It's easier to declare victory when you move the goalposts where they are needed.

I see the dealer of absolutes has already arrived.

Amnestic: Phil Herup is a Sith?

The dark lord of the Derp.

Taliban or corruption?

I suppose one has to pick the

Corruption is fairly common in the world, if you write off dealing with corrupt places you write off pretty much everywhere.

Hell, our contracts for ships going to the Ukraine specifically charge extra for money to bribe Ukranian port officials.. And i've handed over a briefcase of cash to Colombian port agents.

Nakito: Politics on the main page is like tracking dog poo into the living room.

I disagree. I think that politics on fark was more intelligent when EVERYTHING was main page.

/but my memory may be faulty

Another example of Illinois politics.

ghare: I disagree. I think that politics on fark was more intelligent when EVERYTHING was main page.

/but my memory may be faulty

It was more intelligent, but that's not the reason it was more intelligent.

lilplatinum: Corruption is fairly common in the world, if you write off dealing with corrupt places you write off pretty much everywhere.

That works both ways. Civilized nations write corrupt nations off if there's too much bullshiat to deal with.

Successful Troll: Barack Hussein Obama. MAN IN CHARGE.

Too late. "The Guy Who Is Trolling You Right Now" already did this shtick.

"Corruption" is one thing.

An out and out illegitimate government clinging on to power through blatant election fraud is something else entirely.

A huge portion of Afghans know damn well the elections were stolen, and see the current internationally recognized government for the fraud that it is, and will NEVER get behind it.

And THAT is the primary reason why our efforts in Afghanistan are doomed.

You would think that we would have learned not to prop up massively illegitimate, corrupt and unpopular governments by now considering the disasters and decades long blow back in Vietnam and Iran.

I wonder how many millions or billions of American taxpayer dollars are ending up in the hand of the Taliban via grafts and payoffs?

I wonder what they are going to do with that money.

It's really damn hard to be optimistic about our efforts in Afghanistan when We have to pay the enemy to not attack our supply lines.




Unlike our last president, Obama is nobody's fool. The guy HAS to know that every dollar spent in that hellhole is a dollar (+ interest payments) wasted, and that every American solder killed or maimed there is a life wasted.

I'm guessing he's letting this travesty continue because pulling out now is a political impossibility. Maybe the American public will be emotionally capable of seeing truth in another ten or 15 years, but not now.

Despite Obama's blood-drenched pragmatism on the matter, I wonder if all that wasted money and lives haunt him at night when he's trying to get to sleep.

I sure hope so.

lilplatinum: Corruption is fairly common in the world, if you write off dealing with corrupt places you write off pretty much everywhere.

I'd take it a step further and say that every form of government and every economic system is primarily a tool for managing corruption.