I'm ready now to give President Biden and his administration some slack on the execution of the withdrawal after learning what a mess anti-immigrant, xenophobe Stephen Miller left the immigration system and the Special Immigrant Visas for those who aided the US in Afghanistan in. Where he couldn't tear apart and destroy about the immigr…
I'm ready now to give President Biden and his administration some slack on the execution of the withdrawal after learning what a mess anti-immigrant, xenophobe Stephen Miller left the immigration system and the Special Immigrant Visas for those who aided the US in Afghanistan in. Where he couldn't tear apart and destroy about the immigration system, he created more and more red tape adding years to the immigration process. While I don't understand why the Biden administration didn't anticipate the speed of the Taliban take-over since the Taliban started negotiating with all the Afghan regional leaders once the US withdrawal was announced, I am heartened by how far the Biden administration has come this past week in turning around the situation which is becoming more effective every day getting people out of Afghanistan and even taking refugees especially women and children. Actually, with the Taliban promising to not attack the US during the withdrawal may be a major factor in why now is the best time to leave. The war was only prolonged because the Defense Contractors wanted to make more money on arms sales. There was no other reason for it to continue.
Agree with your assessment Cathy. I don’t believe anyone understands how hollowed our many of our agencies are. The deep well of institutional knowledge and relationships were dismantled by djt in the US and the rapid drawdown of troops under djt left us blind throughout much of Afghanistan. djt salted the fields and left Biden with multiple disasters and few resources.
You are so right, Cathy. Steven Miller (and his sleazy wife) exacerbated the situation. I am learning more and more about his god awful wife, Katie Miller, from "I Alone Can Fix It" by Leonnig and Rucker which I am reading now. All I can say is that they are a match made in hell.
Ughhh. With any luck he'll be a beautiful child who completely rebels against his parents' ways, as children often do, causing them angst and highlighting their moral shortcomings.
You're right! I think I assumed MacKenzie Jay Miller was a masculine name. Born November 19, 2020, exactly nine months after their marriage in mid-February 2020. Yes, a daughter.
Yes, Cathy. As “everyone” is trying to flee, I wonder how many of the civilian power base in Afghanistan, American and other international contractors, dealers, and business interests—sit comfortably in place waiting for next customers.
I was in Hong Kong in 1998, a year before the lease was up and it went back to China. It was interesting that everyone who was going to leave had already left at that point. Vancouver became the go to place to relocate. Wonder how many who stayed are now regretting their decision because the promises of semi-autonomy are eroding. It will be the same with the Taliban if they can solve their economic dilemma. Also, think back to the 1930s in Germany. As soon as Hitler became prime minister, the intelligentsia started leaving. That's one reason Germany didn't have the Atomic Bomb when we did. The German scientists came to the US. That and not gaining access to the heavy Hydrogen in Scandinavia.
I read a book some time ago about the incredible effort made to get into Norway and destroy the heavy water plant that the Nazis had been counting on. I've identified several titles on the subject which look good but I'm pretty sure the one I read is "The Winter Fortress" by Neal Bascomb. It was better than any fiction I've read about WW II sabotage.
I think I learned this from "The Making of the Atomic Bomb" by Richard Rhodes which is one of the most readable and comprehensive histories I've ever read. I highly, highly recommend it.
You also have to remember the decimation of the State Department under Rex Tillerson. He got rid of the experienced and educated among the staff and dwindled its numbers considerably. There is no way that Biden could build this staff and department back up enough to handle all the applications for asylum needed from the Afghanistan allies.
The administration didn't anticipate the speed of the Taliban takeover b/c it evidently had conflicting advice. The CIA claims to have warned "in increasingly stark terms about the potential for a rapid, total collapse of the Afghan military and government, current and former U.S. officials told NBC News."
However, "The White House won’t confirm whether President Joe Biden ever received such a dire forecast from his national security team. The president himself appeared to dispute a month ago that intelligence suggested the increasing likelihood that the Afghan military would fold."
On July 8 he had said, "“That is not true. They did not reach that conclusion.”
There's finger pointing and blaming between the National Security Team and top military officials and Biden is side-stepping the intel issue.
