Friends, it's looking more and more like the Taliban -- our country's ultimate boogeymen, not so long ago -- are soon going to be ruling Afghanistan again. Will that cause a resurgence of Al Qaeda and of Islamic terrorism in the West? Only time will tell. History will certainly record, though, that it was Biden's retreat from Afghanistan that enabled...whatever comes next. Spoiler alert: it probably won't be hugs and free puppies for every Afghani -- man, woman, and child.
Inflation has real consequences that can severely impact people's quality of life, at least in the long term. Americans' buying power is already diminishing. We're a long way from national impoverishment, of course, but many great countries have been brought low by inflation before. Let's hope we won't join their ranks.
Specters like inflation, crime, unchecked illegal immigration, COVID, etc. are making the American people decidedly queasy. The latest McLaughlin poll says that the GOP is ahead on the "generic ballot" for 2022. If Republicans were to tie in terms of the national popular vote for the House, they would almost certainly take control. If they win by one, or two, or three points, their majority will be large and healthy. If they win by even more, then 2022 will go down in history as a slaughter, and the Dems will have been roundly rebuked. Fingers crossed!
file:///C:/Users/gorco/AppData/Local/Temp/National-Monthly-Omnibus-8-2021-Release-.pdf
The Dems appear to be poised to pass both their "infrastructure" bill and their $3.5 trillion "reconciliation" bill. That would produce a massive expansion of federal spending, at a time when that spending is already running hot (at WWII levels). HOWEVER, don't assume that either bill is "in the bag". A lot of details need to be worked out, and as the Dems' poll numbers sag keeping the moderates and progressives in the party on the same page will get exasperatingly hard!
Finally, old Hunter Biden is the gift that keeps on giving. Here he is having sex with a prostitute and bemoaning the theft of yet another laptop during one of his epic benders. I mean, can you imagine if this guy was the son of Donald Trump? Holy moly!!! What the media is willing to overlook these days, if your last name is Biden, boggles the mind.
Dr. Waddy from Jack: Should Al Queda resurge in Afghanistan our way will be clear; an relenting onslaught on them by our superb special forces, our dominant airpower and if necessary, reintroduction of main ground force. But this time its object must be only the complete destruction of Al Queda, forever justified by 9/11. Then, we go. We cannot induce and enable enough of Afghanistan to protect itself against the Taliban, Al Queda's medieval subhuman ally, no matter how hard and long we have tried ;we have learned that. While we were there our well intentioned and disciplined force (force being the ONLY thing which can suppress such as the Taliban) kept them at bay, sequestered in their holes as subhumans deserve. That this was the only thing restraining them is proven by today's expeditious onslaught by the resurgent 8th century horde closely following our withdrawal. (It kinda reminds me of the inevitable result of the vicious attack on our police; a triumphant resurgance of thug nation; why, surprise, surprise!). As is so often true, US power wrought much justice in lands we occupied. A twenty year generation was allowed to grow without Taliban imprisonment and daily oppression. Perhaps, for "Afghanistan", a remnant maybe of very distant world history, this could be a hopeful factor. God help them! We tried yes, for our national interest, yes, to strengthen them. Isn't it curious, leftists, how often that has benefitted nations we have temporarily controlled? Oh but you don't want to hear that do ya, as you prepare for a disingenuous neopost Vietnam period of disparagement of our military, yes?
ReplyDeleteDr.Waddy from Jack: "UNrelenting assault . . .".
ReplyDeleteIt's true, Jack, that we didn't succeed in constructing a new order in Afghanistan that would survive our departure. Same goes for South Vietnam. That doesn't, however, mean necessarily that we were right to leave, in either case. Sometimes you can do much good with the expenditure of very little blood and treasure. In my view, Afghanistan and Vietnam were such places. The suffering that followed our withdrawal from Vietnam is well known. The pain that follows our retreat from Afghnaistan may never be known, because so few care, but that doesn't make it any less real. And, as you say, the chaos that we unleash may someday show up on our own doorstep. Still, I share your frustration re: the pussilanimity of the native forces that we often fight alongside. It wouldn't take many decent, courageous Afghans to hold the Taliban at bay, after all. Alas, they don't seem to exist, at least not when they're denied U.S. combat support.
ReplyDeleteDr.Waddy from Jack:Its Sunday afternoon and who knows what horror may be in store? Another Que Sanh or even Bataan for U.S. forces?! Could the Taliban purpose the capture of very many American hostages to hold against an American return? I speculated that if Al Queda reemerges there we must reengage them there. Since apparently very many Al Queda were loosed when our prison at Bagram was opened wide by the Taliban, unless those there incarcerated got religion while in our care, they may constitute a ready made cadre for Al Queda redux and they may eagerly seek revenge while its available right there. We will have to see if the Taliban tolerates an assertive Al Queda presence. That brought on a devastating US invasion 20 years ago and AlQuedacould clash with the Taliban over doctrinal purity. The presence in office of a post Vietnam Dem President (or our one time distaff " CoPresident)who can be counted on either to loathe our military, to believe it has always been used for evil, who has delighted to deny it the assets it needed (eg Black Hawk down or Benghazi), or thinks it icky as poor ever Kumbayaa Joe does, has to have encouraged the Taliban. Even so, considering their grimly fascinating 8th century viewpoint, perhaps they have not the requisite knowledge of US political culture; no such thing as liberal democracy back then eh? Inevitably, President Trump will be blamed for this by those who use him as an all purpose target. Yes,he made an agreement with the Taliban, but not for this result; he would have responded forcefully long since to their present onslaught and they damn well did know that!
ReplyDeletetest from Jack
ReplyDeleteDr.Waddy from Jack: Too, we must ever keep in mind the considerable support in the US from the American left. "The enemy of my enemy is my friend, yes, despite its' unwokeness' "."Re: Unholy Alliance: Radical Islam and the American left; oh of course Islamists and the left would pay no mind to that monograph, because of its Jewish authorship by the perceptive and heroic David Horowitz, yes? And well, yes, we can expect present celebration of the Taliban triumph from the Squad and its Fuhrer, AOC, which does exercise SOME "influence" in the very much compromised left coastal coasts!
ReplyDelete"Left and East coasts, and the lala university islands which pollute the real America. . ."
ReplyDeleteJack, I wouldn't care to speculate about the future behavior of the Taliban, but if they're even vaguely smart they'll let all Westerners go freely out of the country and desist from genocidal mania for a few months. After that, I suspect they could do with their fellow Afghans more or less as they please, for all the international media will care...
ReplyDeleteYou're right that Al Qaeda may well reemerge, but if it does it's as likely to be in Syria, or Libya, or France, as in Afghanistan. My guess is that terrorism will be back in a big way within the next ten years, and our policy in Afghanistan won't have much to do with it.
True: whatever humiliates America and the West will be celebrated in MANY quarters (quite a few of them in rarefied Western enclaves)! I suppose it's always been so: the top dog is the focus of much resentment.