The talliwackers won. Not just in Afghanistan.

Compare how we lived 20 years and 1 day ago, the freedoms we had.

Then think how few of those are left, and how watered-down what remains are.

They "hated us for our freedoms". Well, those are gone.

And "we" did it to ourselves in a knee-jerk reaction that grew and magnified over time.

The dog up and died
He up and died
After twenty years he still grieves

Pundits are saying that "we should have quit while we were ahead."

In case anyone wants to look all the way back to almost the beginning.

"Taliban Agrees to Surrender Kandahar"
ABC News, December 6,2001; updated January 6, 2006.
https://abcnews.go.com/Inte...tory?id=80347&page=1

"The Taliban Peace Deal Might Have Been Had, Many Years and Thousands of Lives Ago"

quote There were three critical moments when the Taliban, out of weakness, were ready to cut a deal. But the United States, out of hubris, didn't want to hear about it.

Spencer Ackerman for the Daily Beast; February 29, 2020.
https://www.thedailybeast.c...ousands-of-lives-ago

"The war in Afghanistan has been lost for 2 decades"

quote The Taliban tried to surrender in December 2001. Donald Rumsfeld said "No."

Ryan Cooper for The Week; August 14, 2021.
https://theweek.com/politic...lost-for-two-decades

[This message has been edited by rinselberg (edited 09-11-2021).]

quote Originally posted by rinselberg: "The Taliban Peace Deal Might Have Been Had, Many Years and Thousands of Lives Ago" [QUOTE]There were three critical moments when the Taliban, out of weakness, were ready to cut a deal. But the United States, out of hubris, didn't want to hear about it.

https://www.thedailybeast.c...ousands-of-lives-ago

quote The Taliban tried to surrender in December 2001. Donald Rumsfeld said "No."

Germany tried to surrender multiple times. They're still an occupied nation. Did they think it would be like that or were we in Aghanistan so long because it's next to Iran and near Russia and China?

[This message has been edited by sourmash (edited 09-12-2021).]

How soon will JOE TALIBIDEN release this terrorist back into the wild?

[This message has been edited by randye (edited 09-12-2021).]

quote Originally posted by rinselberg: The dog up and died He up and died After twenty years he still grieves Pundits are saying that "we should have quit while we were ahead." In case anyone wants to look all the way back to almost the beginning. "Taliban Agrees to Surrender Kandahar" ABC News, December 6,2001; updated January 6, 2006. https://abcnews.go.com/Inte...tory?id=80347&page=1 "The Taliban Peace Deal Might Have Been Had, Many Years and Thousands of Lives Ago" [QUOTE]There were three critical moments when the Taliban, out of weakness, were ready to cut a deal. But the United States, out of hubris, didn't want to hear about it.

Yeah. Because I'm quite sure they were sincere about it. Right?

The only thing you can be sure of is that if an Arab is telling you something, it's only because that's what you want to hear. Status quo.