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brooklynite

(93,878 posts)
Fri Feb 25, 2022, 01:04 AM Feb 2022

When Afghanistan was about the fall, the message here was "too bad"

"if the Afghans didn't like the Taliban, they should fight them, not us", as I recall.

Today, with Ukraine at risk, I've heard:

1. WE should drop an EMP burst on them

2. WE should Set up a no-fly zone and challenge Russian air force jets.

And the latest:

3. WE should have Canada declare war on Russia to bring NATO in.

How times change.

27 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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When Afghanistan was about the fall, the message here was "too bad" (Original Post) brooklynite Feb 2022 OP
Not apples to apples but you know that, right? JanMichael Feb 2022 #1
Because the Afghan Army was unwilling to fight for their country and the Taliban was/is. /nt artemisia1 Feb 2022 #2
???? sheshe2 Feb 2022 #3
Exactly. I have not seen any here suggesting the US should confront Russia directly in a military JohnSJ Feb 2022 #4
Here former9thward Feb 2022 #7
"Mentioned" dpibel Feb 2022 #10
It is a typical "devil's advocate" OP, that some like to post, thinking they are above it all, and JohnSJ Feb 2022 #12
It isn't breaking the doors down though as the OP is suggesting though. THe vast majority of posts JohnSJ Feb 2022 #11
People claimed they had not see ANY posts of that type. former9thward Feb 2022 #22
"The message here" dpibel Feb 2022 #27
Your point has no merit in my opinion. calguy Feb 2022 #5
I have seen none of that posted on DU left-of-center2012 Feb 2022 #6
Are they the same people? dpibel Feb 2022 #8
Yep, if we'd only stayed another 20 years in Afghanistan gratuitous Feb 2022 #9
Ukraine / Afghanistan. By no possible connection. nt OAITW r.2.0 Feb 2022 #13
In Afghanistan's case, we are comparable to Russia (a foreign invader that took over their gov) ColinC Feb 2022 #14
There's always room for whataboutism ibegurpard Feb 2022 #15
I've also read here that we should murder cosmonauts by pushing them out of the ISS airlock rictofen Feb 2022 #16
Yes, because the Taliban are just exactly like the Democratic and free Government of Ukraine maxrandb Feb 2022 #17
We were in Afghanistan for 20 Years . JI7 Feb 2022 #18
yeah well DU is not a monolith eShirl Feb 2022 #19
Imagine that Hav Feb 2022 #20
Yes indeed. BlackSkimmer Feb 2022 #21
Ummmm Not even CLOSE to the same. Happy Hoosier Feb 2022 #23
The differences between the two situations could not be starker Tom Rinaldo Feb 2022 #24
Cherry-picking of extremist viewpoints to make some kind of point? FSogol Feb 2022 #25
I'd guess that given enough time, Torchlight Feb 2022 #26

artemisia1

(756 posts)
2. Because the Afghan Army was unwilling to fight for their country and the Taliban was/is. /nt
Fri Feb 25, 2022, 01:10 AM
Feb 2022

Both were internal. This is an EXTERNAL invasion. Apples and oranges.

JohnSJ

(91,965 posts)
4. Exactly. I have not seen any here suggesting the US should confront Russia directly in a military
Fri Feb 25, 2022, 01:13 AM
Feb 2022

engagement in Ukraine

dpibel

(2,803 posts)
10. "Mentioned"
Fri Feb 25, 2022, 01:44 AM
Feb 2022

OK. We could probably find a metric shit ton of things that have been "mentioned" in regards to Afghanistan and Ukraine.

Proving precisely what?

It's not exactly a sense-of-the-site position, now, is it?

JohnSJ

(91,965 posts)
12. It is a typical "devil's advocate" OP, that some like to post, thinking they are above it all, and
Fri Feb 25, 2022, 01:51 AM
Feb 2022

so intellectually superior than the rest of us peons

JohnSJ

(91,965 posts)
11. It isn't breaking the doors down though as the OP is suggesting though. THe vast majority of posts
Fri Feb 25, 2022, 01:46 AM
Feb 2022

are NOT pushing for direct military engagement of the Ukraine here

former9thward

(31,805 posts)
22. People claimed they had not see ANY posts of that type.
Fri Feb 25, 2022, 10:20 AM
Feb 2022

And they are frequent. Yes, they are not the majority but they are there.

dpibel

(2,803 posts)
27. "The message here"
Fri Feb 25, 2022, 01:31 PM
Feb 2022

That's what the OP says.

