Preparedness Notes for Friday — December 27, 2019

On this day in 1979, in an attempt to stabilize the turbulent political situation in Afghanistan, the Soviet Union sent 75,000 troops to enforce the installation of Babrak Karmal as the new leader of the nation. The new government and the imposing Soviet presence, however, had little success in putting down anti-government rebels. Thus began nearly 10 years of an agonizing, destructive, and ultimately fruitless Soviet military intervention in Afghanistan. Death by a thousand cuts.

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22 Comments

  1. “The history of military conflict in Afghanistan [has] been one of initial success, followed by long years of floundering and ultimate failure. We’re not going to repeat that mistake.”
    — President George W. Bush April 17, 2002
    Source: The Afghanistan Papers

    The U.S. Military has not learned in 20 years that which Russia learned in 10. Yea but our blood money is better.

    1. Excellent research, Montana Guy.

      I knew the minute I heard about the occupation of Afghanistan in 2001 that we were being distracted from the twin towers. I also, being a student of history, had a guess about how the war would go. Little did I suspect that the US would still be there in 2019.

      A big reason the Soviet occupation was called off was the thousands of Russian mothers protesting in the streets against a totalitarian regime. Gutsy.

      Very little of that here. Americans have been bought off with comfort.

      Carry on

      1. Once a Marine, that a great example of how far we have fallen. Where are American Mothers?

        Americans have perpetual war yet where is the outcry? I gathered my thoughts in a chart that I believe explains why and reveals the evil driving today’s U.S. Military.

        Here is the link to ‘How Perpetual War Was Created’: https://i.imgur.com/A5ShXMi.png

          1. Once a Marine, I created it for posting on FreeZoxee. Get this. I got nothing but grief over it; told to go elsewhere; called ‘a Muslim lover’, threatened with censorship. Mercy OAM, how did professing Christians become so blood-thirsty? It is testimony to a fallen nation.

    2. In response to Russians in Afghanistan,we sent Osama Bin Laden with military advisors,tons of weapons(including surface to air missiles that never were accounted for,and have been used back here),and piles of cash with the stated goal of “vietnaming” them with insurgency. Our goal in 2001 was to overthrow the government,restart opium production(opium was eliminated before we invaded) and build the stalled TransAfghan pipeline(the Bush’s had hosted the Taliban leaders only months before to get cooperation but failed).
      We are not at war but in Occupation,no one has succeeded there since Alexander,be glad the Russians haven’t returned the favor or it would be 1000x more painful.

  2. For those of you with an Amazon Prime subscription, check out “9th Company”. It’s a Russian movie (with English subtitles) about a group of soldiers in Afghanistan.

    “The film is loosely based on a real-life battle that took place at Elevation 3234 in early 1988, during the last large-scale Soviet military operation (Magistral) in Afghanistan. ”

    https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/B07H5G7F8D

  3. England ultimately lost 3 prior wars there, and now it’s 4th loss is concluding.

    I love many of the Afghan friends I made there, but the cultural state is one we’ll never overcome now. We had an opportunity until about 2008, but now we won’t successfully do ‘a makeover’.

    Sad for the common Afghan and sad for all who dumped money and blood there including my dead comrades, friends, and medical missionaries I met who were later murdered.

    Instead of ‘ 9 Company’ the movie ‘The Man Who Would Be King’ is far more real and applicable today. It’s actually based on a real live American who worked there, but Sean Connery is a fascinating actor.

    A fascinating question is this: Do all the US generals and state department executives who proclaimed success during their tenures there have to give up their promotions and salary bonuses for documented failure and theft of hundreds of billions of dollars they supervised in giveaway programs?

    Stock your pantries and tool sheds. No one is coming to rescue us from idiocy and blind greed. The one big takeaway I’ll share with you is that in Afghanistan at least the tribal affiliations result in common defense forces united along civilian lines. While casualties do result, the groups survive.

    Nothing like that exists in this country. Lone wolves get killed. Lone families do too.

    MAGs are always referred to negatively by media, who most definitely will not survive except by affiliating themselves with government who in real life have already established executive orders for pillaging any weaker group of their supplies and means of defense.

    If you aren’t actively engaged in legal defensive ‘warfare’ against the slavery party now, you are in the lone wolf category.

        1. Yes, thank you.
          I’m tired of useless information and am always looking for tangible ways I can increase my own readiness. You mentioned a couple things…
          What are “MAGs”?
          How does one “actively engage in legal defensive warfare”?
          and lastly… a question I have asked here and other places innumerable times…
          short of cash to buy a place and invite others, do you have any suggestions on how to create a community? I consider myself a strong lone wolf, but recognize that I am still very weak compared to a mediocre community.

  4. We make the same stupid mistakes every other empire has made. Our presidents, our state department, our intel agencies, our military, and our congress and our political parties are abject failures at everything they attempt to do. I want term limits for politicians at all levels of government. I want term limits for our bureaucrats. I want term limits for our generals who don’t have quantifiable, independently certifiable, positive results.

    I want a planned exit strategy for every one of our wars. We still have boots on the ground in Japan, throughout Europe, and Asia. We have been in Korea since 1945 (we had boots on the ground in Korea before the Japanese surrendered in 1945). It’s time to leave. We got thrown out of Vietnam, thank God. It’s time to leave Afghanistan, Iraq, Yemen (yes we have boots on the ground there too), Syria, Libya (more boots on the ground), Somalia, all of Africa, Central and South America, and any place else we have boots on the ground that make us less safe. We have 800 to 1000 bases in 130 to 170 countries around the world. Lord only know what the real numbers are. I don’t believe the Pentagon has a clue where they have stationed our people.

    They spent $3 trillion on Afghanistan alone, knowing that it was an unwinnable war from the start. When do we try these folks for the TREASON they have committed. Start with Bush/Cheney, Obama/Biden, John Bolton, John Brennen, James Clapper, Donald Rumsfeld, and every chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Secretary of Defense, Secretary of State, CIA Director, NSA Director, Secretary of Homeland Security, the list is longer still.

    I give Trump/Pence a pass, for now, at least they tried to unwind this mess but have had no cooperation from their State Department or their Defense Department, who should also be tried for TREASON. They have had, except for a very few individuals, no cooperation from either political party in Congress.

    Enough for now, Rant over!

    1. Thank you Charles K. Your comments are sobering and saddening. Unfortunately, the folks of this country are content and happy, they have their devices, sports, TV, consumerism and shopping. Few realize the peril we are in, and many don’t give a damn as long as they have their iPhones and trinkets to amuse them. A great ship is adrift in a sea of icebergs, and the music plays on.

      TWB

      1. Please elaborate, maag. I’m curious what parts of the previous posts you see as complete nonsense.

        I enjoy your sense of humor with the *cough* meme.

        Carry on

      2. The only thing that is *cough* complete nonsense *cough* is your inability to recognize the truth of what I wrote. I find that most Vietnam Vets, such as myself, and many Vets from our later forays into the abyss of never-ending warfare, clearly recognize these truths. We have history on our side.

      3. Many folks enjoy this forum, Maag. Most of us are polite enough to offer our thoughts and maybe some honest criticism. Your post, however, seems to be a sarcastic comment with nothing to back it up. Do you have a point Maag? Please educate us.

    1. … it is as Eisenhower warned, “ beware of the Military Industrial Complex “ …

      His original words were the Military, Industrial, Congressional Complex. He was advised to leave out the word Congressional so as not to antagonize our Trotskyite Communist two-party system. Even Trotsky realized that a two-party system, but only a two-party system, had to be maintained to promote the illusion of choice. That is the system we have today in America.

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