Why I Flattened Three Afghan Villages
We did not want another Vietnam, but I think we got even worse.
Not a fan of the way the situation was handled, but at least noone seems to have been killed. Sounds like a no-win on either side, but the question now is what are the villagers going to do with neither homes nor farms.
Good story.
I think that he made the best choice possible in a very tough situation.
There were no civilian casualities and were helping to rebuild their homes AND the taliban have been driven out for the time being.
I see it as a win-win.
If you can win in Afghanistan at all...
Honestly, I don´t see any alternative there, unless the alternative is endangering your own soldiers, but still, by flattening whole villages, however justified it is, there won´t be friends made. Winning? Hardly. A little progress in a terrible war? Yes.
Yeah, I can not really see it as win/win. The Taliban just moved to another village and set up camp.
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WOW you get to hear what thay can releas. And you think he made the wrong choice. Now let me ask you this what wold you have done difrent?
When you can respond with somthing that works. Then he made a bad choice. Rember thay hade tryed for months with ground troops to clear the area befor thay flated it. And saying I don't know but thay could have found a way dose not count. Thats like saying the police are wrong for given you a ticket. Then you keap speeding they keap given you tickes with out taking away your lisen. Then when you cause a acident that kills some one. What could have thay done difrent?
Saying something is bad. Only works if you can say how to fix it!
Look again.
Did I miss something? I did not see anywhere in the article where they said the Taliban went to another village, but really, what would stop them?
Saying something is bad. Only works if you can say how to fix it!
I call BS. First of all, I am not disagreeing with their decision. It seems even the villagers grudgingly agreed with the call. Afterall, even if they managed to chase off all the Taliban and the villagers returned, it seemed highly likely the villagers would have stumbled upon one of the traps that had not been cleared.
I support our troops and do not envy their position. I was a soldier once myself.
I just can not see leveling an entire village as 'good'. The lesser of two evils, maybe. But I am not going to celebrate destroying a bunch of people's homes. From the article, it certainly did not seem like this village was aiding the Taliban. Hell, the Taliban kicked them out of their home. That village got totally shafted for no other reason than being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
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Look again.Did I miss something? I did not see anywhere in the article where they said the Taliban went to another village, but really, what would stop them?
not much but that is not really the point. They moved. They are no longer here. These people have if nothing else some breathing room. we are helping rebuild.
Except how much is really accomplished if the Taliban are simply terrorizing another village and still happily building their IEDs to kill U.S. servicemen?
Do not get me wrong, I am not saying pull out now. I just do not see this ending well no matter what we do.
Except how much is really accomplished if the Taliban are simply terrorizing another village and still happily building their IEDs to kill U.S. servicemen?
Do not get me wrong, I am not saying pull out now. I just do not see this ending well no matter what we do.
I agree with you CF.
The villagers were the real victims here on that I am sure we both agree.Nothing stops the talib from going to the next village except the knowledge that we will seek and destroy them there as well.
Our rebuilding efforts are improveing lives over there in drastic fashion, we are rebuilding roads and schools and unless I am mistaken( I fully realise I could be)the first thing the army is rebuilding is the mosque.
All in all despit how slow it's going we are winning the hearts and minds of the people.
No problem at all with the houses being rebuilt, my issue is the livelihood factor. The US Army(and other armed forces there) are not necessarily doing business with the native peoples per se, and there was mention made of the local pomegranate grove being destroyed as well- what is being done on this angle? Because they are going to need to support and feed themselves long after military forces leave.
No problem at all with the houses being rebuilt, my issue is the livelihood factor. The US Army(and other armed forces there) are not necessarily doing business with the native peoples per se, and there was mention made of the local pomegranate grove being destroyed as well- what is being done on this angle? Because they are going to need to support and feed themselves long after military forces leave.
Ah but thats where the guys I work for come in.
The Army Corp of Engineers will make sure that everything is ship shape before they leave.Yes the army itself will have moved on but the builders of the army won't leave unless they are in danger or the job is done.
That includes replanting, new water sources and new homes.
I'm only a civilian contractor working for the USACE but I am very impressed at the work these folks do and all the rebuilding efforts that they take charge of.
The village will be better of in the end than when it started, it may take a while but look at japan and other places where we have been.
Wow. What a s!+%storm. I seriously do not envy the US military's lower leadership.... well any of them actually.
Yeah... not to break up your little self-congratulatory party regarding how good a job your boys are doing in Afghanistan, but...
Those villagers, without a home, without crops? Surviving day to day in Afghanistan isn't easy. Luckily all those villagers can now stay in luxury hotels instead, and eat at fancy restaurants. Or, you know, they are dead.
