Random Thoughts (Political Edition)

I am angry at the Afghans. We trained them supplied with guns. They didn't fight the Taliban they joined them.
If you want to be mad at someone, make it the power players who were/are using the country as a battleground for their personal projects: George W Bush and his hawks and Donald J Trump and his moronic minions on the American side, doubtlessly the Russians (for some revenge), India and Pakistan fighting a proxy war and a whole lot of extremely unsavoury people from the Persian Gulf region financing and supporting the Taliban directly. Take your pick, I’m sure my list is far too short.

The Afghan people are just caught in the middle of it and hardly know what’s hitting them on any given day.
 
I was listening to a whole bunch of interviews this afternoon, and a couple said the Taliban were mostly (by a pretty significant margin) "locally" funded through their taxes levied against Afganis, especially the poppy farmers.
 
I was listening to a whole bunch of interviews this afternoon, and a couple said the Taliban were mostly (by a pretty significant margin) "locally" funded through their taxes levied against Afganis, especially the poppy farmers.


That covers the last few years, but the Taliban ran to several countries to hide out after the US invasion. Pakistan being the main place.
 
I was listening to a whole bunch of interviews this afternoon, and a couple said the Taliban were mostly (by a pretty significant margin) "locally" funded through their taxes levied against Afganis, especially the poppy farmers.
Sure, I’m certain they take whatever money they can get their hands on. Funding from the Gulf was just one example.
 
That covers the last few years, but the Taliban ran to several countries to hide out after the US invasion. Pakistan being the main place.
Yes. I’m following a German journalist of Pakistani origin who used to be based in Islamabad and has travelled to and in Afghanistan several times (which is to say that he’s got a better idea of the place than I will ever have) and he’s saying the same thing.

Remember the so-called tribal areas of Pakistan on the border with Afghanistan? That’s where the border was drawn right through the settlement area of the Pashtuns by you-know-who (as usual). As a result, the border is rather porous and the Taliban, many of whom are Pashtuns, can cross it easily as long as they don’t annoy the government of Pakistan too much.
 
 
Here is the story behind that picture.


Meanwhile, the German transport last night managed to probably set a record in disgusting behavior, by flying out with SEVEN people aboard, because there were only 7 there who were „on the list“. Welcome to German values, bureaucracy must be obeyed. It’s beyond ridiculous, I could puke at the level of incompetence and inhumanity being displayed by nearly all our political leadership.
 
From the shocked Pikachu news desk:

(REUTERS) As murders surge, Democrats find a new message: Fund the police

Of special note is this passage:

Violence nationally has upended the dynamics in key mayoral races. Centrist Democrats campaigning on their support for police have won or emerged as favorites in party primary elections. In New York, former police officer Eric Adams captured the Democratic nomination for mayor in June, defeating more progressive candidates by vowing to hire more officers and support aggressive tactics.

I expect we have learned nothing from this, but at the very least it seems to be going towards a more reasonable direction.
 
What's the bet the CIA are already doing a destabilization program with the Taliban? I'd prefer an Aliens method of dealing with the problem, as it's the only way to be sure, after all.
 
"Dubai Is A Parody Of The 21st Century":


I was about to post this in "Cool Videos", but decided it was too political and serious for that. Still, good video. Which apparently can't be embedded.
 
I did see this. The burj khalifa wastewater being trucked out, the suburban wasteland, the Dubai World and The Palms sinking.

The only thing the the guy didn't factor in... is they get press. The biggest building, the suburb you can see from space, ect. In the end it got press and got money.

He also has done other videos like his rant about The Boring Company. True it's not a Hyperloop but it is an amazing sales pitch for Tesla.
 
The Boring Company is destined to fail in its main project, though.

I don't think a company or project only existing for getting money or attention and factually damaging the real world should exist.
 


Why jump into the middle of the chaos and add to the problem?
 


Why jump into the middle of the chaos and add to the problem?

To pander to their base, and help secure their re-election.
 
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