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This is not how most of the world or Americans are going to see it. Speaking as an independent, this is precisely the kind of abject failure and mess that will
by dbish 5y ago
This is not how most of the world or Americans are going to see it. Speaking as an independent, this is precisely the kind of abject failure and mess that will be the reason for a single term presidency as well as a likely change in party next term.
- cm2187 5y agoI don't know. Getting out of Afghanistan is kind of a bipartisan issue. I am conservative leaning and I side with Biden on this. In effect he executed the Trump plan and I don't think Trump would have done any better. I think Biden is a one term president but not for exiting Afghanistan, unless it becomes again the host for the sponsors of a new major terrorist attack on the US. And it is not clear to me that this is something the Talibans are really contemplating. I think people are surprised by the speed of the outcome, not by the outcome.
- beerandt 5y agoWithdrawal happening vs how withdrawal is happening are two very different things. Trump's plan was to be out by Christmas, which generals delayed to May. This is not Biden executing Trump's plan.
- cm2187 5y agoThat's details, it's not a few months earlier or later that would have made any difference. The point of the plan being prompt and full withdrawal within a year.
- beerandt 5y agoTimely withdrawl before the Taliban started shelling the capital absolutely would have made a difference. But I'd settle for getting US citizens and diplomats (and afghans who've earned a visa) out before having our military cut and run in the middle of the night.
- Denvercoder9 5y agoHonestly, I don't see what difference it would've made. The past week has shown that the ANA is either utterly incapable of or uninterested in defending Afghanistan against the Taliban. Whether we'd left by Christmas or stayed another two years, the outcome would've been the same.
- beerandt 5y agoIt's not about the end result of the country, but a withdrawal being executed properly, getting civilians out before the diplomatic corps before the military. The reverse of what's happened. And all before the summer gave the Taliban time and mobility (as in no snow) to start gaining ground.
- tablespoon 5y ago> And all before the summer gave the Taliban time and mobility (as in no snow) to start gaining ground. Yeah, I've read that the Taliban basically retreats during the winter, then returns for "fighting season." So it would have been much smarter to withdraw US troops during the winter. Withdraw them now ensured that the Taliban was in the best position possible to capitalize on it, which we are seeing now.
- dbish 5y agoI don’t personably agree judging by sentiment I’m seeing, but hopefully you’re right. The average person doesn’t seem to think of this as executing trump’s plan and fwiw I personably think that’s a cop out to blame it on a previous administration if you ultimately make the choice now.
- StanislavPetrov 5y agoSpeaking also as independent (and not a Biden supporter), this is one of the few statements Biden has made that I agree with. I find it incredibly refreshing to see that for once we didn't seek to delay inevitable disaster at the huge cost of blood and treasure for political expediency.
- anm89 5y agoNot even close. The average Biden voter isn't losing sleep over having less presence in Afghanistan and knows that the mess was in place long before he stepped foot in the office.
- walkedaway 5y agoThere's not a single Biden voter that cares that Biden is incompetent and creating messes for the US (border crises, inflation, gas shortages, etc). What they care about is no more Trump mean tweets.