Gotta love the esoteric philosophy at the New York Times. When nudged, they put up a story finally acknowledging what the rest of the world is reporting: the US drone strike that allegedly avenged our 13? It didn't pinpoint kill, from above, the targeted suicide bombers sitting on another cache waiting to attack...
It went off in a packed neighborhood in Kabul and killed children, despite what the US military told the press to report. Whole war's been like that...
And now, today? Still they are tone deaf, spinning last week's 13 troop deaths -- so needless on our way out! -- as "Biden's bad week" but something he can "overcome"... Jesus pray for the souls of these out of touch, nothings. Gail is clamming up now -- wants to go back to her "bad pet owners" meme and make it all about... early childhood education.
Enough Gail. And then, worse, she tosses it over to Mr. International with all the Answers: the Jewish-Mexican-American(?) international columnist who can tell you the price of everything, but not the value of 13 young men -- and women! -- who are done dying for dummies like him to advance their family wealth. Find another country to support that? We're done killing for profit here, Brett Stephens. Don't mistake Ms. Collinses weak pushback for the opposition of the American people.
Best cash in your chips, and go elsewhere if you're still selling Forever War here. We can't afford your blood prices, even if you're willing to pay that as the costs of doing business abroad in a diverse world with many dangers -- Jake Tapper is pushing GoFundMe sites to help pay the funeral costs of American troops; as if the US military won't take care of our own...
So sad at what we are presenting as the face of America today. They really have no clue what's being discussed in America in reality, do they?
In this tit-for-tat war, America has apparently responded to the deaths of our 13 by allegedly killing nine of theirs, including children. The young soldiers on the ground, the living and the dead, would not have wanted more young people killed in their names, I am sure of that. Especially while so many of them are still parked over there, waiting to be airlifted out themselves...
A summary of recent developments as Afghanistan enters the penultimate day of the 20-year presence of foreign troops in the country.
A US drone strike on a vehicle in a Kabul
neighbourhood has killed nine people, including, allegedly, a number of
children, according to local reports. This figure has not been
confirmed. US Central Command has said it is assessing the possibility
of civilian casualties. It reported the vehicle was carrying explosives
and suicide bombers who were set to target Kabul airport imminently.
That was capitulating to the desire for ... revenge. Optics, baby. Trying to pretend the US military still looks good, no matter the truth. That's play acting = political pundit soldiers, who don't have to smell bloody death, or clean up the scene...
The old men running this war -- and their heirs -- don't understand New America yet. We don't abide killing children period, there or here. Guns, and weapons and force, have taken enough of our young people's treasure, and youth.
If the oldsters in Washington, and in the military, think they will continue getting away with this -- with or without the media's complicity -- they can't see very far down the road at all. What are the Congresspeople thinking, do you think? Are they listening to their voters and constituents this Labor Day weekend? Do they smell the power shift in the air, the anger that the growing numbers of America's younger folk think of leadership?
(I'm not talking the comfortably ensconced -- those who, with parental help, have ... established themselves, and built safe and secure nests, financially and otherswise. They are the Heirs Apparent, expecting to inherit the boomer legacy, and continued accumulated finances. Things are changing though... and truth be told? They can be counted in with their parental generation -- the numbers of New America make their situations a minority, indeed.
ADDED: It doesn't help when your Press Sec. comes across as clueless either, in a trying-to-be-macho way. (very Hillary) It makes you seem out of touch. You should be ... exhausted, like the parents of the dead are. Not resting until everyone is out. Not play acting at being tough when you have no idea in the world what the word means...
@presssec, responding to a question on how the President intends to retaliate against the perpetrators of yesterday's Kabul attack: "I think he made clear yesterday that he does not want them to live on the earth anymore."
Tbat's not gonna win you any Catholic/Christian votes, Joe, and down the road, you are gonna need those. We're still culturally -- a big-part of it -- a Christian land. Don't forget that when counting up identity groups, black and white.
