The POTUS decides to be a chicken, pulls out of Afghanistan

[Zardnaar]

Somebody estimated that total US spendings for this war was comparable to the cost of entire US navy.
And the same money distributed for Afghanistan people would give >70,000 USD per family. Didn't check the numbers myself.

Not sure would have to add it up.

It's a trillion dollars apparently over 20 years so 50 billion a year.

US carriers cost about 5-20 billion each. Operating costs though.

It's something like 15% of the US military budget annually. Pre Covid the US government got something like 3.6 trillion per year.

 

[Snowygerry]

Well, they do, but they still prefer to sell stuff, not to buy it for taxpayers money and give away

Army costs are probably a tricky thing to calculate - we're still paying pensions for the army we kept in Germany last century - so presumably are you...

At any rate it is best not to invade Afghanistan - that's always a bad idea

 

[Zardnaar]

Can't forget that time Disney openly thanked the publicity dept. of Xinjiang. Or when ESPN (owned by Disney) broadcast Chinese propaganda. Still, something tells me it's easier for people to do without Disney's products than cheap consumer products. Activism is so much easier when it requires minimal personal cost. See: NBA in China


While true, China did agree to respect "one country, two systems" and has since blatantly violated that agreement

Countries violate agreements all the time including USA.

@red_elk USA spent around 5 years Russian government income in Afghanistan.

 

[Samson]

Somebody estimated that total US spendings for this war was comparable to the cost of entire US navy.
And the same money distributed for Afghanistan people would give >70,000 USD per family. Didn't check the numbers myself.

I think that is an order of magnitude too low:

• Population of Afghanistan = 30,000,000
• Average family size = 8
• 70000 * (30000000/8) = 2.625 * 10^11
  
• Since 2001, the United States has spent $2.26 trillion in Afghanistan = 2.26 * 10^12

 

[Gelion]

@red_elk USA spent around 5 years Russian government income in Afghanistan.

I think at this point you are just pinching at Russia and back down every time you are asked to prove something.

 

[red_elk]

At any rate it is best not to invade Afghanistan - that's always a bad idea

We have a different concern now - Americans kicked a hornet's nest in our backyard and ran away...

I think that is an order of magnitude too low:

• Population of Afghanistan = 30,000,000
• Average family size = 8
• 70000 * (30000000/8) = 2.625 * 10^11
  
• Since 2001, the United States has spent $2.26 trillion in Afghanistan = 2.26 * 10^12

Ok, so it's more like house per family, not an SUV.

 

[João III]

Countries violate agreements all the time including USA.

Two wrongs don't make a right

 

[Samson]

We have a different concern now - Americans kicked a hornet's nest in our backyard and ran away...


Ok, so it's more like house per family, not an SUV.

I think that is understating it. From here, Price per Square Meter to Buy Apartment Outside of Centre Kabul = 33,563.00 AFN = 282.87 GBP. So only about 30 grand for a 100 m2 place. Also to put it in perspective, GDP Per Capita ($) = 2,065.00. So the US has spent 36 years worth of Afghan total GDP on this war.

 

[red_elk]

I think that is understating it. From here, Price per Square Meter to Buy Apartment Outside of Centre Kabul = 33,563.00 AFN = 282.87 GBP. So only about 30 grand for a 100 m2 place. Also to put it in perspective, GDP Per Capita ($) = 2,065.00. So the US has spent 36 years worth of Afghan total GDP on this war.

Yeah, I meant house in EU/UK/US prices. Afghanistan has different standards, I read they consider old Soviet-built 5-story apartment blocks pretty good, because they have sewer system and other "advanced" features.
Anyway, US instead of that could build... asteroid defense or something
While Russia could continue to send old T-55s and fuel to Northern Alliance.

 

[Zardnaar]

Yeah, I meant house in EU/UK/US prices. Afghanistan has different standards, I read they consider old Soviet-built 5-story apartment blocks pretty good, because they have sewer system and other "advanced" features.
Anyway, US instead of that could build... asteroid defense or something
While Russia could continue to send old T-55s and fuel to Northern Alliance.

Kabul's grown in size by a factor of 5 since Soviet days.

 

[Drakle]

Video of Taliban troops celebrating, by dancing with guns, to a Drake song. Kinda seems like they are going to be less radical sticklers for the rules. (maybe fake, but funny video anyway)

https://twitter.com/BloodsareCrips/status/1427401855508811781

 

[Gelion]

Video of Taliban troops celebrating, by dancing with guns, to a Drake song. Kinda seems like they are going to be less radical sticklers for the rules.

https://twitter.com/BloodsareCrips/status/1427401855508811781

They are moving faster than the audio....

 

[Samson]

The Taliban just gave their first press conference. The first question was taken from an English woman who works for Al Jazeera. They talked a lot about women's rights and how they pardon those who worked for the previous administration and want to work with them. I am not sure you can read much from that other than they have learnt to be more PR aware over the last 2 decades.

 

[Farm Boy]

Its closing pretty quick on all levels.

 

[Deadly Dog]

Don't even need Dune. Just don't.

It's crazy really they've seen off the British, USSR and the USA 3 superpowers of their day.

LOL first read your post thought you said "don't even read Dune.." glad I waited until I was less miffed to reply because, yes, obviously, if Frank Herbert figured out 55 years ago that harsh conditions breeds harsh resistance we really shouldn't need to learn those lessons from fiction, as he obviously didn't.

 

[TheMeInTeam]

The Taliban just gave their first press conference. The first question was taken from an English woman who works for Al Jazeera. They talked a lot about women's rights and how they pardon those who worked for the previous administration and want to work with them. I am not sure you can read much from that other than they have learnt to be more PR aware over the last 2 decades.

Terrorists are PR aware by definition. Though this is somewhat surprising even so. The world will likely cook or freeze over before the Taliban turns over a new leaf, but what they're saying implies a pragmatic dictator/ruler type approach, which is something I wasn't expecting to see. Actions will speak louder than words as usual, however.

 

[red_elk]

Reports about Dostum going to join the resistance in Pansher valley, with ~10,000 fighters.
He was one of chief military officers in pro-Soviet government and later commanded ethnic Uzbek fighters in Northern Alliance.
Let's see if they are able to organize Northern Alliance 2.0.

 

[r16]

yes , let's see whether he can conquer the fort from inside .

 

[civac]

Terrorists are PR aware by definition. Though this is somewhat surprising even so. The world will likely cook or freeze over before the Taliban turns over a new leaf, but what they're saying implies a pragmatic dictator/ruler type approach, which is something I wasn't expecting to see. Actions will speak louder than words as usual, however.

There is no reason to guess. The Taliban ruled Afghanistan for years.

 

[r16]

the radio just mentioned a Steinmayer or meier , who must be the German Foreign Minister , saying the scenes at the airport were shameful for the West . You know , they sent paratroopers on a plane there , to help secure the place . And evacuated 7 Germans . At a time when understandably excited crews think they loaded 800 and moved away at least 640 Afghans , shy of the C-17 record of 670 .