Kosh's Shadow 8/20/2021 5:14:28 AM

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Repost from late yesterday

Afghan army, government, never really existed, says soldier

The problem was the government never existed, he says. While Afghanistan had buildings labeled “defense” or “taxation” departments, in reality it was an empty shell. US Inspector General reports reveal this, Platner says.

“No one wanted to say anything.... Everyone was a coward, from executive leadership down to the company level where the cowardice stopped. Everyone above that was a coward. They believed it because they had to, they couldn’t bring themselves to admit that this might not be real.”

In the end, his diagnosis is that the Afghanistan government the US supported can’t be said to have “collapsed” because it never existed. 

“The Afghan army wasn’t real. The Afghan Civil Authority was never real. They never collected taxes. There were no courts outside of police robbing people. None of it ever existed... it was just a big jobs program funded by American money, and the moment it looked like the money would go away, everyone went home.”

With the exception of Kabul, Charikar and a few other places, he paints a picture of an Afghan state that never controlled much beyond a few highways and cities. That’s why it fell apart so quickly once the US pulled funding.

lucius septimius 8/20/2021 5:41:25 AM

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Occasional Reader 8/20/2021 5:52:38 AM

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Good morning.

So what can Joe fuck up today?

vxbush 8/20/2021 6:02:28 AM

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In #1 Kosh's Shadow said: Repost from late yesterday Afghan army, government, never really existed, says soldier

Thanks for posting that again. 

Instapundit posted a link to a story from 2017 that occurred while the Syrian refugees were swarming to Europe. In this story, the focus was on Afghani refugees who had moved to Austria and how they were the cause of 50% of the rapes and rape attempts that happened in the country. (The other refugees rarely did such things, although of course a few happened.) When the author started looking over the women who were attacked, it was mostly women with small children--who would be less able to fight back--and always when they were happy outside, as if the attacker wanted to get rid of their happiness. 

What you posted above seems like it has a similar strain within--life is terrible and hard, so the only thing I can do is look out for myself. I won't help anyone else, either. 

It's a terrible way to live. 

vxbush 8/20/2021 6:20:26 AM

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In #2 lucius septimius said: When I look at that picture all I can think of is the camera panning to the left and John Cleese sitting at a desk with a microphone saying "And now for something completely different."

I would welcome John Cleese to come now and actually introducing something *good* that is completely different. 

Occasional Reader 8/20/2021 6:22:27 AM

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Kosh's Shadow 8/20/2021 6:33:16 AM

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In #6 Occasional Reader said: With grim echoes of the evacuation of Saigon ringing through the headlines, this is of course the perfect time for the Veep to visit... Vietnam?! 

Someone needs to photoshop a picture of her on the Saigon embassy roof being evacuated by helicopter

Occasional Reader 8/20/2021 6:42:39 AM

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An indefinite “lid”

https://pjmedia.com/news-and-politics/bryan-preston/2021/08/19/joe-biden-calls-off-public-appearances-and-remarks-indefinitely-n1471203

Good thing there’s not much happening in the world! Right, Joe?

Kosh's Shadow 8/20/2021 6:46:24 AM

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Occasional Reader 8/20/2021 6:52:10 AM

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vxbush 8/20/2021 6:52:37 AM

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Reply to Kosh's Shadow in 9:

Zowie. Perfect. 

Kosh's Shadow 8/20/2021 6:55:51 AM

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buzzsawmonkey 8/20/2021 7:17:00 AM

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In #6 Occasional Reader said: With grim echoes of the evacuation of Saigon ringing through the headlines, this is of course the perfect time for the Veep to visit... Vietnam?! 

The reason for that became clear on NPR this morning.  With the comparisons to the fall of Saigon now both inevitable and ubiquitous, the administration is not denying them---they hardly could---but embracing them, as part of its "let's bring in more unvetted immigrants" program/policy.   NPR ran a whole bunch of reminiscences/recollections by former Vietnamese refugees/boat people, talking about how important it was for them to (finally) get to America and how we should open our doors to the Afghan refugees.  

