[davidjay]

I really recommend taking the time to read this incisive and precise analysis of the situation in Afghanistan by Tony Blair.

If nothing else, it serves as a reminder of what a brilliant political strategist and thinker we lost when he stepped down as PM. I'd take Blair as PM today in an instant.

https://institute.global/tony-blair/ton ... 0maWWTi2MY

Yeahbutiraq. Because in the binary world of the internet it's not possible to get one thing right and another wrong.

[Tubby Isaacs]

Here's John again.

Hardly anybody says all the world should come to the UK. Lots of other places are taking more refugees. And wouldn't saying other countries should be improved be "virtue signalling"?

[Tubby Isaacs]

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/ ... toll-rises

Afghan civil war ‘unavoidable’ if Taliban refuse talks, says opposition leader
Ahmad Massoud issues warning as militant group seeks to assert control around Kabul airport

Is this guy in a position to make these demands of the Taliban?

[kreuzberger]

Not sure how that could/would even work. One would imagine that, should he go within a million miles of a face-to-face meeting with them, they rip him to bits.

Still, the Mujahideen have a decent track-record in these matters.

[Tubby Isaacs]

This chap is only 32 but doubtless heard a few of the old stories. I see he and I share an alma mater (City University), and that he went to Kings London before.

If I were him, I might be phoning up a few old friends in London instead of fighting the Taliban.

[kreuzberger]

Yup, he was interviewed at length on the World Service a couple of weeks ago. He was talking tough about the government forces' chances under his command in Lashkar Gah.

He has a steely likeability about him but you wouldn't bet against him being reduced to a cloud of pink mist before the end of the year.

[The Weeping Angel]

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/ ... toll-rises

Afghan civil war ‘unavoidable’ if Taliban refuse talks, says opposition leader
Ahmad Massoud issues warning as militant group seeks to assert control around Kabul airport

Is this guy in a position to make these demands of the Taliban?

He's the son of the famous Ahmad Shah Massoud known as the lion of panjshir.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ahmad_Shah_Massoud

[Youngian]

I really recommend taking the time to read this incisive and precise analysis of the situation in Afghanistan by Tony Blair.

If nothing else, it serves as a reminder of what a brilliant political strategist and thinker we lost when he stepped down as PM. I'd take Blair as PM today in an instant.

https://institute.global/tony-blair/ton ... 0maWWTi2MY

Like Corbyn, Blair has the same answer in his back pocket when it comes to foreign intervention regardless of the circumstances. The killing of Bin Laden and the bombing of Soleimani makes it clear that Uncle Sam will boot your arse if you threaten its security. But Blair's endless war on 'radical Islam' is full of contradictions. I don't know how removing Ba'athist dictators in Syria and Libya furthered this cause. Nasty people but if the Taliban have no stomach for antagonising the West and want to buy lots of British arms and infrastrutures they will become 'moderates' with 'shared values.' There is a case for the continuted garrisoning of Afghan cities but that's a call based in what can realistically be achieved. Blair shoots his scatter gun first and blames the fall out on not having enough bullets. Sub-Sahara Africa and Latin America are two parts of the world that are following Europe's model (peaceful regional union of nations based on law with soft borders), none of it was acheived at the point of a gun barrel.

[Abernathy]

I really don't agree with that assessment Ian. It must be the first and only time I've ever seen you use the phrase "Like Corbyn, Blair ..." .

Blair could not be more unlike Corbyn if he painted himself yellow and ran naked down Islington high street singing "Any Old Iron". Blair has a grasp of geo-politics that is considered, thoughtful, and practical. Corbyn is simply a twat.

[Malcolm Armsteen]

Like Abers I have a few issues with this.

Like Corbyn, Blair has the same answer in his back pocket when it comes to foreign intervention regardless of the circumstances.

How so? From reading this piece and watching his interview on Sky News I thought he was recting flexibly and with a lot of understanding. Unlike the Corbyn response which is, to be honest, completely unthinking prejudice.

The killing of Bin Laden and the bombing of Soleimani makes it clear that Uncle Sam will boot your arse if you threaten its security. But Blair's endless war on 'radical Islam' is full of contradictions. I don't know how removing Ba'athist dictators in Syria and Libya furthered this cause.

Two different things - you have said he only has one response, but that isn't the case.

Nasty people but if the Taliban have no stomach for antagonising the West and want to buy lots of British arms and infrastrutures they will become 'moderates' with 'shared values.'

Why would they buy from us when they have ample supplies, no questions asked, from China and Russia? That isn't going to happen.

There is a case for the continuted garrisoning of Afghan cities but that's a call based in what can realistically be achieved. Blair shoots his scatter gun first and blames the fall out on not having enough bullets.

I've no idea what that means, except that you don't like Blair.

Sub-Sahara Africa and Latin America are two parts of the world that are following Europe's model (peaceful regional union of nations based on law with soft borders), none of it was acheived at the point of a gun barrel.

First of all, gun barrels don't have points. Second I don't see how this is a relevant statement as the regions in question don't have the same underlying issues as Afghanistan, or Pakistan acting as a source of disruption and a base for insurrectionists.

[Andy McDandy]

Also, while there are islands of stability in central America and sub-Saharan Africa, there are plenty of absolute hellholes. For every Costa Rica, an El Salvador*, for every Zambia a Congo.

*TBH, what do you expect from a country whose name translates as "Jesus Christ!"?

[Malcolm Armsteen]

This is why we can't have nice things...

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfr ... 1-invasion

Supreme yebuttism.

[Tubby Isaacs]

Great line in there about studying Afghan history. Which doubtless means saying "Graveyard of Empire" lots of times.

[MisterMuncher]

I hate that expression. Fuck the Empires. "Afghanistan: Graveyard of your colonial fantasies because the people don't want a fucking bit of ye" is probably a bit too accurate (and credits brown people with actual sentience and their own agenda) for mainstream use.

[The Weeping Angel]

Great line in there about studying Afghan history. Which doubtless means saying "Graveyard of Empire" lots of times.

Yeah as these videos point out the graveyard of empires meme is not really true

[The All New KevS]

The shit appears to have well and truly hit the Twitter fan tonight with Pen Farthing (ex-Marine who set up an animal shelter in Kabul) running into problems about getting him, his Afghan staff, and the 200 cats and dogs in his care out of there.

The animals all have paperwork confirming they're all fit and healthy and no risk of any Old Yeller or Cujo type shenanigans, and our Prime Minister yesterday gave his word that they'd get out, so of course its collapsed. Looks like they've been left in the lurch.

People are raging on Twitter as you'd expect. However, and this may be me being overly cynical due to sleep deprivation (See posts passim), but there's this nagging doubt in my mind that wonders if some people would be so vociferous if you took the animals out of the equation, and he was just trying to get his Afghan staff out.

And I hate myself for thinking that.

[Abernathy]

However, and this may be me being overly cynical due to sleep deprivation (See posts passim), but there's this nagging doubt in my mind that wonders if some people would be so vociferous if you took the animals out of the equation, and he was just trying to get his Afghan staff out.

And I hate myself for thinking that.

You're not wrong, though. That is undoubtedly true. There are some very odd people (invariably female, I have to note) in the UK who get passionately vociferous and even militant where your dumb animals are concerned. I've always found it very, very strange.

[Watchman]

As per Geronimo the alpaca

[Malcolm Armsteen]

Benji the dog.

[Bones McCoy]

Also very small humans: Alfie's army.