John McCain is dead. You're no John McCain, Joe. Stop this nonsense. I don't care who is feeding you what, but for God's sake listen to the MAJORITY of the quiet Americans, the women, the young, the struggling, the ones who don't like unconstrained, untargeted use of force for its own sake, that takes the lives of innocents. You see, too many of us today identify with the collateral damage, Joe, we have been hurt by the loud-talking bigs who throw their weight around, break things, and want others to clean up their messes. If we killed kids, intentionally or not, stumbling out the door...
Black and white, Joe. Don't forget who got you there... it wasn't the Mitt Romneys, reaching across the aisle, unless they were trying to pick your wallet...
And the wounded skies above say it's much much too late... maybe we should all be praying for time? Listen without Prejudice, George Michael
Mr. Grant was kinda a dick to Mar most of the time and she took it off him, because he was The Boss. I liked Murray myself. Neither man's "humor" would be permitted in the workplace today -- both would be "bullies"... Still Mr. Grant was more palatable to me than Captain Von Stuebing. Just... Murray was the ladies' best friend in that workplace.
“Lou Grant: What religion are you? Mary Richards: Mr. Grant, I don't quite know how to say this, but
you're not allowed to ask that when someone's applying for a job. It's
against the law. Lou Grant: Wanna call a cop? Mary Richards: No. Lou Grant: Good. Would you think I was violating your civil rights if I asked if you're married? Mary Richards: Presbyterian.”
—
Lou Grant,
The Mary Tyler Moore Show,
Season 1:
Love is All Around
“Lou: I haven't been this mad at anybody since…1944. Yeah…1944. That was the last time I let it all out. Mary: Did anything—much—happen? Lou: Huh? Oh. I captured a town in Germany.”
—
Lou Grant,
The Mary Tyler Moore Show,
Season 2:
The Six-and-a-Half-Year Itch
“If
you've noticed, I'm one of the few producers without a peptic ulcer.
One of the reasons for that is, I'm able to delegate blame.”
“If I don't like you, I'll fire you! If you don't like me, I'll fire you!”
—Lou Grant,
The Mary Tyler Moore Show,
Season 1:
Love is All Around
------------------------------
“Ted: [bragging] I even got cheered for cutting a ribbon at a supermarket! Murray: That's because they didn't think you could do it.”
—Ted Baxter,
The Mary Tyler Moore Show,
Season 1:
Anchorman Overboard
“Ted: [lamenting at the party that he isn't where he should be in life] I might as well face it. I'm a no-talent! Murray: Did somebody put truth serum in the punch?”
“Ted: I went to my reunion a couple of months ago. Famous Announcers School. Murray: That's a correspondence course. Where did they have the reunion, in a mailbox?”
—
Murray Slaughter,
The Mary Tyler Moore Show,
Season 2:
Didn't You Used to Be . . . Wait . . . Don't Tell Me
“Mary: [about Ted's gift to her] It's the thought that counts. Murray: I know, and he has cheap thoughts.”
Trivia Note for Locals: Mary's apartment building in the last two years of the series was at... Cedar Riverside. (Ir's mostly Somali Muslim living there today.)
"Be afraid of our leadership, or lack thereof. Pray every day for the
soldiers that are putting their lives at risk and doing what they love,
which is protecting all of us. I think they’re the only ones that we can
honestly say have our backs." ~Mark Schmitz, father of 20-year-old Marine Lance Cpl. Jared Schmitz, late of Missouri.
------------
Before being sent over to Afghanistan, Kareem Nikoui had been stationed at Camp Pendleton, near his family’s Southern California
home. Steve Nikoui recalled that his son regularly made trips home on
weekends, often bringing "10 or 15 other Marines" with him.
"My
wife and I felt very honored that [since] these other boys weren’t
around their homes, that we were able to provide some sort of family
life for them," said Nikoui, who added that his son "really loved that
[Marine Corps] family. He was devoted. He was going to make a career out
of this, and he wanted to go.
...
Nikoui went on to compare the area of the Kabul airport Kareem and his colleagues were patrolling to a "turkey shoot."
"Basically,
it’s funneled into like a single-file type [of] entry point at which,
you know, if you have any sort of chaos of any sort, they would all
gather to that one funneled area [in] which they would all be
susceptible, and I think that’s exactly what happened," he said. "It was
just basically so chaotic and not really planned out. Now, I’m a
carpenter and even I could spot that with my untrained military eye."