Harris going "to Asia" was tied in with her being "the first Asian-American VP"; Vietnam was not exactly swept under the rug, but it was soft-pedaled in favor of "she's going to Asia," and when it was brought up it was in the "we took in refugees from there, so we should take in more now" context.

vxbush 8/20/2021 7:23:32 AM

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In #13 buzzsawmonkey said: Harris going "to Asia" was tied in with her being "the first Asian-American VP"; Vietnam was not exactly swept under the rug, but it was soft-pedaled in favor of "she's going to Asia," and when it was brought up it was in the "we took in refugees from there, so we should take in more now" context.

Thanks for explaining that. If we ever doubted that the media was completely colluding with the administration, this makes it obvious. 

Occasional Reader 8/20/2021 7:27:25 AM

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In #13 buzzsawmonkey said: NPR ran a whole bunch of reminiscences/recollections by former Vietnamese refugees/boat people

I caught a preview of that, in which the interviewee was saying "we can't ask you to fight our war for us"; which of course jibes perfectly with the Biden regime's attempt to massage the disastrous way they're managing the Afghan pullout, into the decision to leave Afghanistan, full stop.  

Occasional Reader 8/20/2021 7:29:30 AM

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In #13 buzzsawmonkey said: "the first Asian-American VP";

Like Obama, she is all things to all people (on the Prog side, anyway).

Thankfully, she entirely lacks even Obama's superficial "charm". 

JCM 8/20/2021 7:36:27 AM

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Reply to Occasional Reader in 10:

I have to wonder. Is he so disconnected that his handlers can tell him it's all wonderful, dope him up, then have dem operative Steponallus do a interview just as fake?

Occasional Reader 8/20/2021 7:39:12 AM

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The "fall of Saigon" option is really the best-case scenario right now.

The worst case looks more like Bataan. 

Occasional Reader 8/20/2021 7:40:27 AM

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In #17 JCM said: I have to wonder. Is he so disconnected that his handlers can tell him it's all wonderful, dope him up, then have dem operative Steponallus do a interview just as fake?

I've seen speculation that they're giving him Adderall, or something simliar, in order to push him through his limited public appearances; and that this is having a cumulative toll.   [shrug]

Occasional Reader 8/20/2021 7:40:49 AM

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buzzsawmonkey 8/20/2021 7:49:09 AM

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JCM 8/20/2021 7:54:25 AM

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Reply to buzzsawmonkey in 21:

Have the media stop reporting on it.

vxbush 8/20/2021 8:07:34 AM

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In #22 JCM said: Have the media stop reporting on it.

That seems most likely. Look for the next shiny object to get ramped up in all media locations to distract from this disaster. 

The rumor mill is saying that sometime in September the Pfizer COVID vaccine will be officially approved by the FDA, so the efforts to require that everyone get a shot will get even more intense. The DOJ has already provided guidance that at least some groups have the legal right to demand that people be vaccinated before allowing entry. But that won't be soon enough to distract from this Afghanistan fiasco, so they will need something else to pull people's attention. 

buzzsawmonkey 8/20/2021 8:13:25 AM

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JCM 8/20/2021 8:27:59 AM

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Seattle's toy train posted a budget update.

Delays would inflate the bottom line — to a staggering $131 billion between 2017 and 2046 for present and future projects.

The Tokyo - Nagoya mag-lev line is $64 Billion.

JCM 8/20/2021 8:30:19 AM

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The burden on every household in the toy train taxing district is $150,000 each. Paid in property and vehicle taxes.

The rulers whine about housing costs.

Every home has a $150,000 hidden inthe cost.

doppelganglander 8/20/2021 8:31:07 AM

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Reply to buzzsawmonkey in 13:

It's impolite to point out that the Vietnamese are not like the Afghanis. Nor should we notice that the Vietnamese came in family groups while every plane I've seen has been packed with military-aged men and not a woman or child in sight.

