The Forever War in Afghanistan

"Abby Martin covers the whole truth about the Afghanistan War, from the CIA construct of the 80's through today's senseless stalemate. Two decades, three administrations, tens of thousands of lives; it's time to #EndTheForeverWar."

It doesn't matter if you're left or right because Bush, Obama, and Trump all followed the drum beat of the military industrial complex.

And if you wanted to watch more, here is an interview with a former marine corps infantryman turned anti-war activist after serving in Afghanistan.


Just, as Obama's "hope and change", Trump's "Drain the swamp" is merely a fake decree. They do the opposite and follow the path of TPTB, but then distract you with partisan politics and media.

Thanks for watching, and lets hold POTUS' and Congress accountable for endless wars that do nothing but hurt countless lives and drain the economy to fill the pockets of the corporate elite.

a reply to: blueman12



The apparatus keeping us in this war is not complicated but it is powerful. The military has become highly politicized. I saw it on my way out in 2016. There is a vested interest in maintaining rotational deployments to Afghanistan and other places. Just remember that the establishment has had decades to entrench itself. It wouldn't be the Establishment otherwise. Trump has been at this nearly 4 years. That's it.

That said, I desperately want out of Afghanistan. If Trump won't do it then we're going to collapse under the weight of that expense. It'll be Trump's fault for not doing the one thing that actually could save America, Ending our forever war.

I spent a third of my military career deployed there. We need to come home.

Edit:

I can't stand Abby Martin and her insane leftist garbage most of the time. I see her as insufferable. But when she's right, she's right.

a reply to: blueman12
Just commenting to remind me to watch later.
I like Abby Martin,she was the only reason I used to watch RT.

Afghanistan really lives up to its name "the graveyard of empires."
From the British in the 1840s to the Soviet invasion of the 1980s and now to the US/Allies ongoing disaster no one EVER seems to learn..

a reply to: blueman12
Bush let it happen. Obama let it go on and Trump, well, Trump.

This is why I continue to support Tulsi Gabbard. In many ways she sounded like a ''one note samba'' during her campaign. But that one note was ''bring our brothers and sisters HOME. NOW.

a reply to: blueman12

Afghanistan has not been a peaceful place for over a thousand years now, not since the Islamic invaders came and took the area from far more peaceful, cultured and civilized people's, once there were great city's there, monastic university's of various faith's and the land was farmed and cultivated for more than opium.

But even before the Islamic and then the Mongol raiders came that land was often a place with turbulent past history.

It is one of the cradles of human civilization but looking at it you would not think so today.

Still a perpetual war, makes me think of Hitler's plan to leave parts of the world unconquered so that wars could be maintained in order to hone the youth of his nation into an endless future, how the NAZI's had already began to built an industrial military complex to serve there need's.

Remember operation paperclip, unrepentant, unreformed NAZI's given free reign of American society and even in some cases manufactured into hero's with there history whitewashed and buried such as Von Braun.

Hmmm.

originally posted by: Silcone Synapse
a reply to: blueman12
Just commenting to remind me to watch later.
I like Abby Martin,she was the only reason I used to watch RT.

Afghanistan really lives up to its name "the graveyard of empires."
From the British in the 1840s to the Soviet invasion of the 1980s and now to the US/Allies ongoing disaster no one EVER seems to learn..

Yea Abbey Martin is a great journalist. It's a good video to watch when you got 30mins to kill. I didn't know that Afghanistan didn't have a history of extremists until the CIA armed and propped up the hard conservative party that started a war against the more liberal leadership.

The U.S. created the current state of Afghanistan. Then there is the BS peace deals the u.s. puts on for show.

It's obvious that TPTB want Afghanistan . The u.s. has no right to be there. We are the bad guys...

a reply to: LABTECH767

Did you watch the video? Afghanistan was moving in a more liberal direction until the CIA armed the conservatives.

And before that, Afghanistan suffered from occupying forces... So it's not just islam that has turned Afghanistan into one of the poorest countries in the world.

But im sure Trump's plan to drop more bombs on Afghanistan than any other time is going to enrich their country.

Well put together documentary about the situation. Good that it went into some of the motivating resources and state of negotiations. Nice to see there is some agreement with things like a USA presence, so where is the ongoing disagreement to cause the guns and bombs to continue?

From what i have seen with Trump he has reined back the Military Industrial Complex some from the path it was on with Hillary, put a quick end to ISIS and help settle some of the Middle East, been doing well in other parts of the world. Has been the first time hearing about an increased bombing campaign in Afghanistan.

If i had to guess why things are still a mess with the Taliban, opium is high on the list. Mining rights might be a background matter, return on investment and insurance risks do not add up for any large scale operations in a conflict zone.

US ain't leaving because

#1 Al Qaeda terrorist group.

