8 ms·

The Soviets did preliminary mapping. The Chinese "private" sector did more detailed charts, which were undoubtedly intercepted by NATO intelligence in country.

by sdurkin 16y ago

The Soviets did preliminary mapping. The Chinese "private" sector did more detailed charts, which were undoubtedly intercepted by NATO intelligence in country. I must embarrassingly say that you're wholly correct, the United States was rather late to arrive at this party.

edge17 16y ago
Yup, here's an article dating from 2009 http://www.sananews.com.pk/english/2009/03/08/chinas-thirst-for-copper-could-hold-key-to-afghanistans-future/ http://www.sananews.com.pk/english/2009/03/08/chinas-thirst-... China's already built roads to the area, and US soldiers are protecting the Chinese construction effort
- sdurkin 16y ago
  Nice thing about those roads, as long as we secure them, we own them.
  - jmtulloss 16y ago
    By that logic we own all of europe.
    - tamarindo 16y ago
      By that logic we also own Japan and Taiwan.
  - sailormoon 16y ago
    Yeah man. Maybe you should zoom out on Google Maps and see who lives nearby, especially anyone who might have (say) the world's largest standing army, and then come back and explain how it's a wise idea for the US Army to start seizing Chinese assets in Afghanistan .. Sorry for the snarky tone but seriously, it's this kind of ridiculous macho attitude that got the US into so much trouble in the first place.
    - sdurkin 16y ago
      My comment was not simple machismo. The United States has no need to seize any assets. We simply stop defending the roads, at which point the insurgents will begin seizing any convoy that attempts to get through. My statement was not one of opinion. It was one of fact. If the Chinese do not behave as the United States wants on those stretches of highway, the highways will cease to be accessible to the Chinese.
      - spotter 16y ago
        > If the Chinese do not behave as the United States wants on those stretches of highway, the highways will cease to be accessible to the Chinese. China never "behaves" as the US wants. Where have you been for the past 50 years? Furthermore, the direct beneficiary of Chinese mineral wealth is you, the US Citizen. Who do you think produces a majority of the goods you consume as well as finances the majority of your government's debt? US and Chinese interests are inexorably linked - which is probably why the US Army is protecting Chinese infrastructure. Step into the 21st century and let go of your borderline racist delusions like "If the Chinese do not behave..." - or what? The US will launch another proxy war and lose just like in Vietnam and Korea? The powers that be in both hemispheres have realized that there are better strategies to wealth, and they have been implementing them efficiently.

by sdurkin 16y ago

edge17 16y ago

Yup, here's an article dating from 2009 http://www.sananews.com.pk/english/2009/03/08/chinas-thirst-for-copper-could-hold-key-to-afghanistans-future/ http://www.sananews.com.pk/english/2009/03/08/chinas-thirst-... China's already built roads to the area, and US soldiers are protecting the Chinese construction effort

sdurkin 16y ago
Nice thing about those roads, as long as we secure them, we own them.
- jmtulloss 16y ago
  By that logic we own all of europe.
  - tamarindo 16y ago
    By that logic we also own Japan and Taiwan.
- sailormoon 16y ago
  Yeah man. Maybe you should zoom out on Google Maps and see who lives nearby, especially anyone who might have (say) the world's largest standing army, and then come back and explain how it's a wise idea for the US Army to start seizing Chinese assets in Afghanistan .. Sorry for the snarky tone but seriously, it's this kind of ridiculous macho attitude that got the US into so much trouble in the first place.
  - sdurkin 16y ago
    My comment was not simple machismo. The United States has no need to seize any assets. We simply stop defending the roads, at which point the insurgents will begin seizing any convoy that attempts to get through. My statement was not one of opinion. It was one of fact. If the Chinese do not behave as the United States wants on those stretches of highway, the highways will cease to be accessible to the Chinese.
    - spotter 16y ago
      > If the Chinese do not behave as the United States wants on those stretches of highway, the highways will cease to be accessible to the Chinese. China never "behaves" as the US wants. Where have you been for the past 50 years? Furthermore, the direct beneficiary of Chinese mineral wealth is you, the US Citizen. Who do you think produces a majority of the goods you consume as well as finances the majority of your government's debt? US and Chinese interests are inexorably linked - which is probably why the US Army is protecting Chinese infrastructure. Step into the 21st century and let go of your borderline racist delusions like "If the Chinese do not behave..." - or what? The US will launch another proxy war and lose just like in Vietnam and Korea? The powers that be in both hemispheres have realized that there are better strategies to wealth, and they have been implementing them efficiently.