I fully understand that you americans feel powerless to change things. That the things done in your name do not sit well with you. That does not mean excusing EVERY terrible thing done by your military is okay. "It was the best they could do in that TERRIBLE situation", "if the alternative is endangering your own soldiers, then any amount of violence is acceptable", "It's easy to judge if you're not in the situation yourself", "Before you criticize, you must do better yourself", I've heard it all and it's still b#!*&~~~. That someone high up says it's WAR doesn't mean you can cast away every notion of morality, civility and decency. If you need a precedent for this, consider that "I only obeyed orders" was specifically judged invalid at the Nuremberg trials.
If you are so terrified of endangering your soldiers, then GET OUT of there already. Your invasion hasn't managed to do anything much worthwhile so far. Your battle for "their hearts and minds" is failing miserably, digging your popularity further into rock bottom every day as more and more afghans rally to fight the invaders.
And saying you're leaving things "s#~&! and span" in their village, and comparing to Japan, well... Last I heard, the Japanese didn't exactly agree, but they do hold yearly memorial services of what you did there...
Yeah... not to break up your little self-congratulatory party regarding how good a job your boys are doing in Afghanistan, but...
With all due respect, you can't waltz in here and generalize like that without looking like an idiot. And may I add that your tone worsens the self portrait you've just sketched.
I'm an anti-war leftist, and there are others here like me. Also, I'm Canadian, not American... we weren't in Japan.
So how about in the future you respond specifically instead of generally.
And with all due respect, if I am looking like an idiot for plainly criticizing having a war in the first place, and not accepting apologetic arguments for murdering and destroying without any good reason anyone has been able to show, that says more about war apologetics than about me.
But Kruelaid, it's a good thing Canada was not in Japan. I guess the americans consider that that too was "a Terrible Situation Where There Were No Good Choices (tm)". And hey, the USACE left Japan much better off.
Seriously, war is a disgrace. War for some kind of profit, such as natural resources of Afghanistan, is monstrous. What makes Afghanistan truly terrible is that so many countries have been dragged into it that it sullies the entire West. Being swedish, we have soldiers there too... and they are kept there because our politicians trip over each other in trying to please their american masters. I can sympathise with the men and women down there, but only ever on a personal level. What they do, the lives they take and destroy, and the reasons for them being there, these things are inexcusable. The shadow of this falls squarely on those who excuse, promote and enable the war to continue.
And with all due respect, if I am looking like an idiot for plainly criticizing having a war in the first place, and not accepting apologetic arguments for murdering and destroying without any good reason anyone has been able to show, that says more about war apologetics than about me.
But Kruelaid, it's a good thing Canada was not in Japan. I guess the americans consider that that too was "a Terrible Situation Where There Were No Good Choices (tm)". And hey, the USACE left Japan much better off.
Seriously, war is a disgrace. War for some kind of profit, such as natural resources of Afghanistan, is monstrous. What makes Afghanistan truly terrible is that so many countries have been dragged into it that it sullies the entire West. Being swedish, we have soldiers there too... and they are kept there because our politicians trip over each other in trying to please their american masters. I can sympathise with the men and women down there, but only ever on a personal level. What they do, the lives they take and destroy, and the reasons for them being there, these things are inexcusable. The shadow of this falls squarely on those who excuse, promote and enable the war to continue.
You look like an idiot for barging in and braying generalizations about the posters on this thread. I have reread my post and I think it's pretty clear that I did not suggest that you apologize for "plainly" criticizing war (which you're hardly doing). I really don't care if you apologize. I suppose what I was implying is that you're not going to engage anyone by acting like that.
Anyway, we can now add "twisting people's words" onto your list of messageboard transgressions.
Please note that people here WILL have a reasonable conversation with you about war if you don't speak down to them and paint them all in the same brush.
Also, consider that you have no idea what people in here are or are not doing outside of this thread.
That said, you're welcome to continue making yourself like an idiot if you so choose. Let's forget that I asked you to stop generalizing (oh, wait! You already have!). Proceed, regrettable as it is that you make peace-lovers like like d@~@#eads.
Kruelaid: Running a war is only possible with some kind of support from the people of the country running the war. Without that support, you will eventually need to withdraw, or face political consequences.
Different people act on this situation in different ways. Some speak up when they hear about terrible things being done in their name. Some choose not to, for various reasons. Some downplay what had happened for a variety of reasons. Perhaps you are or have been in the military yourself; you know there is very little choice involved there. Perhaps you have loved ones on site and you do not want to put blame on them. Perhaps you are ideologically convinced that the war is necessary.