#2 I mean ISIS fighter in Afghanistan hiding in mountains

#3 Actually, I mean Iranian backed terrorists militia group.

#4 Actually, was it Russian Influence.

#5 Wait, probably because of the Pakistani Muslim terrorists, support our Indian allies.

#6 No, I heard it was Chinese influence in the region.

#7 Wait, the Corporations or British taking over the region. So USA army will stay.

#8 Also, I heard that there is going to be White/European terrorists hiding in Afghanistan threatening US troops, must be Russians.

Don't forget to sanction anyone trading with Afghanistan.

a reply to: makemap

Lol. Yea the nonsense lies both political medias tells us....

The real reason is a whole lot of corruption, greed, and agendas by those in the shadows.

We all fight to cherish Trump or Obama despite them so clearly being controlled by TPTB when we look at foreign policy.

a reply to: kwakakev

Trump has expanded in alot of ways. He has increased civilian casualties by at least 200% from drone strikes and canceled the annual drone strike casualties report of 2019.

Don't believe his BS. He's a cult of personality. He looks into the camera and says that we will pull out of iraq and Afghanistan but then does indefinite stay in iraq and Afghanistan.

He's a puppet. His actions show it.

But tganks for watching. Abbey Martin does great work.

Be interesting to see what the Chinese would do if they had a go at Afghanistan.

Russians and Yanks have had a go, suppose it will be China next whenever that is. Maybe even India to get at Pakistan or even Pakistan to join all the Pathans up and make a crazy mass of fighting fanatics

Be interesting to see how the Chinese will get on over there and how they'd play it compared to Moscow and Washington

a reply to: ufoorbhunter

We have fought while trying to be peacemakers and policemen at the same time, to win heart's and mind's BUT the Chinese would do it the old fashioned way that human right's activists would have heart attack's about, they would simply round up the population of any troubled region, put them in re-education prison's, harvest there organ's for sale to the Chinese Elite were all the proceeds would then be split between corrupt official's and the party and ship millions of Chinese into the region to build new city's for themselves and settle it as a then inclusive part of China, if EVER any got back out of those re-education institutions/prisons/concentration camp's they would then not recognize there own land and would be permanent second class citizens within it looked down upon by the Chinese.

a reply to: LABTECH767

Yeah I think you're spot on with the Chinese going back to old school tactics of total warfare and old school Imperialism by bringing in their own people and culture

Would be interesting to see if they could hold Adghanistan down...................... Sure they coud do it if left to their own fight domineering with no outside influences. But if the Yanks started handing out weaponry to the Pathans like they did in the past with the Stingers and the Russians started a pay per kill bounty like apparently they do today, then it'd be one heck of a long drawn out affair

a reply to: blueman12

The U.S always trains, equips millitants, terrorists to fight their percieved enemy. Only for those terror groups to turn against the U.S.

a reply to: blueman12

When a nation undertakes the agenda of perpetual warfare, there is a lot of blood on the hands of its president along with many others. The role of president is a dangerous position, Trump did seam quite proud of the MOAB and the media was happy to report that one. I do respect his approach of a quick clean kill if it has to be done rather than long, drawn out ongoing conflict.

It does get troubling when we cannot be open and justified about the sacrifices that have been made. Can imply some guilt or things could of been done better. Is the Afghan drone program the testing zone before they come for us? Is it a depopulation agenda to help make any mining operations more secure? Is a Afghan just some natural sink hole for all the nasty people of Eurasia, they messed up and fled to the hills? Are the drones being used to protect the poppies from raiders or others that are feed up with living with the implications that opium production brings?

If America is to be a responsible super power it makes good economic sense to have a base in other nations. Not sure on the specific number, expect bases in about 60 other nations. Helps with lots of things, trade, defence, security, communications. If nations are to trust and work well with each other then having strong and secure polices and principles helps.

a reply to: kwakakev

Interesting thoughts. But i do have to disagree with this:

. I do respect his approach of a quick clean kill if it has to be done rather than long, drawn out ongoing conflict.

Not sure how dropping a MOAB is a quick clean kill... Civilian casualties are also higher in drone strikes after Trump opened up parameters.

I don't consider a big jump in civilian deaths as "clean".

Trump also is indefinitely staying in iraq and Afghanistan which also goes against the "quick" part.

Yoi could be right about Afghanistan being set up for a future mining population.

a reply to: blueman12

If someone dropped a MOAB on my house I am not expecting to notice it, not much anyway if I did. I can see your point though and what kind of toll is this taking on the innocent nearby caught up in all the collateral damage. I agree it is wrong and bad.

When trying to implement a higher standard of law, using drones does come across as a contradictory way to implement it. What kinds of long term implications are there when fear is your only tool of respect? I know people do mess up and some kind of discipline is required at times to get things on a better track.

As for the rules of war and what is really going on? I don't know. Many sad situations.