Taliban reclaims Afghanistan

[Brooklyn]

While the Taliban re-takes its rightful place as the leadership in Afghanistan, young women declare their loyalty to the party by waiving its flag in college classes:



https://trc-leiden.nl/trc/images/AD7DA2 ... C71F8.jpeg


Afghan female students in Kabul, Saturday 11 September 2021, with Taliban flags. The women are wearing Saudi-style abaya and niqab, as propagated by the new Taliban rulers




Taliban now says these Arab garments (they come from Saudi Arabia) are now preferable to the old burqa:

https://trc-leiden.nl/trc/index.php/nl/ ... ing-global

[cradleandshoot]

So when President Reagan spent all that money to upgrade our military.. was that a mistake? We have a poster on this forum who has forever ripped on Reagan for all the money he spent. The money Reagan spent is chicken feed to the "investments" we are making now. Back in 1980 we could not get cleaning kits for our rifles from our armorer. All the requisitions were turned down. We went to the pawn shops off base and bought them ourselves. They had stacks and stacks of "surplus" cleaning kits. Funny how there is a "surplus" of these cleaning kits when our people could not get them through the normal supply channels. Go figure.

[Brooklyn]

Yeah, Reagan did such a "great" job that he caused the murder of our marine soldiers in the Beirut bombing attack and is still proclaimed a "hero". That's pathetic.

[jhu72]

... boy, Jeanne Shaheen, just ripped the entire republican Senate a new assh*le over their hypocrisy in regard to the Afghan withdraw issue.

[ardilla secreta]

Female refugees from Afghanistan are requesting to be re-settled in Texas as it’s most like home according to C.K. Dexter Haven.

[dislaxxic]

Loved Chris Murphy's time this morning...a bunch of GREAT points about how, after Trump initiated the drawdown and made agreements with the Taliban, that the process was set in motion in a way that - once the ASF and gubmint began to crumble - the only way to stem that was to re-insert thousands more forces into the country to alter that pre-ordained trajectory...

Let's subpoena Mike Pompeo into a seat in front of that committee and swear him in to hear what he has to say about this period of time...who knew what when...and what the thinking was going into (and coming out of) "talks" with the Taliban...that moron wouldn't come before Congress in a million years...

..

[cradleandshoot]

Loved Chris Murphy's time this morning...a bunch of GREAT points about how, after Trump initiated the drawdown and made agreements with the Taliban, that the process was set in motion in a way that - once the ASF and gubmint began to crumble - the only way to stem that was to re-insert thousands more forces into the country to alter that pre-ordained trajectory...

Let's subpoena Mike Pompeo into a seat in front of that committee and swear him in to hear what he has to say about this period of time...who knew what when...and what the thinking was going into (and coming out of) "talks" with the Taliban...that moron wouldn't come before Congress in a million years...

..

Joe Biden could have handled the withdrawal from Afghanistan any way he wanted. It is a load of hooey to want to blame Bidens eff up on anybody else. Biden has had no problems reversing every other trump era policy he didn't like. When the eff up turns into a chitshow you all want to blame trump. That dawg whon hunt son. Biden already said the buck stops with him. Is Biden lying to us? I guess Biden should have said the buck stops with trump.

[dislaxxic]

Biden wanted to leave, so there was NO WAY he was going to "reverse" that process, started by the Orange Cheeto. They extended the timeframe, DID actually to planning (the military and diplomatic bureaucracies did) and they got a bunch of it wrong, thanks to a crumbling ASF.

Go ahead, stick it all on Joe if it let's you sleep at night, Cranky.

Have you listened to ANY of today's Blinken hearing??

..

[old salt]

...that the process was set in motion in a way that - once the ASF and gubmint began to crumble - the only way to stem that was to re-insert thousands more forces into the country to alter that pre-ordained trajectory...

Not true. False choice. Spin.

[a fan]

So when President Reagan spent all that money to upgrade our military.. was that a mistake? We have a poster on this forum who has forever ripped on Reagan for all the money he spent.

