I’m an American and I’m sad.

[an anarchist]

We lost the war.
When I became an adult, I held anti war views and was against American troop presence abroad. I didn’t think we were the good guys.
American troops are victims of war, just as much as the Afghanis are.
Seeing all these Afghanis flee, seeing no women on the streets, seeing hundreds of people chasing that military airplane..... Seeing the Taliban in place of US. We lost the war, and it looks like it would’ve been better if we won. Perhaps we were the good guys.
There’s a lot of emotions. I’m sad. I’m ashamed my buddies went over there and I didn’t.
Americans (and allies), we lost the war. Are you saddened by it? I’m curious if there is a collective sadness in our countries, as we witness the trouble in Afghanistan. We all had a stake in the war.
Were we the good guys?

 

[Twilight Hue]

We lost the war.
When I became an adult, I held anti war views and was against American troop presence abroad. I didn’t think we were the good guys.
American troops are victims of war, just as much as the Afghanis are.
Seeing all these Afghanis flee, seeing no women on the streets, seeing hundreds of people chasing that military airplane..... Seeing the Taliban in place of US. We lost the war, and it looks like it would’ve been better if we won. Perhaps we were the good guys.
There’s a lot of emotions. I’m sad. I’m ashamed my buddies went over there and I didn’t.
Americans (and allies), we lost the war. Are you saddened by it? I’m curious if there is a collective sadness in our countries, as we witness the trouble in Afghanistan. We all had a stake in the war.
Were we the good guys?

No. We haven't lost the war. We won. Same as Vietnam. It's the political stupids in charge giving the green light for them to come out of hiding.

Any attacks on American soil since 9/11?


They know what will happen to them if they ever try that again.

 

[SigurdReginson]

it looks like it would’ve been better if we won. Perhaps we were the good guys.

Well, can you tell me how you would have seen this thing end? What, in your mind, should we have done instead? How has our presence there helped any of the people living there?

 

[Justanatheist]

Seeing all these Afghanis flee, seeing no women on the streets, seeing hundreds of people chasing that military airplane.

Isn't religion in action wonderful

 

[an anarchist]

Well, can you tell me how you would have seen this thing end? What, in your mind, should we have done instead? How has our presence there helped any of the people living there?

I always thought that they would be better off without us and that we should bring home all the troops. But seeing the Taliban take over and afghanis flocking to the airport like they are... I don’t live there, but from here idk American military occupation and an attempt of a democracy seems more preferable than living under the taliban. I know there’s a lot of moving parts. Idk what we should’ve done

 

[Twilight Hue]

Well, can you tell me how you would have seen this thing end? What, in your mind, should we have done instead? How has our presence there helped any of the people living there?

I know why England, wherever they invaded, pretty much established a commonwealth rather than giving it back.

 

[Saint Frankenstein]

We lost the war.
When I became an adult, I held anti war views and was against American troop presence abroad. I didn’t think we were the good guys.
American troops are victims of war, just as much as the Afghanis are.
Seeing all these Afghanis flee, seeing no women on the streets, seeing hundreds of people chasing that military airplane..... Seeing the Taliban in place of US. We lost the war, and it looks like it would’ve been better if we won. Perhaps we were the good guys.
There’s a lot of emotions. I’m sad. I’m ashamed my buddies went over there and I didn’t.
Americans (and allies), we lost the war. Are you saddened by it? I’m curious if there is a collective sadness in our countries, as we witness the trouble in Afghanistan. We all had a stake in the war.
Were we the good guys?

No. We had no right to be there in the first place and occupy a foreign land. People have the moral right to fight invaders and kick them out of their country. They do not want to live like us and we have no business trying to force it on them.

 

[SigurdReginson]

I always thought that they would be better off without us and that we should bring home all the troops. But seeing the Taliban take over and afghanis flocking to the airport like they are... I don’t live there, but from here idk American military occupation and an attempt of a democracy seems more preferable than living under the taliban. I know there’s a lot of moving parts. Idk what we should’ve done

So you think we brought democracy over there; that they were using some form of democracy we brought with us? What leads you to believe that?

 

[SigurdReginson]

I know why England, wherever they invaded, pretty much established a commonwealth rather than giving it back.

So you think we should have just taken over and ruled it. Why not? Let's just start conquering lands.

 

[Nakosis]

We lost the war.
When I became an adult, I held anti war views and was against American troop presence abroad. I didn’t think we were the good guys.
American troops are victims of war, just as much as the Afghanis are.
Seeing all these Afghanis flee, seeing no women on the streets, seeing hundreds of people chasing that military airplane..... Seeing the Taliban in place of US. We lost the war, and it looks like it would’ve been better if we won. Perhaps we were the good guys.
There’s a lot of emotions. I’m sad. I’m ashamed my buddies went over there and I didn’t.
Americans (and allies), we lost the war. Are you saddened by it? I’m curious if there is a collective sadness in our countries, as we witness the trouble in Afghanistan. We all had a stake in the war.
Were we the good guys?

