Member Since: 28 Apr 2021
Location: Yarm
Posts: 92
Had a few trips to Kabul in 2002/3. I read The Great Game on one of them. Highly recommended, btw. This outcome was entirely predictable to anyone that has studied the region.
The British Empire did some pretty shiity stuff to people around the world...
Like many such comparisons, we mustn't lose sight of how shiity conditions were for many (most?) at the same time 'back in Blighty'.
Let's hope they don't get themselves in some sort of state where they can make huge amounts of money by selling minerals and rare earths to the Chinese (who either won't care about any moral aspects or will be happy that the US gets the rough end of any Taliban retribution); not only are these rare earths essential to the manufacture of high-explosives but to the creation of batteries for electric cars, etc., and of which many more will be required. Proselytism at the business end of an AK-47 or after watching family and friends being murdered or tortured is an equally medieval imposition (with the exception of gun instead of crossbow/sword). A US commander said about fifteen years ago that it would have been cheaper and easier to nuke them and pay compensation afterwards.
2015 Volvo V40
2014 D4 HSE
2006 RRS - C'est mort. Fin... ...It's alive! Oh no, it's not - scrapped.
2019 Suzuki Kingquad 400
2017 RamRod Taskmaster 1150
1977 John Deere 2130
9th Aug 2021 12:59 pm
RRSTDV8
Member Since: 07 Apr 2014
Location: Here
Posts: 13107
I agree Hugh, "back in the day" stuff was bad for most, and that is some excuse. But there really isn't an excuse for what has been done in Afghanistan in the last 20 years - we've moved on from the days when everyone other than a select few lived in squalor. We are supposed to be better.
Sadly, the lives of billions are held in the hands of a few thousand powerful men around the world. And those men don't suffer the consequences of their decisions.Visiting from rrsport.co.uk
2012 RRS SDV6
2008 RRS TDV8
"When you fire that first shot, no matter how right you feel, you have no idea who's going to die! You don't know who's children are going to scream and burn. How many hearts will be broken. How many lives shattered. How much blood will spill, until everybody does what they were always going to have to do from the very beginning: SIT DOWN AND TALK!"
9th Aug 2021 1:08 pm
mark the spark
Member Since: 22 Jun 2011
Location: southampton
Posts: 2477
i feel desperately sad for the families of the 457 who we lost out there . to loose your son/daughter in a conflict must he life shattering but you can console yourself that it was worth or for something.
To see that sacrifice just thrown away and to realise it was pointless must be the final insult.
The piece on the 10 oclock news the other night interviewing a mother who lost her son 10 years ago was tough to watch her pain so obvious i couldnt help but shed a tear ....... . MY05 SE D3 Manual my first LR what a car
MY10 HSE D4 auto
MY14 XXV more buttons than the spaceshuttle
9th Aug 2021 1:24 pm
kajtzu
Member Since: 11 Aug 2017
Location: Helsinki
Posts: 6575
Well, that escalated quickly. Everybody bugging out fast.
Interestingly there is very little traffic on FR24 above Afghanistan and most commercial flights seem to avoid it now. ADSBEX probably (?) doesn’t have any coverage there… and possibly FR24 is filtering since that’s what they seem to do best.
There are a few C-130s (CREEP57, CREEP58) over Pakistani airspace headed that way. Also a British Galaxy on the same heading, originated from Cyprus. A few tankers (SHELL26) out of Qatar, one is still visible above Pakistan but the other one (SHELL25) and it’s friend, a B-52 (GRIMM12) disappeared before they reached the coast….. hence my comment about FR24 filtering. Commercial traffic around their location is still visible. Past history also vanished.
2015 Volvo V40
2014 D4 HSE
2006 RRS - C'est mort. Fin... ...It's alive! Oh no, it's not - scrapped.
2019 Suzuki Kingquad 400
2017 RamRod Taskmaster 1150
1977 John Deere 2130
15th Aug 2021 8:44 pm
kajtzu
Member Since: 11 Aug 2017
Location: Helsinki
Posts: 6575
I recently read a book, How democracies lose small wars, https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/how-d...2E4A1AD28D. It was very enlightening to say the very least…. it was written before WoT really started so it doesn’t cover Iraq/Afghanistan.
Yesterday was the 11th anniversary of Jack Cummings losing his legs (his Bangaversary)
Quote:
Was it worth it, probably not. Did I lose my legs for nothing, looks like it. Did my mates die in vain. Yep. On my 11th Bangaversary it’s a very somber one. Many emotions going through my head, anger, betrayal sadness to name a few….
Member Since: 07 Apr 2014
Location: Here
Posts: 13107
One word: disgrace.
The west should hang its collective head in shame.Visiting from rrsport.co.uk
2012 RRS SDV6
2008 RRS TDV8
"When you fire that first shot, no matter how right you feel, you have no idea who's going to die! You don't know who's children are going to scream and burn. How many hearts will be broken. How many lives shattered. How much blood will spill, until everybody does what they were always going to have to do from the very beginning: SIT DOWN AND TALK!"
15th Aug 2021 9:01 pm
kajtzu
Member Since: 11 Aug 2017
Location: Helsinki
Posts: 6575
kajtzu wrote:
Indeed, it was a C-17, NAG44XT.
Didn’t stay long, it’s already back over the Gulf of Oman.
15th Aug 2021 9:56 pm
galwaygreen
Member Since: 30 Oct 2011
Location: plymouth
Posts: 6525
the presidents ok hes hopped off to another stan...says it all really
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need to get glasses