Occasional Reader 8/20/2021 8:33:58 AM

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In #26 JCM said: The burden on every household in the toy train taxing district is $150,000 each.

Good freaking grief. 

JCM 8/20/2021 8:36:23 AM

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Reply to Occasional Reader in 28:

To move 3% of commuters.

Kosh's Shadow 8/20/2021 9:03:05 AM

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In #26 JCM said: Every home has a $150,000 hidden inthe cost.

Every family could buy 3 electric cars for that price

vxbush 8/20/2021 9:40:45 AM

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In #26 JCM said: The burden on every household in the toy train taxing district is $150,000 each. Paid in property and vehicle taxes. The rulers whine about housing costs. Every home has a $150,000 hidden inthe cost.

JCM, how much of the project has actually resulted in real train lines being laid? Meaning, how much of the money has gone to administrators, review boards, contracting expensive analyses from outside contractors, etc? 

Kosh's Shadow 8/20/2021 9:47:49 AM

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White House Communications Director claims Biden 'never shies away from taking questions'

Seems that Biden is more willing to answer questions than his handlers will let him embarrass himself by trying to answer.

JCM 8/20/2021 9:52:14 AM

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Reply to vxbush in 31:

I suspect overhead is very, very high.

The transit authority is notorious for ignoring FOIA requests.

The entire thing is highly suspect, with numerous activities worthy of Chicago politics.

Kosh's Shadow 8/20/2021 10:04:25 AM

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Reply to JCM in 33:

Solyndtrainia

Occasional Reader 8/20/2021 11:38:51 AM

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Chief of the Defence Staff General Sir Nick Carter [UK equivalent of Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff] says "we have to be patient" with the Talbian; says the Taliban "want an Afghanistan that is inclusive for all"; praises their "code of honor".

Would someone please wake me up from this nightmare.

buzzsawmonkey 8/20/2021 11:40:59 AM

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Reply to Occasional Reader in 35:

I bet he defended the grooming-and-rape gangs of Muslim immigrants in the UK.

Kosh's Shadow 8/20/2021 11:46:56 AM

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In #35 Occasional Reader said: Chief of the Defence Staff General Sir Nick Carter [UK equivalent of Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff] says "we have to be patient" with the Talbian; says the Taliban "want an Afghanistan that is inclusive for all"; praises their "code of honor".

code of honor killings?

Kosh's Shadow 8/20/2021 11:47:56 AM

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Reply to buzzsawmonkey in 36:

Where is your sense of understanding and respecting other cultures, you h8ter?

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Occasional Reader 8/20/2021 12:59:55 PM

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We're a long, long way from Civis Romanus sum, aren't we.

Kosh's Shadow 8/20/2021 1:12:15 PM

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buzzsawmonkey 8/20/2021 1:41:34 PM

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Remember when the Left yelled about Reagan "trading arms for hostages?"

Biden has given the Taliban arms, and hostages too.

Kosh's Shadow 8/20/2021 1:52:00 PM

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Reply to Kosh's Shadow in 40:

I love the woke/asleep joke in there

vxbush 8/20/2021 2:16:00 PM

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In #39 Occasional Reader said: We're a long, long way from Civis Romanus sum, aren't we.

The whole idea of citizen and the benefits accrued by the citizen have completely gone away. 

JCM 8/20/2021 3:50:21 PM

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Elite Taliban special forces with United States gear, weapons seen patrolling Kabul

Our media gives them legitimacy by calling the elite special forces.

Taliban know propaganda....

Kosh's Shadow 8/20/2021 4:17:22 PM

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Reply to JCM in 44:

I woe jihad

Occasional Reader 8/20/2021 5:25:17 PM

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Reply to JCM in 44:

and the hits just keep on coming.