The White House said the next few days were likely to be the most dangerous
of the evacuation operation. The United States and allies have taken
about 113,500 people out of Afghanistan in the past two weeks, it said.
U.S. military and allied countries' flights carried fewer people on Saturday as Washington prepared to end its mission.
With
another attack against Kabul airport a near certainty, according to
U.S. officials, the State Department reiterated its warning to Americans
to immediately leave the area due to "a specific, credible threat",
including the South gate, new Ministry of Interior, and gate near
Panjshir petrol station.
The last British flight
evacuating civilians from Afghanistan left Kabul on Saturday. British
troops would take small numbers of Afghan citizens with them as they
leave this weekend, a defense ministry spokesperson said. Armed forces
chief Nick Carter said hundreds of people who had worked with Britain
would not make it through.
Fool me once, shame on me.
Fool me twice, heads in Washington will likely roll...
Let's pray the Baker's Dozen are the last servicemembers to die in Afghanistan attacks -- whatever it takes -- and the remainder of the young troops come home in one piece. One more life American troop death is likely to ignite civil war here at home... (You've been warned. You know it's coming, and still our troops are being sacrificed to "save" Afghani civilians. Those are some messed-up priorities for your men (and women), and they mostly know it. Baby-handling is not a military duty. It's a just a waste of life delaying the inevitable now... #20yearsin,BringThemHomeAlready #NotInMyName #BushCheneyObamaBidenLegacy
After 20 years of deadly destruction, the neo-cons in Washington have made their bank and are finally, finally getting out and leaving the Afghan people to pick themselves up from the foreign destruction after international funds have been cut, much of the brainpower and resources have been evacuated from the nation, and the "helping" is done.
Damn shame the boys didn't discover Jesus and Mary's helping power until the destruction was done, the lives lost, and the country further destroyed. You can't impose democracy by force, especially from foreign forces. It cost us a lot to learn that lesson -- some with dollars in their eyes still haven't learned -- but America has turned a corner on our use of our military for profit.
I don't suspect Washington sees it yet -- to the oldster empowered there it is business as usual -- but the youth of America have demographically ... changed. They won't accept 20 years of this, much less two.
If we have cheapened human life in these past decades here at home, and imported our notions abroad, nobody will stand for the destruction to the environment the military costs the world. We've got to find a more intelligent, more female, less destructive way of bringing about true change in the world than dropping bombs, sending in men with guns, and trying to buy our way abroad. (They take your our taxpayer money, but what did you we get in return, fellas? Not even a handful of magic beans...)*
Just so friends & foes alike understand me. I’m weaning myself off this site. I think it’s mostly bad for your brain and the country. But there are parts of it that are useful, entertaining & good. Still, if I had my druthers, I’d just tweet about my quadrupeds.
* The answer is why they hate Donald Trump so much; he's quite honest and transparent about it, at least... "Money, money, money... money!" Enjoy porking out, and remember not to bulk up too much. Harder on the body in the long run... Hth. So long boys, and thanks for all the fish!
Responsive Reading: Matthew 5:43-48 You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be children of your Father in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrigh-teous.For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers and sisters, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? All: Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
"We gonna love all our enemies 'til the mirror falls off the wall... We gonna rock em, we gonna roll em, we gonna teach em that Love will make em tall. That's cool! Cuz one day every day be Judgement Day... (we gonnna) Play in the Sunshine! Turn all the lights up to 10~! We gonna play in the sunshine... and do it all over again. (Drummer... do you thing! Drummer, drummer: do your thing! Let's get out of here.. yeah.) Play in the sunshine! Play, play, play (we're not afraid to...) Play in the sunshine! (we've got to...)" ~Prince.
And one more Prince song, for the boys...
Black day, stormy night. No love, no hope in sight. Don't die without knowing... the Cross. Ghettos to the left of us. Flowers to the right. There'll be bread for all of us, if we will just bear... the Cross. Sweet song of salvation, a precious mother sings, she knows the starvation: her children need all that... she brings. We all have our problems, some are big and some are small. Soon all of our problems will be taken by ... the Cross. Black day. Stormy night. No love, no hope in sight. Don't cry, He is coming... Don't die without knowing, the Cross...
