Trumps idea! Bidens decision. There is a difference mate. Although women are back doing the news on state TV in Afghanistan so lets hope that the seeds of change are happening. I doubt it long term but the threat of a drone bombing your ass off at any moment and the media being 24/7 with no hiding your actions might help.
Alternatively it could be the penny of democracy finally dropping with the faith. That would be fantastic but a clear long shot of a bet. Guns and bullets are never a long term solution.

I don't see the USA as a trusted ally anymore, so a realignment of the west is quite possible, especially over this security issue.

To me that is extremely serious but that swivel-eyed git never thought of anyone but himself, not his allies and not Afghanistan itself.

I don't even think we were consulted, maybe informed as a 'fait accompli'.

Surely that isn't realistic.

I get valid criticisms of the US...but without them we are lambs to the slaughter.

That's been the case since post WW2.

But it doesn't mean we have to nod along to everything....but it does mean that their fate is our fate.

'Who are you and how did you get in here? I'm a locksmith. And, I'm a locksmith.' (Leslie Nielsen)

And I'll respect and listen to it.

I'd say that the foreign policy that America has followed post WW2 has been mixed to poor.

When we look at the Chinese they use economic power much more than military (though that might be changing for certain areas).

The US and the west in general do as well of course but I think the US get drawn in much more and for far longer than actually is good for it...or us.

The words, 'military industrial complex' can be used here....the Chinese ensure that all institutions have to work for what the CCP think benefits them.

Maybe there is a lesson there for the US in terms of internal departments.

But I realise that I've just advocated for internal authoritarianism there.....then again, the US taxpayer deserves a state that isn't actually working against its general interests.

And they could sort out the federal reserve as well.....private bank that's been screwing the taxpayer for nearly a century.

'Who are you and how did you get in here? I'm a locksmith. And, I'm a locksmith.' (Leslie Nielsen)

There are chess move considerations ahead of this withdrawn decision and the incompetence of its handling.

Will this strengthen the will of domestic terrorists at home?....that's very likely....increasing the likelihood of attacks. Will Islamic activism increase around this world now that the Taliban have been seen as the victors who scared the US out of Kabul.

Will it embolden China and Russia? Will they now view Biden as weak and as unlikely to fight if they move strongly against their enemies?

Secondly all the countries that have yet to make a choice between China/Russia and the west as to investment and political favourism.....are they now more likely not to choose us?...Seeing China and Russia as more reliable.....Democracies have a reliability problem when things get tough.....That would of course increase the anti western block within the world.

Edited by Stirlingsays (17 Aug 2021 6.09pm)

'Who are you and how did you get in here? I'm a locksmith. And, I'm a locksmith.' (Leslie Nielsen)