# America ! WHY THE FUCK ARE YOU STILL IN AFGHANISTAN ? **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [March 8, 2012, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/america-why-the-fuck-are-you-still-in-afghanistan/615108 "2012-03-08T03:34:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2012, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/america-why-the-fuck-are-you-still-in-afghanistan/615108/21 "2012-03-08T23:03:36Z")
Minerals. Air bases. Oil pipelines. Strategery. ---
**Author:** ![R.P.McMurphy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/7993a0/32.png) [@R.P.McMurphy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/R.P.McMurphy)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2012, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/america-why-the-fuck-are-you-still-in-afghanistan/615108/22 "2012-03-08T23:26:07Z")
Basically I agree with **xtisme** and\*\* Der Trihs\*\*. This is a complicated situation and there are no easy answers. There are expedient answers but no easy answers. This situation was almost doomed to failure with the way the Bushies used Afghanistan and took their eye off the ball for the Iraq fiasco. Expediency say’s “get the hell out because nobody can win there.” On a more practical level there are areas of the country that are somewhat stable and huge progress has been made in education and health especially as it applies to women and girls. I think the policy is to hang in long enough, provide enough education and increase social awareness so that the country can begin to fix itself. That’s a high hope but there is always hope. The fear is that if we just leave the vacuum will make it easy for the Taliban to take over and the suppression and atrocities will begin again. Just be prepared for the humanitarian crisis if we suddenly leave. Don’t say, “why didn’t anybody do something.” Of course, it will get no press or public outcry until years later. Just look at Cambodia, Rwanda, Sudan and the Congo. (The Congo; 4 million killed and it was hardly a news event.) ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2012, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/america-why-the-fuck-are-you-still-in-afghanistan/615108/23 "2012-03-09T00:07:41Z")
My solution: offer asylum to any woman in Afghanistan who wants to get out. if the women can get to American bases, we will fly them out and our troops should go with them. ---
**Author:** ![R.P.McMurphy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/7993a0/32.png) [@R.P.McMurphy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/R.P.McMurphy)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2012, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/america-why-the-fuck-are-you-still-in-afghanistan/615108/24 "2012-03-09T01:24:10Z")
> [@Boyo\_Jim](#): > > My solution: offer asylum to any woman in Afghanistan who wants to get out. if the women can get to American bases, we will fly them out and our troops should go with them. Not a bad idea but I doubt that there is the logistical capability to get all of the women out of Afghanistan. Also, you have to consider that all of the goats are going to show up at the airbases dressed as women. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9fc348/32.png) [@The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Flying_Dutchman)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2012, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/america-why-the-fuck-are-you-still-in-afghanistan/615108/25 "2012-03-09T01:51:18Z")
> [@Boyo\_Jim](#): > > My solution: offer asylum to any woman in Afghanistan who wants to get out. if the women can get to American bases, we will fly them out … I thought of something similar. Followed up with having the Chinese finance the evacuation and provide the destination. God knows women are really appreciated there given the severe shortage. ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2012, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/america-why-the-fuck-are-you-still-in-afghanistan/615108/26 "2012-03-09T01:52:16Z")
> [@R.P.McMurphy](#): > > … all of the goats are going to show up at the airbases dressed as women. And possibly vice-versa. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2012, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/america-why-the-fuck-are-you-still-in-afghanistan/615108/27 "2012-03-09T01:56:36Z")
Very few of our troops are Aggies, they can tell the difference. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9fc348/32.png) [@The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Flying_Dutchman)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2012, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/america-why-the-fuck-are-you-still-in-afghanistan/615108/28 "2012-03-09T02:00:59Z")
> [@xtisme](#): > > Consider…if ‘our side’ is this bad, what was it like when the other side had supreme power in the country? We are talking lesser of two evils here, and I doubt anyone is pretending that ‘our side’ is all that great…but the other side is pretty freaking vile. And not just concerning women’s rights. At the moment you may be right > [@](#): > > You are reading more into the statement than is there. The US and the Afghan government is hoping to engage the Taliban in negotiations, not put Omar back into power and give the keys of the country back to the Taliban. Consider the result of a “successful” negotiation. Karzai remains head of state or whatever, while the Taliban’s desired policies are implemented. Really, all that is required for the two sides to gey along is to replace Omar (if he’s still alive) with Karzai. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2012, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/america-why-the-fuck-are-you-still-in-afghanistan/615108/29 "2012-03-09T03:55:57Z")
