Tell me one thing...

[Asher]

The Taliban existed in 1979?

Not as the Taliban as it is today, but it is obviously connected.

The US funded and supplied the forces to repel the Soviets, and those same resources were later used by...

[Lonestar]

Help me out, I forget...how many aircraft have we lost to stinger missiles in Afghanistan?

[Asher]

Ohhh, I didn't realize you only sent the Air Force into Afghanistan. My bad.

[Wezil]

It's a question that can't be answered anyway. Only the government actually knows.

Planes are rarely shot down as you may have noticed. They almost always suffer "mechanical failure".

[Lonestar]

So what's your argument? That the Taliban are using ammo and weapons we provided them? Are you seriously making the argument that after 10+ of internal civil war the lions share of their arms is still stuff that we gave them?

[Asher]

So what's your argument? That the Taliban are using ammo and weapons we provided them? Are you seriously making the argument that after 10+ of internal civil war the lions share of their arms is still stuff that we gave them?

I'm saying overthrowing the USSR in Afghanistan put the religious whackjobs in place, with the US support.

Also look into the history of Al Qaeda.

[Wezil]

This thread is moving faster than I can YouTube.

[Lonestar]

I'm saying overthrowing the USSR in Afghanistan put the religious whackjobs in place, with the US support.

Also look into the history of Al Qaeda.

The guys we backed were folks like the semi-secular Ahmed Masood. The Taliban were backed by the Pakistanis and Saudis. The US exiting form Afghanistan meant only the most fundamentalist of the Muhj(the Taliban) were getting routine financial and material support(from Saudi Arabia and Pakistan). We didn't do **** about putting the Taliban in power, except in the sense we stood by and watched.

[Thorn]

You are American and a liberal, tell me one good thing that Reagan did.

Now out of office.

You are American and a conservative, tell me one good thing that Carter did.

Now out of office.

[SpencerH]

Instigated the funding of anti-Soviet fighters in Afghanistan.

He signed the presidential order that began funding but Carter was not the "instigator". Most likely that was Brzezinski or the cowboys in the CIA.

Even raised the baseline defense spending after the post-Vietnam malaise.

No he didnt. After he had cut $6bn during his first month in office, he maintained defense funding at the low post Vietnam levels (despite his desire to reduce it further). Defense spending didnt increase until RR's first budget which included an increase from $385 to $428 bn (FY09 dollars) (http://armscontrolcenter.org/policy/securityspending/articles/022609_fy10_topline_growth_since48/). Defense spending did increase slightly as a percent of GDP during the last two years of the Carter administration (during the first two years it was the lowest recorded since 1962 to present (http://colorado.mediamatters.org/static/images/item/incidental/fiscalchart.htm) but that was because the GDP was shrinking not because more money was appropriated.

Also at least gave a shot at rescuing the hostages in Iran, even if it turned into a cluster****.

Too little too late. He was a pathetic ditherer as a leader.

[Dr Strangelove]

Reagan starred in one insanely great music video.

http://www.youtube.com/embed/AFDNZ24eo8s