Spotted Cow at McDonalds Drive-Thru's in Wisconsin?!?*
Some Wisconsinites got a bit excited Saturday, thinking a favorite local brewski was going to be available at MickeyD franchises across the state...
Spotted Cow at a McDonald’s drive-through in Wisconsin
MARSHFIELD, Wis. (AP) — Spotted in a car at a McDonald’s drive-through in Wisconsin: A cow — all of it.
Jessica
Nelson of Mosinee pulled into the drive-through at a McDonald’s in
Marshfield on Thursday and said she looked up to see a cow in the
backseat of a Buick sedan three cars ahead of her.
“I
thought it was fake at first. Who puts a cow in a Buick?” she told The
Associated Press on Friday. “Then its whole head moved.”
She quickly picked up her phone and shot video of the bovine.
“I just took the video of it because I was blown away there was a cow in the back of a Buick,” she said.
Nope, turns out an editor just dropped the colon in an AP story about a farmer who had purchased three calves and was bringing them home in the backseat. That would be something though, for folks who like the New Glarus microbrews, if they could be accessed as fast-food and nobody has to get out of the car at the gas stations and go into to buy a pack..
(They tell me they don't sell alcohol at gas-station convenience stations in other states? Odd.)
Luckily, Our Lives, and Careers, Aren't Sprints ...
Kenny Bednarek got edged out in a photo-finish in Paris today, tying with compatriot Fred Kerley at 19.79 in the 200m. Kenny is young, brings out better in others = dropping their times, and has a long career road -- many remixes! -- ahead of him. Resilience is a beautiful word. Sounds like silver snowdrops falling...
In a tight men's 200m in Paris, Americans Fred Kerley and Kenny Bednarek both timed 19.79.
Kerley
- the Olympic 100m silver medalist - got the win, lowering his
personal-best time by 0.11 ahead of 200m silver medalist Bednarek.
History made Became the first sprinter to ever run sub 20 in 9 wind-legal and 11 in any conditions races in 200m in a single season after my win in Lausanne Diamond league today. Consistency is key.
Here's my take on these poll numbers. Not many Trump supporters identify as "Republicans" to pollsters necessarily...
And the polls are just wrong about how many people want Out of Afghanistan. Yesterday's telepolling-callers either inflated the pro-war numbers for political purposes, I suspect, or the pollsters caught people on the phone willing to take a survey on a deadly day asking their thoughts about remaining in a fruitless 20-year-war. You'd likely expect those respondents to skew, "More War!", no? Remember, a lot of guys have built careers off of implanting the Forever War idea in America, to no avail. That mentality just doesn't take here in America for cultural reasons. I'd ignore the polls and the pollsters in these deadly days of reality. They're too safe when they get it wrong.
The segment of the Republican base that is ideologically committed to withdrawal from Afghanistan, rather than supporting the mission or situationally reacting to cues from the two parties' leadership, is 17%.
YouGov America@YouGovAmerica·
Following the Kabul airport attack, voters are split on whether the US is right to leave Afghanistan.
ALL VOTERS
Right - 47% / Wrong - 38%
DEMOCRATS
Right - 69% / Wrong - 16%
INDEPENDENTS
Right - 47% / Wrong - 33% REPUBLICANS
Right - 17% / Wrong - 72%
In a few days, they will release the names of the 13 dead "servicemembers" and the media will tell us more about them: if they had children of their own, were married, or simply left parents and siblings to mourn. I suspect... they were young but experienced soldiers. Hoping to put an end to the occupation and fulfill their service obligations, or fully in support of the mission.
In days to come, the local mediums -- the hometown papers and news stations -- will likely tell us more... "And when I die, and when I'm gone, there'll be one child born in this world to carry on... To carry on." ~Blood sweat and tears.