Perhaps it was a war we couldn't win given our generally ideology of liberty and self governance.
Maybe Afghanistan wasn't ready for this.

Maybe the US should accept that it can't fix the world. It needs to fix itself first. By focusing on this, we can initiate the change necessary for the rest of the world to start changing.

 

[an anarchist]

What leads you to believe that?

The propaganda I suppose.

 

[SigurdReginson]

The propaganda I suppose.

Yah... Afghanistan was never about nation building.

 

[PureX]

No. We haven't lost the war. We won. Same as Vietnam. It's the political stupids in charge giving the green light for them to come out of hiding.

Any attacks on American soil since 9/11?


They know what will happen to them if they ever try that again.

I think it's very strange that you think they care. That people who fly planes into buildings and blow themselves up care about what the mighty American military does afterward.

As to 9/11, I suspect no more attacks at home has far more to do with internal security than it does with invading and occupying other countries. Especially since Iraq had nothing whatever to do with the 9/11 attack. Or with ANY terrorism in the U.S.

 

[pearl]

Americans (and allies), we lost the war. Are you saddened by it? I’m curious if there is a collective sadness in our countries, as we witness the trouble in Afghanistan. We all had a stake in the war.

As Americans we were shamefully indifferent to the war in Afghanistan. Unless one had a family member or friends deployed we payed little attention.
“This is really Saigon on steroids,” said the international human rights lawyer Kimberley Motley of Afghanistan on Aug. 16.

Such an ill-prepared, disorganized withdrawal is itself a microcosm of the wider conflict in Afghanistan: another war plagued by major intelligence gaps, competing objectives and shameless deception of the American public.

In a way, Mr. Blinken is correct: This is not Saigon. This is a reminder of what America still has left to learn.
Afghanistan, Vietnam and the American legacy of lies | America Magazine

 

[RestlessSoul]

I know why England, wherever they invaded, pretty much established a commonwealth rather than giving it back.

Those were different times, but the Empire is long gone, and good job too. One of it’s legacies was a 30 year conflict in Northern Ireland that lasted until the end of the last century.

Britain fought two Afghan wars in the 19th C, and neither turned out well. It seems we learn nothing from history.

During their long deployment in Helmand Province, scene of some of the fiercest fighting in the recent conflict, British soldiers were coming home in boxes every day at one point. Many others lost limbs to I.E.D.s
Hundreds of others are walking around now, traumatised by their experiences, their stories almost never heard (we do not respect our veterans the way America respects hers, and it was ever thus).

 

[Harel13]

I'm an Israeli and I would have been more surprised if the Americans had actually managed to make democracy stick there. Or any other eastern country that they tried to impose democracy upon it.

 

[Harel13]

I’m ashamed my buddies went over there and I didn’t.

I understand the guilt, but it was the government that made the decision to leave. One more guy risking his neck wouldn't have made a difference.

 

[Father Heathen]

The military can rack up a body count but it can't change culture.

 

[stvdv]

Maybe the US should accept that it can't fix the world. It needs to fix itself first. By focusing on this, we can initiate the change necessary for the rest of the world to start changing.

Fix ourselves first is always a good start. But in Holland we were very happy/grateful that Americans came to our rescue against Hitler

I don't know if the Afghan people wanted help from the US. Culture/Religion is too different I think
Personally I only help if they ask me. If someone does not want to be helped, I don't even try

 

[Kenny]

We lost the war.
When I became an adult, I held anti war views and was against American troop presence abroad. I didn’t think we were the good guys.
American troops are victims of war, just as much as the Afghanis are.
Seeing all these Afghanis flee, seeing no women on the streets, seeing hundreds of people chasing that military airplane..... Seeing the Taliban in place of US. We lost the war, and it looks like it would’ve been better if we won. Perhaps we were the good guys.
There’s a lot of emotions. I’m sad. I’m ashamed my buddies went over there and I didn’t.
Americans (and allies), we lost the war. Are you saddened by it? I’m curious if there is a collective sadness in our countries, as we witness the trouble in Afghanistan. We all had a stake in the war.
Were we the good guys?

https://twitter.com/dpatrikarakos/status/1427948894508441601?s=20

I am extremely saddened! And my news is starting to trickle in on the cleansing of those of the Christian faith.

I believe we were the good guys as girls were beginning to go back to school and a future was being formed.