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Everytime I read an article like this, 18 years out from the start of the war, I'm reminded of this Onion headline from that time: https://www.theonion.com/thi

Everytime I read an article like this, 18 years out from the start of the war, I'm reminded of this Onion headline from that time: https://www.theonion.com/this-war-will-destabilize-the-entire-mideast-region-and-1819594296 https://www.theonion.com/this-war-will-destabilize-the-entir... "This War Will Destabilize The Entire Mideast Region And Set Off A Global Shockwave Of Anti-Americanism vs. No It Won’t" The statistic in this article about under-25 unemployment being 36% breaks my heart. This would've been me now, at my current age, born in a different place at the same time.

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wahern 6y ago
Interestingly, the unemployment rate only began increasing in 2012: https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/SLUEM1524ZSIRQ https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/SLUEM1524ZSIRQ Same pattern for total unemployment: https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SL.UEM.TOTL.ZS?locations=IQ https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SL.UEM.TOTL.ZS?location... In 2012 it was as low as it ever had been in 20 years. So what began in 2012? ISIS? Syrian civil war refugees? Completion of U.S. military withdrawal? (All a consequence of the U.S. intervention, to be sure, but knowing that isn't particularly useful in this case.)
- kaesar14 6y ago
  All 4? I imagine American occupation was "good" for employment while it was going on - providing a steady flow of income from soldiers and the military paying for goods and services while we were there.
  - nickik 6y ago
    Also, no longer being under international blockade after 10 years might help.
    - wahern 6y ago
      The unemployment rate was pretty constant from 1992 to 2012. "20 years" in my previous comment was ambiguous, but I had meant the 20 years prior to 2012, not 20 years prior to today. Which, now that you mention it, is also a curious thing--the constancy even after the blockade was lifted.
  - KptMarchewa 6y ago
    US military always carries all the shit they use from US, so that effect would be rather miniscule on the "enemy soil".
sn_master 6y ago
> "A Global Shockwave Of Anti-Americanism" I used to live in a major middle eastern country when this was going on. People were outright talking about the Crusader wars and there was a terrible sentiment against anyone with a light complexion.
dls2016 6y ago
Another classic focusing on the 18-year aspect: Soldier Excited To Take Over Father’s Old Afghanistan Patrol Route https://local.theonion.com/soldier-excited-to-take-over-father-s-old-afghanistan-p-1819580201 https://local.theonion.com/soldier-excited-to-take-over-fath...

deleted 6y ago

[deleted]

wahern 6y ago

Interestingly, the unemployment rate only began increasing in 2012: https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/SLUEM1524ZSIRQ https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/SLUEM1524ZSIRQ Same pattern for total unemployment: https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SL.UEM.TOTL.ZS?locations=IQ https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SL.UEM.TOTL.ZS?location... In 2012 it was as low as it ever had been in 20 years. So what began in 2012? ISIS? Syrian civil war refugees? Completion of U.S. military withdrawal? (All a consequence of the U.S. intervention, to be sure, but knowing that isn't particularly useful in this case.)

kaesar14 6y ago
All 4? I imagine American occupation was "good" for employment while it was going on - providing a steady flow of income from soldiers and the military paying for goods and services while we were there.
- nickik 6y ago
  Also, no longer being under international blockade after 10 years might help.
  - wahern 6y ago
    The unemployment rate was pretty constant from 1992 to 2012. "20 years" in my previous comment was ambiguous, but I had meant the 20 years prior to 2012, not 20 years prior to today. Which, now that you mention it, is also a curious thing--the constancy even after the blockade was lifted.
- KptMarchewa 6y ago
  US military always carries all the shit they use from US, so that effect would be rather miniscule on the "enemy soil".

sn_master 6y ago

> "A Global Shockwave Of Anti-Americanism" I used to live in a major middle eastern country when this was going on. People were outright talking about the Crusader wars and there was a terrible sentiment against anyone with a light complexion.

dls2016 6y ago

Another classic focusing on the 18-year aspect: Soldier Excited To Take Over Father’s Old Afghanistan Patrol Route https://local.theonion.com/soldier-excited-to-take-over-father-s-old-afghanistan-p-1819580201 https://local.theonion.com/soldier-excited-to-take-over-fath...