As I said, I can feel personal sympathies for the soldiers who are forced to do despicable things because they received orders to do them. I can understand those who only want their loved ones to come home safe and sound. You would still be wrong to excuse these things, but I understand why you do it.
However: If you make excuses for monstrous deeds out of ideology, patriotism or some other such reason, understand that your excuses directly help the government drive the war further, and you have no decent excuse for doing so. All the arguments above:
"I think that he made the best choice possible in a very tough situation."
"Saying something is bad. Only works if you can say how to fix it!"
"we are helping rebuild."
"All in all despit how slow it's going we are winning the hearts and minds of the people."
Are really only making excuses for a disgusting war that should never have been started. It may be that some have good excuses for saying these things, according to what I said above, but otherwise?
When we see something revolting happening, the only little bit of influence we ordinary people have is not letting the leaders of it get away with b+@$!%%@ excuses. If more people would use that influence, there would not be war at all.
Oh, and Kruelaid, please don't call me a d!##~ead. Instead ask yourself what kind of peace-lover you are who will not criticise what is done in Afghanistan because you're too afraid to hurt someone's feelings. Oh, and please read up on "apologetic" if you think what I meant was that you should apologize for anything. It's good to understand what people are saying BEFORE you criticize them and call them names.
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“We’re not there to terrorize the population,” he says. “The people talk about the Russians bombing their villages and say the Russians never did anything for us. They say, ‘That’s the difference between you and the Russians.”
Thats Smurf...The very reason Afghani women had the right to sit in parlaiment and have an education was because of the soviets. US financed warlords took all that away.
Do I think leveling the village was the best thing to do or the lesser of evils? I honestly do not know. I do think it was unfortunate.
Do you want to brand me a Nazi for supporting our troops? So be it. I see a big difference between what was done here and the concentration camps. I do not think 'following orders' is an excuse but I also think we need people willing to not hesitate before pulling the trigger.
The military is a killing machine and we should think very carefully before letting that dog off the leash. Sometimes, I really wonder if we should have ended the practice of CIA funded assassinations.
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Its all well and great saying this had to happen...but it didnt. The entire war was little more than a revengefest with no discernable forethought as to how to target the guilty.
I said this in a letter ten years ago to the Prez: Build a four metre high wall around Afghanistan. Build a city for the women and children only on a US controlled Base surrounded by a no-mans-land - so they can live without men (male children who break the rules will be dropped off with the other males in the Afghanistan Wilderness. Seed the entire nation of Afghanistan with Mimosa Pigra from the Air and progressivly adjust the ecosystem into a rainforest and heavy jungle over the next century.
Why this way? because It creates entire generations of free women who will never be governed by men.
Why Mimosa Pigra? Because it is the most agressive terraforming tree species (with thorns and tons of seeds) I know of. It will destroy the poppy fields, and slow the Terrorist population down. No one walks through a thorn twisted jungle.
CourtFool: It was not "unfortunate". It was a calculated decision to do it. "Unfortunate" would have been if the villages were flattened by a meteor, mudslide or such situation.
I do not brand people as nazis. However, you really should consider that there is a difference between on one hand supporting your troops through sending them letters, games and the like as well as petitioning the military leadership to make sure the troops have good protection and medical aid, and on the other hand making excuses for the things the troops are forced to do. Such excuses are not supporting them; most of the troops would most likely rather be home, and apologetism only prolongs their stay in Afghanistan.
I never claimed this was a concentration camp scenario. All errors are not concentration camp errors, and they don't need to be to be terrible.
And yes, the military is a killing machine. That is why it should NEVER be given the order to kill anyone for things like profit.
Its all well and great saying this had to happen...but it didnt. The entire war was little more than a revengefest with no discernable forethought as to how to target the guilty.
I said this in a letter ten years ago to the Prez: Build a four metre high wall around Afghanistan. Build a city for the women and children only on a US controlled Base surrounded by a no-mans-land - so they can live without men (male children who break the rules will be dropped off with the other males in the Afghanistan Wilderness. Seed the entire nation of Afghanistan with Mimosa Pigra from the Air and progressivly adjust the ecosystem into a rainforest and heavy jungle over the next century.
Why this way? because It creates entire generations of free women who will never be governed by men.
Why Mimosa Pigra? Because it is the most agressive terraforming tree species (with thorns and tons of seeds) I know of. It will destroy the poppy fields, and slow the Terrorist population down. No one walks through a thorn twisted jungle.