No. I ripped on him for claiming he was shrinking the Federal government with one hand, while making the Federal government ~50% larger with the other, cutting checks as fast as he could. He used government spending to get us out of the recession and 70's malaise.

Which was the EXACT OPPOSITE of what he was selling. To this day, American Conservatives think Reagan shrank the Federal Government. He made Americans, and rural Americans in particular, more dependent on the Federal Government than any President before him.

I have never had a problem with his spending. I had a problem with his borrowing, and with his outright lies about making the Federal government smaller.

[Farfromgeneva]

Setting aside messaging he did need to inflate govt spending in conjunction with a Volcker jacking interest rates into the teens in order to break the stagflation situation we found ourselves in. It was arguable sound fiscal policy in conjunction with monetary policy at the time as opposed to the left pocket/right pocket behavior now.

(Feds funds which never got to 20% ever and that’s the rate the government controls-mortgages are not dictated by the federal reserve they are spread off of federal funds so please save me from hearing for the 100 millionth time about how people had 22% mortgages in 1983, in quite familiar with Continental Illinois, S&L crisis, changes in taxed code allowing REITs to form, Modified Endowment Contract laws so rich guys couldn’t stuff whole life policies as tax advantaged investing immediately, Drexel Burnham Lambert - friends w Carl DeRemers son, John Meriwether and the treasury fixing and just about everything macro related in the 1980s - it’s like when I talk about counterparty risk of large insurers and there’s always one knucklehead who has to bring up AIG in 2008 as if that’s the same as traditional, actuarial risk. Soapbox moment due to being on phone with a bunch of grey haired chief credit officers all day and 1/4 will feel the need to interject even though they get steamrolled and become a rubber stamp when times are good leading to problems and so have to prove to everyone they really are a filter of bad credit risk when they’re just as pro cyclical as Cathy woods investment strategy)

[cradleandshoot]

Biden wanted to leave, so there was NO WAY he was going to "reverse" that process, started by the Orange Cheeto. They extended the timeframe, DID actually to planning (the military and diplomatic bureaucracies did) and they got a bunch of it wrong, thanks to a crumbling ASF.

Go ahead, stick it all on Joe if it let's you sleep at night, Cranky.

Have you listened to ANY of today's Blinken hearing??

..

January 21, 2021 some guy named Biden took over the responsibility of being the commander in chief. You and your buds are doing your best to blame Joe's eff up on Trump. The responsibility as to HOW that withdrawal would happen was placed squarely in Joe's lap. Joe himself proclaimed that in Truman fashion. " The buck stops here" The words had hardly left his mouth when he started blaming his eff up on everybody else but himself. I did notice Mr Dis that Lloyd Austin chose not to testify. I thought that was a rather curious move on his part. I'm guessing he advised Biden or maybe Joe was just wingin it?

[cradleandshoot]

So when President Reagan spent all that money to upgrade our military.. was that a mistake? We have a poster on this forum who has forever ripped on Reagan for all the money he spent.

No. I ripped on him for claiming he was shrinking the Federal government with one hand, while making the Federal government ~50% larger with the other, cutting checks as fast as he could. He used government spending to get us out of the recession and 70's malaise.

Which was the EXACT OPPOSITE of what he was selling. To this day, American Conservatives think Reagan shrank the Federal Government. He made Americans, and rural Americans in particular, more dependent on the Federal Government than any President before him.

I have never had a problem with his spending. I had a problem with his borrowing, and with his outright lies about making the Federal government smaller.

To pass his increase in spending to the military he had to do the dance with Tip. You scratch my back and I'll scratch yours. The money we borrowed in the 80s is pocket change in comparison to what we have borrowed in just the last 10 years.

[runrussellrun]

Biden wanted to leave, so there was NO WAY he was going to "reverse" that process, started by the Orange Cheeto. They extended the timeframe, DID actually to planning (the military and diplomatic bureaucracies did) and they got a bunch of it wrong, thanks to a crumbling ASF.

