r/LateStageImperialism • u/TruthToPower77 • 18d ago
US imperialism in Afghanistan — How it started and how it's going.
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u/HixWithAnX 17d ago
I think we’re starting to get this “losing wars” thing down pretty good at this point
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u/Wtfisthatt 17d ago
Mannn, they skipped Episode 5: the Taliban Strikes Back! Hopefully they don’t fuck up the prequel too.
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u/redmoon714 17d ago
US Troops will be out of Afghanistan but US bombs won’t. Who’s taking bets on how long we will be bombing Afghanistan, 3, 5, 10, 20 more years?
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u/TheSnowglobeFromHell Worker 17d ago
MFW I waste 2 trillion dollars trying to establish a lasting puppet regime by occupying the urban centers of a largely rural country and then when I leave the corrupt and inept government I left in place is instantly overthrown by the decentralized tribal coalition I helped form and arm a few decades ago in order to fight the soviets because I'm a idiot:
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u/DIYdemon 17d ago
And I've just read from AP: those trillions were generated via debt instead of taxes. We and our children will be making interest payments for generations.
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u/alphenliebe 17d ago
tfw i have to fight the terrorist organization i funded to destroy the terrorist organization i funded to destroy the terrorist organization i funded to destroy the terrorist organization i funded to destroy the terrorist organization i funded to destroy the terrorist organization i funded
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u/Nick__________ Socialist 18d ago
Look at that back to where they started and all those lives lost and money wasted for nothing.
And also it needs to be properly understood that America created the Taliban in the 80s during the cold war with the USSR it's Americas fault they exist in the first place.
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u/TheSnowglobeFromHell Worker 17d ago
There were those leaks just a few years back revealing how even at the very start of the war in 2001 the top brass of the US military had no idea what they were even doing in Afghanistan, they had no strategy and no goals and no plans on how to actually achieve anything significant in there. And yet one drooling imbecile after the other in Washington went on to maintain the pointless occupation for another 2 decades.
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u/Nick__________ Socialist 17d ago
Yea I know it was crazy just how little attention the Afghanistan leaks got. when the Pentagon papers were leaked during Vietnam that was a major event that shifted public opinion against the war but some how they managed to completely sweep the Afghanistan papers completely under the rug. It barley even made a news cycle.
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u/Eisenblume 18d ago
What the fuck? Stop gloating about the Taliban winning, this is terrible and horribly sad
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u/Nick__________ Socialist 18d ago
I don't think that's the point the point is that nothing actually got accomplished despite America destroying Afghanistan all so they could gain more imperial power.
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u/YamaChampion 18d ago
No. There will never be progress in the region until the west leaves. This may not be ideal, but it is progress. With China's help and renewed infrastructure, the people living there will be able to advocate for change. We cannot force it on them with violence.
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u/DrippyWaffler 15d ago
This may not be ideal, but it is progress.
https://twitter.com/ahmermkhan/status/1427122053212098560
Something's progressing
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u/DrippyWaffler 17d ago
With China's "help" aka more imperialism, just from an eastern country this time.
The US should have established that infrastructure for free to compensate for their being there in the first place, but every time I state such an obvious fact I get downvoted.
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u/Teagachasytelaponen 17d ago
Imperialism is when countries do shit together and the more shit they do together, the more imperialism there is.
Vladimir Lenin, probably.
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u/YamaChampion 17d ago
Imperialism? How the fuck is the belt and road initiative imperialism? It's called a loan.
Oh wait you're an anticommunist moron. Your hero Vaush is a sexual predator, a liberal, and sides with fascists over class solidarity. Try reading for once in your life.
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u/DrippyWaffler 17d ago
To address your actual point, currently China is loaning out billions for infrastructure all across Africa and when the nations can't pay it back they swoop in and take the new port or airport or whatever their money just paid for. If that's not modern day imperialism I don't know what is.
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u/DrippyWaffler 17d ago edited 17d ago
A) I'm not anti-communist, I just recognise the obvious fact modern China and North Korea isn't communist and that triggers like half of the left.
B) Vaush can blow himself for all I care
Thanks for all the ad homs
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u/nickyLerson 17d ago
Bro I love China and the balance it's bringing to world politics, but the BRI is a way of China to get on everybody's good side while simultaneously gainging from it. They'll definitely use it as leverage later on.
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u/YamaChampion 17d ago
There's no precedence for that. Calling it imperialism is absurd.
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u/nickyLerson 17d ago
I kind of see it as a new Marshall Plan, though. I want to think they're doing it out of kindness but let's not kid ourselves, superpowers do not act out of kindness. They act out of interest.
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u/Naive_Drive 18d ago
Who's gloating? The US should have never gotten into Afghanistan in the first place. They had no chance of winning.
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u/dielawn87 18d ago
The essence of the taliban is most definitely not extremism, that is their vehicle. They are open to working with China to develop infrastructure and to combat extremism in China.
Afghanistan has been at war for half a century. More combat and violence is not how you defeat these groups. They never could have fought a 20 year long war against NATO without massive grassroot support. The people of Afghanistan reject not only the west involvement, but the pedophillic, drug cartel that calls itself a government.
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u/TheSnowglobeFromHell Worker 17d ago
but the pedophillic, drug cartel that calls itself a government.
Pashto warlords are mostly pedophiles too. They keep young boys (and by young I really mean pre-teen) as sex slaves for use both of themselves as well as their soldiers because they are too strict on their Sharia to allow female prostitution or concubinage. It's fucking disgusting as hell.
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u/AstroAce14 18d ago
yep, my grandparents hate the taliban but also know how corrupt the government is; everytime they watch the news on afghanistan they start crying, it's a horrid time for every afghan
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u/dielawn87 18d ago
It's literally a reflection of treating people like animals. Dating back to the Mujahideen. Puppets. I actually think Afghanistan is on the brink of something positive. There's still a lot of mercs on the ground but I think the BRI is going to radically change the country.
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u/AstroAce14 18d ago
that's true, there is some hope but the current situation looks bleak, until BRI fully comes about, it's probably gonna be a bad time over there
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u/dielawn87 18d ago
Ya the turmoil isn't over by any means, but at least there's a light. Afghanistan has done nothing but suffer for a long time. My heart is with the people there. It's probably why I have a more positive view towards China. Not even of their socialism, but just the multipolarity they are bringing to those who have known nothing but an imperial boot.
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u/anniesboobs20 18d ago
Sad that girls won't be allowed to go to school again.
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u/Acc4whenBan 18d ago
Sad that stopping women from having equal rights happened after Afghan Mujahideen started getting funded by the USA and Pakistan, attacking the progressive government of Karmal
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