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The West is a Basket Case Maker

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  1. #31

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    Quote Originally Posted by GentleGeorge:
    Right but the point of the post was that the West first actively armed and aided the Mujahedeen in fighting the Russians in the eighties, and then bombed the country back to the stone age when we decided to switch sides in the noughties.

    By comparison, China sells some small arms to its closest geopolitical ally, who *possibly* sends some of those across its porous northwestern border.

    Not really in the same league of foreign interventionism, is it?
    Whataboutism.

  2. #32

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    Quote Originally Posted by hullexile:
    Whataboutism.
    In actual fact, this thread is about the West... it is your commentary on 'China does much worse' that is "whataboutism"
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  3. #33

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    Quote Originally Posted by GentleGeorge:
    In actual fact, this thread is about the West... it is your commentary on 'China does much worse' that is "whataboutism"
    To be fair you introduced Chinese policy in your first post. I repeat though I am generally in favour of the policy.

  4. #34

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    Quote Originally Posted by GentleGeorge:
    In actual fact, this thread is about the West... it is your commentary on 'China does much worse' that is "whataboutism"
    Perhaps you could read around the subject a little

    https://www.researchgate.net/publica...of_Afghanistan

  5. #35

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    Quote Originally Posted by GentleGeorge:
    Right but the point of the post was that the West first actively armed and aided the Mujahedeen in fighting the Russians in the eighties, and then bombed the country back to the stone age when we decided to switch sides in the noughties.

    By comparison, China sells some small arms to its closest geopolitical ally, who *possibly* sends some of those across its porous northwestern border.

    Not really in the same league of foreign interventionism, is it?
    As an aside, comment's like "bomb 'Afghanistan' back to the stone age" is more hyperbole from you.

    One of the central observations (and complaints) by pro govt Afghan forces and allies was that when it started the US bombing and artillery campaigns were a lot lower key than that of the Russians. And thus they began by being unimpressed by the US's 'show of force'.

    The air war/shelling was mostly targeted munitions rather than the carpet bombing of Vietnam or even what the Russians did. That's not to say there were no civilian deaths or even that there were less civilian deaths per Mujhadeen than under Russia (as those estimates are unknowable).

    Just that 'bombing back to stone age' is a gross over exaggeration.

  6. #36

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    If anyone was responsible for bringing Afghanistan back to the Stone Age it was the Taliban and then Al Qaeda

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  7. #37

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    Quote Originally Posted by FrancisX:
    If anyone was responsible for bringing Afghanistan back to the Stone Age it was the Taliban and then Al Qaeda
    And first bonus question for five... who was it that backed and funded them in their 'startup phase', and why?
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  8. #38

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    Yes, the West has a long history of basket making, including the 1940s, when they bombed the bejesus out of Germany and Japan, and later on completed the work with "Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall" and look where those poor countries are now.

    Afghanistan and other places were paradises on earth before intervention and will be so once again when interventions stop.

    Meanwhile China didn’t go into Korea or clash with Vietnam, and is definitely not extending its influence into muzzling free speech in Australia or the NBA.

    Once it takes over the world, the next near neighbours will only be in space and then it’s the aliens not us who have to worry.


  9. #39

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    Quote Originally Posted by GentleGeorge:
    And first bonus question for five... who was it that backed and funded them in their 'startup phase', and why?
    Please cite some references for funneling funds or weapons to the Taliban.

  10. #40

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    Quote Originally Posted by East_coast:
    Please cite some references for funneling funds or weapons to the Taliban.
    https://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/taliban-afghanistan

    https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Cyclone

    This is beginner stuff for any student of history
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