(give me my freedom for as long as I be, all I ask of living is to have no chains on me... all I ask of livin is to have no chains on me, and all I ask of dyin is to ... go naturally, only want to go naturally...) (..Look out children here he come -- dont wanna go by devil/dont wanna go by demon/don't wanna go by satan/dont wanna die uneasy... just let me go naturally...)
Aw. Very John-John the propaganda/propaghanda imagery...
Jackie would be proud. (This stuff still flies in DC?)
@beingrealmac
An Afghan boy saluting US troops at Kabul Airport.
---------------
Hopefully a baker's dozen of dead troops will sate them, and the remainder of U.S. troops will be protected themselves until the final evacuation liftoff of military on Aug. 31. Until then... Keep your images, and keep your children at home. #not,impressed #propaghandafail
Right, because so many died in other Capitol skirmishes on that day of deadly protest, we can't even count them...
-----------
I don't think this man need prosecuting, just ... basic gun training. If you want gun control, don't turn you head when you see irresponsible usage. This man should not have shot. He misjudged. Not necessary to charge him, but don't hold this up as exemplary*, and in retrospect, he should be made to acknowledge -- led to see in retrospect, like in watching training film, that he made the wrong call and killed an unarmed person who posed him NO threat. He had many other non-lethal ways of protecting himself and others that day. He did a poor job.
In retrospect. That's why he doesn't get charged. But poor training and insufficient instincts? Look to the other officers responding that day, who diffused a non-lethal situation without resorting to violence against the unarmed.
He got a pass from prosecuters and a softball interview with Lester Holt. And please don't tell me race was not a factor in how this was handled, and the follow up 1-6 investigation as well. Lt. Byrd spilled blood that day, and here we are now. Do we want more officers like this in America? Or not.
* Another view: He didn't save lives that day. He, and his gun, took one. Better gun training could have prevented that. The one blessing is: this officer won't need counseling for his actions that day. He believes he made the right call. That's why you don't prosecute. Retrain, reassign -- you can only hope he never feels threatened again -- but don't put him in jail for how he responded that day.
Doesn't mean you support his deadly action, or justify it beyond his own understanding though. Never should have fired into those people. #BetterTrainingBetterCops
Between the Milk Crate Challenge injuries and the IverCare poisonings from the heart dewormer turned over-the-counter CoVid cure, medical authorities are confirming we've got dumbbells of all races in our country. Jackasses in both parties, you might say...
The Old Gambler Didn't Just Fall Asleep at the End. He Died. You Guys Get That, Right?
*Every gambler knows...
That the secret to survivin'
is knowing what to throw away, knowing what to keep.
Because every hand's a winner, and every hand's a loser, and the best that you can hope for is to die in your sleep**...
You never count your money when you're sittin' at the table
there'll be time enough for countin', when the dealin's done.
And when he finished speakin', he turned back toward the window.
Crushed out his cigarette and faded off to sleep... and SomewhereIntheDarkness... the Gambler? He broke even, 'cause in his final words I found, an ace that I could keep...
-------------------
* On a warm summer's evenin', on a plane bound for nowhere, I met up with the gambler, we were both too tired to sleep... So we took turns a-starin', out the window at the darkness, 'til boredom overtook us, and he began to speak...
He said, "Son I've made a life, out of reading people's faces, knowing what the cards were by the way they held their eyes... So if you don't mind my sayin', I can see you're out of aces, for a taste of your whiskey, I'll give you some advice..."
So I handed him my bottle, and he drank down my last swallow. Then he bummed a cigarette, and asked me for a light, and the night got deathly quiet, and his face lost all expression, (he) said, "If you're gonna play the game, boy, you got to learn to play it right: You got know when to hold em. Know when to fold em. Know when to walk away. And know when to RUN..."
Who Will Be the Last American Soldier to Die in Afghanistan?
Canada ends its Afghanistan evacuation efforts
A
Canadian general has announced Thursday that his country has ended its
efforts to evacuate people out of Kabul after bringing about 3,700
people to safety.
“We stayed in Afghanistan for as long as we
could. We were amongst the last to cease evacuation operations. We wish
we could have stayed longer and rescued everyone who was so desperate to
leave,” Gen. Wayne Eyre, Canada’s acting chief of Defense Staff, was
quoted by the Associated Press as saying. “That we could not is truly
heartbreaking, but the circumstances on the ground rapidly deteriorated.