You're not, I trust, suggesting that "posts of that type" constitute "the message here."

Even you have to admit they are not the majority.

As others have pointed out, it's not terribly difficult to find a few posts stating extreme points of view.

Such is the nature of Internet discussion, isn't it?

dpibel

(2,803 posts)
8. Are they the same people?
Fri Feb 25, 2022, 01:41 AM
Feb 2022

So far, what you've got is, "Some people said this thing back then and some people say this other thing now."

If the (to your mind) contradictory statements don't come from the same people, then what is your point?

It appears that you are saying that the (to your mind) contradictory statements in each case represent the general point of view of DU.

Which would be a pretty bizarre thing to say, so I'm sure that's not what you're saying.

But I can't actually tell what you are saying other than, perhaps, "Hey! You people who said this thing about Afghanistan should duke it out with these people who say this about Ukraine."

I guess that could be fun to watch. For a certain type.

ColinC

(8,232 posts)
14. In Afghanistan's case, we are comparable to Russia (a foreign invader that took over their gov)
Fri Feb 25, 2022, 01:58 AM
Feb 2022

...with little to no justification. This isn't about supporting democracy as much as it is about respecting a sovereign state.

maxrandb

(15,192 posts)
17. Yes, because the Taliban are just exactly like the Democratic and free Government of Ukraine
Fri Feb 25, 2022, 07:29 AM
Feb 2022

Why are you here?

No, SERIOUSLY...why are you here?

JI7

(89,182 posts)
18. We were in Afghanistan for 20 Years .
Fri Feb 25, 2022, 07:34 AM
Feb 2022

And there were many that criticized Biden on Afghanistan.

Such a stupid ass thread meant to do nothing attack everyone here by picking random comments.

Also the situation in both countries are nothing alike.

Hav

(5,969 posts)
20. Imagine that
Fri Feb 25, 2022, 07:46 AM
Feb 2022

A ton of people have different takes on different subjects in completely different circumstances. What a revelation.

Happy Hoosier

(7,081 posts)
23. Ummmm Not even CLOSE to the same.
Fri Feb 25, 2022, 10:25 AM
Feb 2022

Many here, including myself were happy to help the Afghanis against the Taliban. The problem was that after 20 years, it was clear that those Afghanis opposing the Taliban were simply not numerous enough and not able to effectively organize against the Taliban. After 20 years, it was clear they could not or would not stand on their own.

That is not the case here. HERE we are talking about an external power launching an INVASION.

I'm giving Biden some room here. But so far the response as been..... LESS than I think is necessary. The current path has Ukraine either annexed by Russia or puppet state.

I have friends in Ukraine who are preparing right now to fight Russians and very possibly die. This is very, very real to me. And a big deal.

Tom Rinaldo

(22,911 posts)
24. The differences between the two situations could not be starker
Fri Feb 25, 2022, 11:30 AM
Feb 2022

The United States actively fought inside of Afghanistan for twenty years before finally pulling out the last of our troops. We had soldiers fighting there who weren't born yet when the first American troops started fighting there.

Personally I basically supported the American military mission in Afghanistan for at least 15 years before reluctantly conceding that at some point Afghanistanians had to defend their own nation, with armaments supplied by us.

I see few here on DU who think the U.S. should send our troops into Ukraine (or otherwise directly militarily confront Russia with our own or NATO forces.) To call that a minority viewpoint is a huge understatement. However I stand with those who feel that, at the least, we should make sure Ukraine gets the weapons they need to try to defend themselves.

Torchlight

(3,236 posts)
26. I'd guess that given enough time,
Fri Feb 25, 2022, 11:47 AM
Feb 2022

any particular argument will be made here at one point or another.

Whether or not those points are indicative of the collective sentiment as a greater whole or not seems the fly in your ointment-- and that's assuming the two scenarios you reference are equal in all relevant ways, which is not something I'd argue.

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