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Chuckle...
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I came upon a barroom full of bad Salon pictures in which men with hats on the backs of their heads were wolfing food from a counter. It was the institution of the "free lunch" I had struck. You paid for a drink and got as much as you wanted to eat. For something less than a rupee a day a man can feed himself sumptuously in San Francisco, even though he be a bankrupt. Remember this if ever you are stranded in these parts. ~ Rudyard Kipling, 1891 -
Laugh if you want. The Afghan government has been making good progress in large portions of the country.Originally posted by germanos
12-17-10 Mohamed Bouazizi NEVER FORGET
Stadtluft Macht Frei
Killing it is the new killing it
Ultima Ratio RegumComment
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The Taliban stood because they were defending opium poppy fields, exactly as they had agreed to do. The casualty estimates are probably pretty good, but the size of the Taliban force is WAY underestimated. By taking these stands, they are recruiting literally thousands of farmers who have no other real crops and regard the destruction of the poppies as insane. The US, by insisting on fighting the drug war in Afghanistan, is losing the terrorist war.
Congrats to the Canadians on a good win. Too bad it is in such a foolish cause.No matter where you go, there you are. - Buckaroo Banzai
"I played it [Civilization] for three months and then realised I hadn't done any work. In the end, I had to delete all the saved files and smash the CD." Iain Banks, authorComment
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I thought Taliban was against the Poppies?
JMJon Miller-
I AM.CANADIAN
GENERATION 35: The first time you see this, copy it into your sig on any forum and add 1 to the generation. Social experiment.Comment
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No. When they were in power they curbed opium production, possibly based on pragmatic concerns (if they reduce opium production then foreign governments are less likely to impose sanctions/fund insurgency). Since their fall, they have used revenue from opium production to fund their activities.12-17-10 Mohamed Bouazizi NEVER FORGET
Stadtluft Macht Frei
Killing it is the new killing it
Ultima Ratio RegumComment
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The afghan government is crap. In fact I don't beleive it actually exists. The closest thing to a central governement in the past decades has been the dreaded Taliban. And I actually beleive the proof of that is the practically abandonement of the poppy cultivation during their reign.
Nobody is making any progress in Afghanistan."post reported"Winston, on the barricades for freedom of speech
"I don't like laws all over the world. Doesn't mean I am going to do anything but post about it."Jon Miller
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I disagree with that last statement. We are making progress in Afghanistan. People's lives are becoming better. There is no broad war or chaos on a national scale. The Taliban isn't in power.
On the other hand, Afghanistan has always been the place where big armies go to die. So I think it makes sense not to send our big armies there.
You can define your mission any way you want in Afghanistan. If you want the mission to be a failure, just define the mission to have unrealistic goals.I came upon a barroom full of bad Salon pictures in which men with hats on the backs of their heads were wolfing food from a counter. It was the institution of the "free lunch" I had struck. You paid for a drink and got as much as you wanted to eat. For something less than a rupee a day a man can feed himself sumptuously in San Francisco, even though he be a bankrupt. Remember this if ever you are stranded in these parts. ~ Rudyard Kipling, 1891Comment
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*****.
(that's a five-letter synonym for cat, by the way)12-17-10 Mohamed Bouazizi NEVER FORGET
Stadtluft Macht Frei
Killing it is the new killing it
Ultima Ratio RegumComment
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Your first claim has some merit in it being pragmatic. Whether this has to do with sanctions is wild speculation.Originally posted by KrazyHorse
No. When they were in power they curbed opium production, possibly based on pragmatic concerns (if they reduce opium production then foreign governments are less likely to impose sanctions/fund insurgency). Since their fall, they have used revenue from opium production to fund their activities.
The current people in (very much de-centrilized) power benefit much more from the poppy-fields then the roaming Taliban do."post reported"Winston, on the barricades for freedom of speech
"I don't like laws all over the world. Doesn't mean I am going to do anything but post about it."Jon MillerComment
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To whom were you referring?Originally posted by KrazyHorse
*****.
(that's a five-letter synonym for cat, by the way)I came upon a barroom full of bad Salon pictures in which men with hats on the backs of their heads were wolfing food from a counter. It was the institution of the "free lunch" I had struck. You paid for a drink and got as much as you wanted to eat. For something less than a rupee a day a man can feed himself sumptuously in San Francisco, even though he be a bankrupt. Remember this if ever you are stranded in these parts. ~ Rudyard Kipling, 1891Comment
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You.12-17-10 Mohamed Bouazizi NEVER FORGET
Stadtluft Macht Frei
Killing it is the new killing it
Ultima Ratio RegumComment
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I think we should be careful in Afghanistan. Play to our strengths, when we can. Avoid big military blunders that could be used by the Taliban as evidence of our weakness.
Medusa was playing to our strengths, so I'm wondering why the Taliban left themselves exposed.I came upon a barroom full of bad Salon pictures in which men with hats on the backs of their heads were wolfing food from a counter. It was the institution of the "free lunch" I had struck. You paid for a drink and got as much as you wanted to eat. For something less than a rupee a day a man can feed himself sumptuously in San Francisco, even though he be a bankrupt. Remember this if ever you are stranded in these parts. ~ Rudyard Kipling, 1891Comment
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I already explained that to you.12-17-10 Mohamed Bouazizi NEVER FORGET
Stadtluft Macht Frei
Killing it is the new killing it
Ultima Ratio RegumComment
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For the first time in 4 years we put boots on the ground in large numbers in these areas. The Taliban had been allowed virtually free rein outside certain strategic points. They had gotten used to being able to stay in place.
So when confronted with ground troops their first reaction is to stand and fight for "their" territory. Which allows the firepower to come to bear. But none of it happens if the military sits in their enclosed fire bases and refuses to come out in large numbers to pressure the guerillas, which is what the Americans were doing for the longest time.12-17-10 Mohamed Bouazizi NEVER FORGET
Stadtluft Macht Frei
Killing it is the new killing it
Ultima Ratio RegumComment
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I'll have to think about that.I came upon a barroom full of bad Salon pictures in which men with hats on the backs of their heads were wolfing food from a counter. It was the institution of the "free lunch" I had struck. You paid for a drink and got as much as you wanted to eat. For something less than a rupee a day a man can feed himself sumptuously in San Francisco, even though he be a bankrupt. Remember this if ever you are stranded in these parts. ~ Rudyard Kipling, 1891Comment
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