also, that guy who first brough this up has a pretty bad sense of humour.
 

Duskwaith

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Spitfire175 said:
Duskwaith said:
Im sorry who declared victory? and what over. As you said they invaded a already pretty awful county and the taliban are still there and stronger so i doubt thats a victory.

I was refferring to Vietnam cause its a winless battle, the americans wont defeat the Taliban and so are pretty much in stalemate.
The Coalition decleared victory over the taleban regime and its army. In terms of the military, that was a victory. A clear one at that.

Vietnam wasn't a winless battle, because the "winlessness" happened in Kambodia and Laos, where the US troops didn't have the authority to go to. In Afganistan, the insurgents, what's left of them, they're not stronger, dwell in the Pakistani mountains or land that is a part of a country only on maps. It is rather impossible to defeat an enemy that has no structure. That's why they just have to be kept at arms length. However, it migh be possible to cripple the taleban: take out their funds, teh drug dealing. Al quaida decleared that it has no money left. The Taleban have tuned down the religious mania and turned into a criminal organisation: they sell opium and heroin, steal supplies from UN and the red cross, loot the locals and smuggle goods and people. They are not running out of money. Yet.
Just because someone claims victory dosnt mean they actually have it. I declare victory over this debate, dosnt mean i am actually totaly correct or in the right.

Vietnam was a losing battle, the Americans lost it, thousands died in the army to stop reunification which happened in the end when America pulled out because it had lost. The people are being driven to actually plant opium poppeys and the heavy handedness of the forces there pushes them more into Al quiedas arms. Where are you getting your sources from btw? i have never,ever heard of the taliban running out of money in any of the many papers. Unless its an American only thing

Im pretty sure money isnt a massive issue compared to the untold billions the americans have sunk into it
 

Fulax

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Spitfire175 said:
The Coalition decleared victory over the taleban regime and its army. In terms of the military, that was a victory. A clear one at that.

Vietnam wasn't a winless battle, because the "winlessness" happened in Kambodia and Laos, where the US troops didn't have the authority to go to. In Afganistan, the insurgents, what's left of them, they're not stronger, dwell in the Pakistani mountains or land that is a part of a country only on maps. It is rather impossible to defeat an enemy that has no structure. That's why they just have to be kept at arms length. However, it migh be possible to cripple the taleban: take out their funds, teh drug dealing. Al quaida decleared that it has no money left. The Taleban have tuned down the religious mania and turned into a criminal organisation: they sell opium and heroin, steal supplies from UN and the red cross, loot the locals and smuggle goods and people. They are not running out of money. Yet.
They also control 80% of the country.

You're not fighting religious fanatics anymore. The Taliban are now seen as freedom fighters and as such enjoy far more support than they ever did when they were in power. This war cannot be won with 'more boots on the ground'. It also cannot be won by propping up the current government. How can any corrupt, puppet government that cannot stop it's allies bombing it's own citizens ever have any authority?

All the US is doing is perpetuating the instability of Afghanistan and the suffering of it's people. Above all, American forces have absolutely no right to be there.

The Afghan war has been a complete failure. Time to leave.
 

Snowalker

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MaxTheReaper said:
Don't ***** to us.

***** to the people in charge.
Poomanchu745 said:
Even though a lot of the blood thirsty Americans wouldn't want to sit down at a table with a "terrorist" I think that it might be time to talk this one out.
And I think you'll find making sweeping generalizations make you look like a dick.
I also think you'll find that the vast majority just want the stupid wars to be over.
Wow.. I actually argee with Max...
 

Spitfire175

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Fulax said:
They also control 80% of the country.

You're not fighting religious fanatics anymore. The Taliban are now seen as freedom fighters and as such enjoy far more support than they ever did when they were in power. This war cannot be won with 'more boots on the ground'. It also cannot be won by propping up the current government. How can any corrupt, puppet government that cannot stop it's allies bombing it's own citizens ever have any authority?

All the US is doing is perpetuating the instability of Afghanistan and the suffering of it's people. Above all, American forces have absolutely no right to be there.

The Afghan war has been a complete failure. Time to leave.
"You"? Me? I have no idea.
In case you didn't know, the the way to beat the taleban isn't conventional troops. I never said that. The way is to stop the drug trade. That is possible. Also, the current Afgan goverment is bogus. That was actually my point. Get a proper one going.
 

Fulax

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Spitfire175 said:
Fulax said:
They also control 80% of the country.

You're not fighting religious fanatics anymore. The Taliban are now seen as freedom fighters and as such enjoy far more support than they ever did when they were in power. This war cannot be won with 'more boots on the ground'. It also cannot be won by propping up the current government. How can any corrupt, puppet government that cannot stop it's allies bombing it's own citizens ever have any authority?

All the US is doing is perpetuating the instability of Afghanistan and the suffering of it's people. Above all, American forces have absolutely no right to be there.

The Afghan war has been a complete failure. Time to leave.
"You"? Me? I have no idea.
In case you didn't know, the the way to beat the taleban isn't conventional troops. I never said that. The way is to stop the drug trade. That is possible. Also, the current Afgan goverment is bogus. That was actually my point. Get a proper one going.
I realise the Taliban can't be beaten by conventional troops. That's why I think they should leave. Stopping the drugs trade would wipe out 50% of the country's GDP. Afghanistan is already the 5th poorest country on the planet, let's not make it worse just because we think drugs are bad.

Another corrupt puppet government that can't stop it's allies bombing it's own citizens? Can't see it working. And with an estimated 200 literate and capable bureaucrats in the entire country, there isn't really much to choose from anyway.
 

Mcface

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Poomanchu745 said:
and if anyone knows the history of wars in Afghanistan
If you knew the history, you would know that peace with them is impossible.