I'm ready now to give President Biden and his administration some slack on the execution of the withdrawal after learning what a mess anti-immigrant, xenophobe Stephen Miller left the immigration system and the Special Immigrant Visas for those who aided the US in Afghanistan in. Where he couldn't tear apart and destroy about the immigration system, he created more and more red tape adding years to the immigration process. While I don't understand why the Biden administration didn't anticipate the speed of the Taliban take-over since the Taliban started negotiating with all the Afghan regional leaders once the US withdrawal was announced, I am heartened by how far the Biden administration has come this past week in turning around the situation which is becoming more effective every day getting people out of Afghanistan and even taking refugees especially women and children. Actually, with the Taliban promising to not attack the US during the withdrawal may be a major factor in why now is the best time to leave. The war was only prolonged because the Defense Contractors wanted to make more money on arms sales. There was no other reason for it to continue.
And I find it ironic we are promoting democracy when we seem unable to hold on to our own.
I find it soul crushing.
Agree with your assessment Cathy. I don’t believe anyone understands how hollowed our many of our agencies are. The deep well of institutional knowledge and relationships were dismantled by djt in the US and the rapid drawdown of troops under djt left us blind throughout much of Afghanistan. djt salted the fields and left Biden with multiple disasters and few resources.
Well, dah! Remember Steve Bannon declaring that TFG's 'administration' goal as 'to destroy the 'administrative state'? Bingo, bango here we are.
You are so right, Cathy. Steven Miller (and his sleazy wife) exacerbated the situation. I am learning more and more about his god awful wife, Katie Miller, from "I Alone Can Fix It" by Leonnig and Rucker which I am reading now. All I can say is that they are a match made in hell.
Praying they don't reproduce!
They already did. Their son was born November 30, 2020 and is named Mackenzie. This is the guy promoting child separation at the border!
Ughhh. With any luck he'll be a beautiful child who completely rebels against his parents' ways, as children often do, causing them angst and highlighting their moral shortcomings.
Oh dear God. Didn't know that. Normally I am not in favor of forced sterilization, but in this case I'd make an exception.
Thought it was a daughter.....
You're right! I think I assumed MacKenzie Jay Miller was a masculine name. Born November 19, 2020, exactly nine months after their marriage in mid-February 2020. Yes, a daughter.
Annette, there was much much more about her in one of the reporter's books before that one - now if I could just remember THAT reporter's name!!
Yes, Cathy. As “everyone” is trying to flee, I wonder how many of the civilian power base in Afghanistan, American and other international contractors, dealers, and business interests—sit comfortably in place waiting for next customers.
Cha-ching$
I was in Hong Kong in 1998, a year before the lease was up and it went back to China. It was interesting that everyone who was going to leave had already left at that point. Vancouver became the go to place to relocate. Wonder how many who stayed are now regretting their decision because the promises of semi-autonomy are eroding. It will be the same with the Taliban if they can solve their economic dilemma. Also, think back to the 1930s in Germany. As soon as Hitler became prime minister, the intelligentsia started leaving. That's one reason Germany didn't have the Atomic Bomb when we did. The German scientists came to the US. That and not gaining access to the heavy Hydrogen in Scandinavia.
I read a book some time ago about the incredible effort made to get into Norway and destroy the heavy water plant that the Nazis had been counting on. I've identified several titles on the subject which look good but I'm pretty sure the one I read is "The Winter Fortress" by Neal Bascomb. It was better than any fiction I've read about WW II sabotage.
I think I learned this from "The Making of the Atomic Bomb" by Richard Rhodes which is one of the most readable and comprehensive histories I've ever read. I highly, highly recommend it.
You also have to remember the decimation of the State Department under Rex Tillerson. He got rid of the experienced and educated among the staff and dwindled its numbers considerably. There is no way that Biden could build this staff and department back up enough to handle all the applications for asylum needed from the Afghanistan allies.
Cathy: I'm picturing Trump with his hands in the air: "Who could have known?"
The administration didn't anticipate the speed of the Taliban takeover b/c it evidently had conflicting advice. The CIA claims to have warned "in increasingly stark terms about the potential for a rapid, total collapse of the Afghan military and government, current and former U.S. officials told NBC News."
However, "The White House won’t confirm whether President Joe Biden ever received such a dire forecast from his national security team. The president himself appeared to dispute a month ago that intelligence suggested the increasing likelihood that the Afghan military would fold."
On July 8 he had said, "“That is not true. They did not reach that conclusion.”
There's finger pointing and blaming between the National Security Team and top military officials and Biden is side-stepping the intel issue.
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/national-security/cia-warned-rapid-afghanistan-collapse-so-why-did-u-s-n1277026