Go ahead, stick it all on Joe if it let's you sleep at night, Cranky.

Have you listened to ANY of today's Blinken hearing??

..

So Trump shares the Nobel Peace prize, with Biden.

Since, he started it and all

[a fan]

To pass his increase in spending to the military he had to do the dance with Tip. You scratch my back and I'll scratch yours.

That's fine. That still doesn't excuse the borrowing. If he wanted bigger government, Reagan should have paid for it.

Instead, he cut taxes for the rich. Not ok.

The money we borrowed in the 80s is pocket change in comparison to what we have borrowed in just the last 10 years.

Yes! Which is why I laugh relentlessly at the idea the Republican party is conservative.

They're not. Not even close. Trump made the US Government bigger than ever...and he did it BEFORE Covid hit.

[cradleandshoot]

To pass his increase in spending to the military he had to do the dance with Tip. You scratch my back and I'll scratch yours.

That's fine. That still doesn't excuse the borrowing. If he wanted bigger government, Reagan should have paid for it.

Instead, he cut taxes for the rich. Not ok.

The money we borrowed in the 80s is pocket change in comparison to what we have borrowed in just the last 10 years.

Yes! Which is why I laugh relentlessly at the idea the Republican party is conservative.

They're not. Not even close. Trump made the US Government bigger than ever...and he did it BEFORE Covid hit.

No argument from me. I don't see how any self respecting republican could ever claim to be a fiscal conservative. That shipped sailed a long time ago and will never again return to its home port. I do understand why Reagan expanded government spending. I'm just dumb enough to believe it would have never gotten this far out of hand. FTR... Trump is not a republican, I don't know how he has pulled this charade off for so long. Maybe a lot of Republicans are just dumb enough to fall for it?

[a fan]

I do understand why Reagan expanded government spending.

So do I. My problem with him is that he lied his entire career out of telling Americans that not only was "government the problem"....but that he was shrinking its influence. He did no such thing. He used government to improve the lives of flyover America, in particular.

And this stupid sales pitch has ruined middle America, permanently. How do you govern a people who swears the government is bad, while at the same time, their entire way of life is held together, subsidized, and protected by the very government they claim to despise.

Don't like handouts? Great news. Stop taking them. Start with Federally protected home loans. 70%+ of originations last year were backed by Uncle Sam. Republicans should stop taking said loans, and use the free market.

You think the government does a bad job at everything? Great news----stop sending your kids to Government run schools like University of Virginia, University of Maryland etc., and pony up for privately owned Universities. I'd be delighted to stop send your kids my tax dollars.

FTR... Trump is not a republican, I don't know how he has pulled this charade off for so long. Maybe a lot of Republicans are just dumb enough to fall for it?

Take a look at the 1976 Republican Platform. It's a real eye opener. Reagan rejected this path----and the party has never been the same.

"The Platform is the Party's contract with the people." This is what it says on the cover of the official printing of the Democrat Platform. So it should be. The Democrats' Platform repeats the same thing on every page: more government, more spending, more inflation. Compare. This Republican Platform says exactly the opposite—less government, less spending, less inflation. In other words, we want you to retain more of your own money, money that represents the worth of your labors, to use as you see fit for the necessities and conveniences of life.

https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documen ... tform-1976

[cradleandshoot]

I do understand why Reagan expanded government spending.

So do I. My problem with him is that he lied his entire career out of telling Americans that not only was "government the problem"....but that he was shrinking its influence. He did no such thing. He used government to improve the lives of flyover America, in particular.

And this stupid sales pitch has ruined middle America, permanently. How do you govern a people who swears the government is bad, while at the same time, their entire way of life is held together, subsidized, and protected by the very government they claim to despise.

Don't like handouts? Great news. Stop taking them. Start with Federally protected home loans. 70%+ of originations last year were backed by Uncle Sam. Republicans should stop taking said loans, and use the free market.

