Jump to content
The Official Site of the Vancouver Canucks
Canucks Community

‘This is not going to be won militarily’: Top US commander in Afghanistan reveals pessimism


Ryan Strome

Recommended Posts

Just now, butters said:

total war, complete killing of everyone in the country. Wouldn't even take nukes. It would never happen. But if the US had the will to do it and the lack of moral restraint, they absolutely could.

If the US committed such large scale, indiscriminate genocide, I can't see an outcome (especially now) where they would come out unscathed.

Just now, butters said:

sure, but the point is that guerilla attacks are only effective because the invading countries are reluctant to engage in wholesale slaughter.

Because of the ramifications of wholesale slaughter.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

15 minutes ago, butters said:

total war, complete killing of everyone in the country. Wouldn't even take nukes. It would never happen. But if the US had the will to do it and the lack of moral restraint, they absolutely could.

 

 

O ok, problem with this is you would need enough nut cases in your military to conduct such horrific crimes. I think most troops would refuse such orders.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 minutes ago, PhillipBlunt said:

If the US committed such large scale, indiscriminate genocide, I can't see an outcome (especially now) where they would come out unscathed.

Because of the ramifications of wholesale slaughter.

of course. Its a terrible idea for a lot of reasons. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Used to hear about the Khyber Pass as a kid. I don't remember many details other than it was bad for us Brits and we couldn't win there. I always think about those mountains and harsh terrain when thinking about Afghanistan 

 

My cousin did two tours there and said it's hopeless trying to get anything accomplished.

 

That place has been at it forever. I once worked with an ex-mujahideen ( actually two, very damaged men)  when I was a teen line cook. One told the craziest stories of Russian tanks rolling into town and scenes right out of movies.  What a sad place. 

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 minute ago, Ryan Strome said:

O ok, problem with this is you would need enough nut cases in your military to conduct such horrific crimes. 

Seeing as how wiping out an entire country's population (Afghanistan = 36 million people approximately) is against every known convention and would indicate that the United States had lost it's moral compass and any respect for human life, it would clearly result in an escalation of warfare that would probably end humanity through nuclear holocaust.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 minutes ago, PhillipBlunt said:

Seeing as how wiping out an entire country's population (Afghanistan = 36 million people approximately) is against every known convention and would indicate that the United States had lost it's moral compass and any respect for human life, it would clearly result in an escalation of warfare that would probably end humanity through nuclear holocaust.

Most likely.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

15 minutes ago, PhillipBlunt said:

Seeing as how wiping out an entire country's population (Afghanistan = 36 million people approximately) is against every known convention and would indicate that the United States had lost it's moral compass and any respect for human life, it would clearly result in an escalation of warfare that would probably end humanity through nuclear holocaust.

But it would still count as a "win" for Trump, right?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

9 hours ago, Hutton Wink said:

Pfft, like it had anything to do with 911 or the Taliban in the first place.  They told Bush and Powell they would hand OBL over if they could provide evidence he was involved -- they never did, but invaded anyway.  Bush even decided the day BEFORE 911 to invade, the plans were already drawn up.  Got their pipeline built, more money for all their weapons-producing friends, and ramped up heroin production and export for the CIA.  And we wonder why there's suddenly this opioid crisis going on.  Even that clown Geraldo Rivera reported on it, but nobody listens or stops to think.

 

There's zero reason for them to "claim victory" or leave; too much benefit and too many people making money out of it.

Not exactly, they allegedly  did ask for proof that USB was involved.

But also they wanted bombing to stop and for USB to be sent to a neutral country if he was found guilty.

Also other high ranking Taliban officials like Mullah Omar have denied this story.

 

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, CBH1926 said:

Wars like the one in Afghanistan can’t be won.

They only solution would be to destroy the entire country.

 

Even that may not work. The Soviets destroyed entire villages and it just never ended. Every major invasion of Afghanistan has failed. Both the Soviets and Americans paid a huge price financially and a significant price in loss of life.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

".... unless you are... wait for it... the MONGOLS!!!"

 

In all seriousness... you can't rely on military power to win over the hearts and minds of the enemy?  Anybody with the number of IQ more than a carton of eggs could have told the US that.  

Fascism and Nazism were strong ideologies too... but guess how the Allies beat it out.  To use a quote from Star Trek: Deep Space 9..... and ironically from Gul Dukat.... "A true victory is when you make your enemies realize that it was wrong for them to oppose you in the first place...."

The economies of Italy and especially (West) Germany and Japan were rebuilt.  Instead of having people growing up in dirt holes, being treated like animals.... citizens of those defeated nations wanted to rebuild their homes.  Reconstructions allowed people to start businesses, which then hired people to work, who then are able to bring home a paycheque, allow them to start families, to have kids with the hope that they will have a better life than the ones they have.

 

While there are exceptions.... people working or running a business and getting ahead in life aren't really keen on running off to join some random crusade nor are they especially keen on strapping C4 onto their children to send to the markets.  

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 03/11/2018 at 2:42 AM, Tortorella's Rant said:

Who would win. The might of the US military or some mountainous desert bois. 

Well they kicked the Soviets ass, our ass and now the Seppos.

Nobody bothers to check the history of places like this and Vietnam for that matter where the indigenous people have been fighting invaders for centuries and have become bloody good at it.

We have been in Afghanistan since 2001 and have got nowhere.

I remember a four corners program around the turn of the last decade where everyone invovled except the politicians said we should get out of there.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 hours ago, Ilunga said:

Well they kicked the Soviets ass, our ass and now the Seppos.

Nobody bothers to check the history of places like this and Vietnam for that matter where the indigenous people have been fighting invaders for centuries and have become bloody good at it.

We have been in Afghanistan since 2001 and have got nowhere.

I remember a four corners program around the turn of the last decade where everyone invovled except the politicians said we should get out of there.

There's a difference.  It's not the fighting that the US is losing at.  The US military isn't getting it's a*s kicked.

 

The general is saying that there's no way to win a war when the objective is basically just killing people.  Unless you decide to move in and take over the entire country or start killing them by the millions, you aren't going to "win". 

 

It would be like if I filled up your house with 100 people and decided to personally invade it.  I'm going to have to kill most or all of the 100 people there if I want to take it over free and clear.  On the flip side, I could decide to kill 10 and then chain up the other 90 and then take over the house, but then I'd have to deal with the people on the outside coming in to free the 90 people.  It would just be a never ending vicious cycle.

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...