Afghanistan Cut 'N' Run

[The Brain]

The only reason for America to stay is to keep the place from being a safe haven for AQ terrorists. But since Pakistan fills that role anyway does it really matter that much?

[KRonn]

Nobody does.  But I'm getting so tired of supporting assholes like Karzai.

As long as the Taliban understands that we will glass them if they harbor al Qaeda, they can have that shitty country.

I've almost moved to this position myself.  The US is going to have to be ready to take in a lot of refugees, because we encouraged a lot of moderates to stick out their necks, and we owe it to them to provide an alternative to getting them chopped, but it it clear that there is no responsible, moderate government possible in Afghanistan.

In the last Afghan election, I was hoping that Abdullah would win. He seemed to be the anti-Karzai and possibly could have done more to unite the Afghan people, and make better attempts to bring better governing. At least he spoke about such things. Hard to say though in that really messy political culture and society.

[derspiess]

The only reason for America to stay is to keep the place from being a safe haven for AQ terrorists. But since Pakistan fills that role anyway does it really matter that much?

At this point a more efficient strategy would be to withdraw but be prepared to smash any AQ camps/operatives our intel finds.  Which is more or less the approach we've taken with Pakistan.

[citizen k]

Euthydemus I  FTW!




Although, you might not want Greeks in charge of anything these days.

[Neil]

Modern Greeks are actually a Turko-Slav mix, with the worst of both peoples.

[citizen k]

2nd century BCE Afghanistan

[Jacob]

2nd century BCE Afghanistan

Whoa! 3D rendering is an older technology than I thought.

[The Brain]

That's probably through the rose-tinted glasses of nostalgia, like that Kabul-in-the-60s book. I'm betting only the posher neighborhoods had theaters that big.

[citizen k]

2nd century BCE Afghanistan

Whoa! 3D rendering is an older technology than I thought.

Very funny. The city is called Ai Khanoum.

[citizen k]

The city is called Ai Khanoum.

Possibly Alexandria on Oxus.

Today:

[Siege]

Modern Greeks are actually a Turko-Slav mix, with the worst of both peoples.

What?
Where are the real greeks?

[Josquius]

Modern Greeks are actually a Turko-Slav mix, with the worst of both peoples.

What?
Where are the real greeks?

Shagged into dilution.

And Turkey.

[Scipio]

Nobody does.  But I'm getting so tired of supporting assholes like Karzai.

As long as the Taliban understands that we will glass them if they harbor al Qaeda, they can have that shitty country.

I've almost moved to this position myself.  The US is going to have to be ready to take in a lot of refugees, because we encouraged a lot of moderates to stick out their necks, and we owe it to them to provide an alternative to getting them chopped, but it it clear that there is no responsible, moderate government possible in Afghanistan.

I agree. 

Fuck Afghanistan, anyway.  That would make a nice parking lot for bombing North Korea.

[Neil]

Modern Greeks are actually a Turko-Slav mix, with the worst of both peoples.

What?
Where are the real greeks?

Conquered and bred out of existence.

[Legbiter]

I'm not comfortable with leaving Afghanistan unless Pakistan pays a very heavy price for reannexing the place via the Taliban. 

Leave Afghanistan, nuke Pakistan off the face of the Earth sounds good to me.