-----------
ADDED:
Germany completed its military evacuation from the Kabul airport on Thursday. Canada, Poland, and Belgium have also finished getting their citizens and allies out of Afghanistan.
Will four be enough for us to react wisely like the Beirut barrack attacks? ...
Or will the American public and the press pushing this glorious war against terrorism need more than four to convince them of the costs of continuing this folly any further? #PrayingWeEvacuateAllTroopsNowAndLetPrivateNegotiationsAndDiplomacy"Rescue"RemainingAmericansInAfghanistan
Early on a Sunday morning, October 23, 1983, two truck bombs struck buildings in Beirut, Lebanon, housing American and French service members of the Multinational Force in Lebanon (MNF), a military peacekeeping operation during the Lebanese Civil War. The attack killed 307 people: 241 U.S. and 58 French military personnel, six civilians, and two attackers.
The first suicide bomber detonated a truck bomb at the building serving as a barracks for the 1st Battalion 8th Marines (Battalion Landing Team – BLT 1/8) of the 2nd Marine Division, killing 220 Marines, 18 sailors and 3 soldiers, making this incident the deadliest single-day death toll for the United States Marine Corps since the Battle of Iwo Jima in World War II and the deadliest single-day death toll for the United States Armed Forces since the first day of the Tet Offensive in the Vietnam War.
Another 128 Americans were wounded in the blast; 13 later died of their
injuries, and they are counted among the number who died.
The attacks eventually led to the withdrawal of the international
peacekeeping force from Lebanon, where they had been stationed following
the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) withdrawal in the aftermath of Israel's 1982 invasion of Lebanon.
-----------------
ADDED: The death count of Marines and soldiers is reportedly up to 10 now. I hope the retired veterans will stop bleating already about what they/we "owe" their friends/allies/translators who allegedly saved their lives once upon a wartime, and start thinking of the current men and women deployed and what the military brotherhood owes them. (Hint? It's not the rescue of vacationing Americans or your Afghan war buddies... They owe it to themselves, and each other, to survive themselves and come home in one piece. How's that for a revised and do-able mission statement?)
R U serious, Nikki Haley? Impeach the president or ask for his resignation? Nope. Stick with your leader, Americans, even if you don't like him. He's ours right now.
Some PR advice?
For heaven's sake, clear the President's schedule of everything but Afghanistan from now until Aug. 31 at least. No meetings with Israeli leaders. No meeting with the cybersecurity tech CEO's. No telling us about the infrastructure bill or even CoVid plans. (Leave those up to the states, Joe...)
Right now, it should be all Afghanistan, all the time. The war hasn't ended yet until all the troops come home... #NeverForget
[Bridge: Freddie Mercury] Um ba ba be Um ba ba be De day da Ee day da- that's okay
[Chorus: David Bowie & Freddie Mercury] It's the terror of knowing what this world is about Watching some good friends screaming, "Let me out!" Pray tomorrow gets me higher Pressure on people, people on streets
[Verse 2: David Bowie & Freddie Mercury] Day day de mm hm Da da da ba ba Okay Chipping around, kick my brains around the floor These are the days it never rains but it pours Ee do ba be Ee da ba ba ba Um bo bo Be lap People on streets Ee da de da de People on streets Ee da de da de da de da
[Chorus: David Bowie & Freddie Mercury] It's the terror of knowing what this world is about Watching some good friends screaming, 'Let me out' Pray tomorrow gets me higher, high Pressure on people, people on streets
[Bridge: David Bowie & Freddie Mercury] Turned away from it all like a blind man Sat on a fence but it don't work Keep coming up with love but it's so slashed and torn Why, why, why? Love, love, love, love, love Insanity laughs under pressure we're breaking
[Verse 3: Freddie Mercury] Can't we give ourselves one more chance? Why can't we give love that one more chance? Why can't we give love, give love, give love, give love Give love, give love, give love, give love, give love?