You think the government does a bad job at everything? Great news----stop sending your kids to Government run schools like University of Virginia, University of Maryland etc., and pony up for privately owned Universities. I'd be delighted to stop send your kids my tax dollars.

FTR... Trump is not a republican, I don't know how he has pulled this charade off for so long. Maybe a lot of Republicans are just dumb enough to fall for it?

Take a look at the 1976 Republican Platform. It's a real eye opener. Reagan rejected this path----and the party has never been the same.

"The Platform is the Party's contract with the people." This is what it says on the cover of the official printing of the Democrat Platform. So it should be. The Democrats' Platform repeats the same thing on every page: more government, more spending, more inflation. Compare. This Republican Platform says exactly the opposite—less government, less spending, less inflation. In other words, we want you to retain more of your own money, money that represents the worth of your labors, to use as you see fit for the necessities and conveniences of life.

https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documen ... tform-1976

The only way I have ever found to retain more of my own money is to not spend more than I make. That money goes into my wifes and mine savings account and investments. That is an extension of what my parents taught me... to live within my means. I get to retire soon and as our financial guru has told us... we are good to go. That did not happen by accident, it happened because even when i struggled I always saved money and always had a plan.

[youthathletics]

Well done craddle.

[Farfromgeneva]

I do understand why Reagan expanded government spending.

So do I. My problem with him is that he lied his entire career out of telling Americans that not only was "government the problem"....but that he was shrinking its influence. He did no such thing. He used government to improve the lives of flyover America, in particular.

And this stupid sales pitch has ruined middle America, permanently. How do you govern a people who swears the government is bad, while at the same time, their entire way of life is held together, subsidized, and protected by the very government they claim to despise.

Don't like handouts? Great news. Stop taking them. Start with Federally protected home loans. 70%+ of originations last year were backed by Uncle Sam. Republicans should stop taking said loans, and use the free market.

You think the government does a bad job at everything? Great news----stop sending your kids to Government run schools like University of Virginia, University of Maryland etc., and pony up for privately owned Universities. I'd be delighted to stop send your kids my tax dollars.

FTR... Trump is not a republican, I don't know how he has pulled this charade off for so long. Maybe a lot of Republicans are just dumb enough to fall for it?

Take a look at the 1976 Republican Platform. It's a real eye opener. Reagan rejected this path----and the party has never been the same.

"The Platform is the Party's contract with the people." This is what it says on the cover of the official printing of the Democrat Platform. So it should be. The Democrats' Platform repeats the same thing on every page: more government, more spending, more inflation. Compare. This Republican Platform says exactly the opposite—less government, less spending, less inflation. In other words, we want you to retain more of your own money, money that represents the worth of your labors, to use as you see fit for the necessities and conveniences of life.

https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documen ... tform-1976

The only way I have ever found to retain more of my own money is to not spend more than I make. That money goes into my wifes and mine savings account and investments. That is an extension of what my parents taught me... to live within my means. I get to retire soon and as our financial guru has told us... we are good to go. That did not happen by accident, it happened because even when i struggled I always saved money and always had a plan.

I spent my 20s and first half of 30s thinking every day of it was a net positive or negative. Not to say inflow/outflow but did I either generate directly or indirectly some income and/or make some progress professionally. I ignored my personal care in the non-superficial ways and it caught up but I was pretty productive for like 15yrs after college. Probably a little anal but that kind of mindset does reinforce personal discipline.

(base and bonus jobs but bonus can multiples of base in this world once you get past associate level and why 27yr olds w MBAs are working 9-1am on weekdays and 5-8hrs/day on Sat/sun-at least through lunch to get that per diem on weekends add a dinner to order and take home to save money, I did the ridiculous work and took a boss who threw chairs and broke phone once a month but milked every perq I could which I’m sure was unseemly to some of my Ivy and superior reputation college educated peers and colleagues)