> [@R.P.McMurphy](#): > > Not a bad idea but I doubt that there is the logistical capability to get all of the women out of Afghanistan. … Maybe not. Many will be killed by their family for just walking out their front door without permission. Still, if we could do it and find a way to get word to all the women, it would be very interesting to see how many women would run for it. ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2012, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/america-why-the-fuck-are-you-still-in-afghanistan/615108/30 "2012-03-09T04:16:56Z")
> [@VinylTurnip](#): > > Warm smell of _Papaver_ rising up through the air? Junkies are as upset about the high price of heroin as most other are upset about the high price of gas. ---
**Author:** ![LavenderBlue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e95f7d/32.png) [@LavenderBlue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LavenderBlue)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2012, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/america-why-the-fuck-are-you-still-in-afghanistan/615108/31 "2012-03-09T04:59:29Z")
> [@Boyo\_Jim](#): > > Maybe not. Many will be killed by their family for just walking out their front door without permission. > > Still, if we could do it and find a way to get word to all the women, it would be very interesting to see how many women would run for it. I hope a lot of them leave. Men who can’t tell the difference between women and cattle should not be allowed to near any females including female livestock. Hmm. Maybe we could send Rush Limbaugh there? It sounds like his ideal place. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2012, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/america-why-the-fuck-are-you-still-in-afghanistan/615108/32 "2012-03-09T05:09:27Z")
> [@LavenderBlue](#): > > I hope a lot of them leave. Men who can’t tell the difference between women and cattle should not be allowed to near any females including female livestock. > > Hmm. Maybe we could send Rush Limbaugh there? It sounds like his ideal place. If their own men aren’t enough to make them flee the country, importing Rush would certainly do the trick. ---
**Author:** ![Cubsfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Cubsfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cubsfan)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2012, 6:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/america-why-the-fuck-are-you-still-in-afghanistan/615108/33 "2012-03-09T06:01:00Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > [Sharbat Gula](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Afghan_Girl) is in her [40s now](http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2002/04/afghan-girl/index-text) She is married with three daughters. I had a crush on her when I was in middle school. Not anymore… ---
**Author:** ![blindboyard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blindboyard/32/2833_2.png) [@blindboyard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blindboyard)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2012, 10:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/america-why-the-fuck-are-you-still-in-afghanistan/615108/34 "2012-03-09T10:04:06Z")
> [@R.P.McMurphy](#): > > Not a bad idea but I doubt that there is the logistical capability to get all of the women out of Afghanistan. Also, you have to consider that all of the goats are going to show up at the airbases dressed as women. Well, they’re bigging up their [air-lift capacity](http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2012/03/afghan-air-force-drugs/), which is being used by the drug lords. Might take a few trips, though. But a lot of women have already left. Before 9/11 75% of the refugees who had fled Afghanistan were women. Mostly because so many men had been killed in the war with the Soviets, then the civil wars. After all, the Taleban wouldn’t conscript women. ---
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2012, 11:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/america-why-the-fuck-are-you-still-in-afghanistan/615108/35 "2012-03-09T11:19:44Z")
The way I see it, we are fighting and dying to allow China to exploit Afghan mineral deposits. The Chinese are opening what might be the world’s largest copper mine in Afghanistan. All the labor is chinese-the license was aquired via a $30 million bribe to the minister of mines. The ironic thing-we are borrowing money from China to fund our misadventure. Just like Vietnam, ca. 1968-but with a worse ending. ---