[Outro: David Bowie] Because love's such an old-fashioned word And love dares you to care for The people on the (People on streets) edge of the night And love (People on streets) dares you to change our way of Caring about ourselves This is our last dance This is our last dance This is ourselves under pressure Under pressure Under pressure Pressure
There's not been a history of suicide bombing yet here at home in America...We're thinking like kind-hearted, but stupid, women if we continue to call for masses of unvetted refugees to be rushed in and settled here.
Amid the growing security fears, some European countries have already signaled they are wrapping up.
“It is no longer safe to fly in or out of Kabul,” Danish Defense Minister Trine Bramsen was quoted as saying by the AP.
Denmark's
last flight has already departed, and Poland and Belgium have also
announced the end of their evacuations. The Dutch government said it had
been told by the U.S. to leave Thursday.
France said it would completely end its evacuations from the Afghan capital Friday night. amid the growing security fears, some European countries have already signaled they are wrapping up.
“It is no longer safe to fly in or out of Kabul,” Danish Defense Minister Trine Bramsen was quoted as saying by the AP.
Denmark's
last flight has already departed, and Poland and Belgium have also
announced the end of their evacuations. The Dutch government said it had
been told by the U.S. to leave Thursday.
France said it would completely end its evacuations from the Afghan capital Friday night.
Though the Mountains May Fall, and the HIlls Turn to Dust, Yet the Love of the Lord Will Stand...
as a shelter for all who would call on His name, sing the praise and the glory of God!
Would the Lord ever leave you? Could the Lord forget His love?
Though a mother forsake her child, He will not abandon you!
Though the Mountains may fall and the Hills turn to dust, yet the Love of the Lord will Stand....as a shelter for all who would call on His name, sing the praise and the glory of God.
As He swore to your fathers When the flood destroyed the land He will never forsake you He will swear to you again...
Though the Mountains may fall and the Hills turn to dust, yet the Love of the Lord will Stand....
Now Is The Time For All Good Men To Come to The Aid Of Their Country...
So what say ye, men?
Do we stay now -- double down (I've lost count really) and stick around in other men's country, avenging our most recent war dead?
Do we... Make. Them. Pay? falling into the terrorist's trap of over-committing ourselves based on their leaner, less costly guerilla warfare that involves convincing young men to commit suicide in hopes of cleansing their country of (insert the religious word for occupiers here)?
I know how I vote.
Same way I have voted the past 20 years: For reason in using force, not in placing Force above reason. It was never reasonable to invade and attack Afghanistan just because a band of terrorist temporarily planned suicide attacks on our homeland from there.
In and out. Fighters understand the need to conserve resources. Judges understand the need for narrowly tailored justice. The media understand the need to play on the public's desire for... REvenge! (I always think Gene Hackman as Lex Luthor playing the disgruntled American urging on Zorro against Superman... Remember who kept a cool head and won?).
So it's up to us, America.
Do we stay, or do we go? I say, Get Out Now. Nay, Get Out YEsterday. Sorry for those silly Cali parents and their schoolkids now "trapped" with their Afghani grandparents and extended relatives, who chose to visit their former homeland this summer. No more American servicemembers should be sacrificed, in my view, to get them out... There's private money in California to negotiate to bring them home. THen, investigate how they got military visa to "visit" in the first place, if indeed they do make it out alive... (They're worth more alive than dead for propaganda purposes, the terrorists know...)
We've lost the Afghanistan war.
Some Americans are loathe to admit it, and start pulling our troops like we've lost, understanding who controls things over there now. (It ain't us.)
If you don't like the idea of America as a Global Loser, you should take care not to lock her into 20-year-fights that aren't fights even, but failed nation-building missions. Had enough America? Want to bring the remainder of the troops home with a bit of pride, instead of returning bits and pieces of their body parts to their parents?
Admit reality already. This mission is over today. Damn the Aug. 31 deadline now. Triage, and eliminate the targets... Bring The Troops Home Starting Today. Don't Pump Any More In. We've Been Bled to Death as a Country Already... For What??
Spotted Cow at a McDonald’s drive-through in Wisconsin
Kenny Bednarek's Saturday agenda...