**Author:** ![tagos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@tagos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tagos)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2012, 12:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/america-why-the-fuck-are-you-still-in-afghanistan/615108/36 "2012-03-09T12:00:46Z")
[Karzai sells women out](http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2012/03/08/karzai-under-fire-on-afghan-womens-rights/) > [@](#): > > President Hamid Karzai’s US-backed government is under fire this International Women’s Day, accused of selling out on Afghan women’s rights as it tries to woo the Taliban into peace talks. > > Lawmakers, rights organisations and analysts say that the Afghan leader, by endorsing an edict calling women second-class citizens, has endangered hard-won progress in women’s rights since the Taliban fell from power in 2001. > \ > > Last Friday, the Council, Afghanistan’s highest Islamic authority, issued a non-binding edict saying that women were worth less than men — a statement released by Karzai’s office and then endorsed by the president on Tuesday. > > “Men are fundamental and women are secondary,” it said, adding women should avoid “mingling with strange men in various social activities such as education, in bazaars, in offices and other aspects of life”. > > Such advice effectively implies that women should not go to university or to work at all, no matter that in the lower house of parliament, for example, 27 percent of seats are reserved for women. > > The edict went on to say that women would wear “full Islamic hijab”, should respect polygamy — Islam allows a man to take up to four wives — and comply with Sharia law on divorce, which severely restricts women’s rights. > > It further stated that “teasing, harassing and beating women” was prohibited “without a sharia-compliant reason” — leaving open the suggestion that in some circumstances, domestic abuse is appropriate. And this is ‘our guy’. While we’re still there. The moment we leave it’ll get steadily worse. For a war that’s lasted so very long we’ve got absolutely nothing to show from it. ---
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2012, 12:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/america-why-the-fuck-are-you-still-in-afghanistan/615108/37 "2012-03-09T12:18:43Z")
The Pentagon and the bloated US military needs wars to justify its existence-so look for more “Afghanistan Style” “wars” in the future-presently, we are scouting out places like: -Burma -East Africa Somalia -Central Africa -Yemen -Syria The great thing-these conflicts can go on indefinitely-assuring that the makers and sellers of uniforms, humvees, guns, bullets, coffins, can be assured of long and profitable bsiness.As for the human costs-hey, we have a lot of undereducated, unemployed young men-sign up! ---
**Author:** ![Cicero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cicero/32/3594_2.png) [@Cicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cicero)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2012, 12:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/america-why-the-fuck-are-you-still-in-afghanistan/615108/38 "2012-03-09T12:19:41Z")
> [@ralph124c](#): > > The way I see it, we are fighting and dying to allow China to exploit Afghan mineral deposits. > The Chinese are opening what might be the world’s largest copper mine in Afghanistan. All the labor is chinese-the license was aquired via a $30 million bribe to the minister of mines. > The ironic thing-we are borrowing money from China to fund our misadventure. > Just like Vietnam, ca. 1968-but with a worse ending. So, if the USA coalition pulled out, would the Chinese step in to protect their investment? That could be interesting. ---
**Author:** ![What\_the](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f4b2a3/32.png) [@What\_the](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_the)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2012, 12:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/america-why-the-fuck-are-you-still-in-afghanistan/615108/39 "2012-03-09T12:27:47Z")
Ask Obama. The US will never elect a total peace-nik. He sought credibility by blaming Bush for Iraq and claiming the he’d fight the good war in Afghanistan. Now he wants to be re-elected. Didn’t he say he’d rather be a good one-term President than get re-elected? He could have pulled us out by now if he wanted to. ---
**Author:** ![straight\_man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/straight_man/32/3027_2.png) [@straight\_man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/straight_man)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2012, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/america-why-the-fuck-are-you-still-in-afghanistan/615108/40 "2012-03-09T19:59:54Z")
> [@ralph124c](#): > > The Pentagon and the bloated US military needs wars to justify its existence-so look for more “Afghanistan Style” “wars” in the future-presently, we are scouting out places like: > -Burma > -East Africa > Somalia > -Central Africa > -Yemen > -Syria > The great thing-these conflicts can go on indefinitely-assuring that the makers and sellers of uniforms, humvees, guns, bullets, coffins, can be assured of long and profitable bsiness.As for the human costs-hey, we have a lot of undereducated, unemployed young men-sign up! Do you have the slightest bit of evidence that it was the military pushing involvement in Afghanistan or Iraq? I mean, any at all? While we’re at it, what evidence do you have for the military “scouting out” any of those locations? Burma has been improving drastically over the last year or two, with the general approval of the US; Somalia hasn’t been an attractive proposition since 1993; Central Africa is basically the same mess it has been for nearly two decades; Yemen was far worse a year ago than it is now, and its then-president was an ally in trouble; and military involvement in Syria simply will not happen unless the UNSC decides to pass a resolution against them. If you have information to the contrary, please do share it with us. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/america-why-the-fuck-are-you-still-in-afghanistan/615108.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/america-why-the-fuck-are-you-still-in-afghanistan/615108.md?page=3)