Hmm, September 11 wasn't even ten years ago, so this was quite prophetic on your part. But I can't believe he didn't go with your plan. It seems so feasible.
Such excuses are not supporting them; most of the troops would most likely rather be home, and apologetism only prolongs their stay in Afghanistan.
So what is the answer, Sissyl? An immediate withdraw?
RPG Superstar 2015 Top 16, RPG Superstar 2013 Top 16
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The followup article: Afghans <3 GIs Who Flattened Their Village. To be taken with a grain of salt, sure, but I'd guess it's more true than not.
As to the original: pure WIN. The Taliban had already made the village useless to the villagers by mining the bejeezus out of it. If somebody filled your house with booby traps, would you rather try to clear them all out only to find some later, the hard way? How about have your kids find them the hard way? Or wouldn't you prefer that somebody demolish your booby trapped house and build you a new one for free? Cause that's what the US Army is doing there. It sucks about the pomegranate grove, but frankly the villagers were going to have to eat that loss no matter what once the Taliban moved in and starting mining it, too.
As for the Taliban simply moving and setting up elsewhere, that would happen even if US ground forces went in and cleared each building by hand at great cost of life. At least by bombing the villages, we destroyed stockpiles of munitions and IED assembly materials that will take them time and money to replace.
And Sissyl, the argument that the US is in Afghanistan to beat them up and steal their resources is pure b**$#%%*. A rational person might make that argument about Iraq which at least has oil, but Afghanistan doesn't have anything that we need. We're there primarily to root out al Qaeda leadership and secondarily to shore up the new regime that is in power after the downfall of the Taliban, who were supporting the al Qaeda terrorists we went after in the first place. It is a retaliatory war for the Sept. 11, 2001 al Qaeda attacks on US soil and as such is exactly as justified as the US war against Japan in WW2. Your attitude about Afghanistan might be different if your facts were straight.
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Hmm, September 11 wasn't even ten years ago, so this was quite prophetic on your part. But I can't believe he didn't go with your plan. It seems so feasible.Its all well and great saying this had to happen...but it didnt. The entire war was little more than a revengefest with no discernable forethought as to how to target the guilty.
I said this in a letter ten years ago to the Prez: Build a four metre high wall around Afghanistan. Build a city for the women and children only on a US controlled Base surrounded by a no-mans-land - so they can live without men (male children who break the rules will be dropped off with the other males in the Afghanistan Wilderness. Seed the entire nation of Afghanistan with Mimosa Pigra from the Air and progressivly adjust the ecosystem into a rainforest and heavy jungle over the next century.
Why this way? because It creates entire generations of free women who will never be governed by men.
Why Mimosa Pigra? Because it is the most agressive terraforming tree species (with thorns and tons of seeds) I know of. It will destroy the poppy fields, and slow the Terrorist population down. No one walks through a thorn twisted jungle.
Better to turn the nation of Afghanistan into a prison...than get mired down in house to house fighting where the violence and carnage will become so blurred that you will no longer care who is an innocent and who is shooting at you.
Speaking of prisons, how did that work out for Australia?
Speaking of prisons, how did that work out for Australia?Americans kept moving there. Assumedly because their other ship was sinking.
Maybe I'm mistaken, but I thought it was the British that were colonizing South Wales via penal transportation in the late 1700's? I believe it became a federation at the turn of the 20th century long before the Americans had contributed.
However: If you make excuses for monstrous deeds out of ideology,
I don't. You won't find any, anywhere.
Oh, and Kruelaid, please don't call me a d!##~ead. Instead ask yourself what kind of peace-lover you are who will not criticise what is done in Afghanistan because you're too afraid to hurt someone's feelings. Oh, and please read up on "apologetic" if you think what I meant was that you should apologize for anything. It's good to understand what people are saying BEFORE you criticize them and call them names.
??? I didn't think you asked me to apologize. What gives? Please either read my posts or ignore me. One or the other. Agreed?
And what makes you think I don't criticize the war in Afghanistan? Urizen can vouch for the stuff he sees on my facebook page and can assure you that I don't hold back on my anti-establishment political views.
All I did here was observe that you did not engage the topic--instead you just generalized about everyone on the thread. To do so is to act like a d+$&~ead. All this will get you is fire. I've said it again and again, and this is the last time I'm going to say it. I wash myself of you. Peace.
And Sissyl, the argument that the US is in Afghanistan to beat them up and steal their resources is pure b!&~@!&~. A rational person might make that argument about Iraq which at least has oil, but Afghanistan doesn't have anything that we need. We're there primarily to root out al Qaeda leadership and secondarily to shore up the new regime that is in power after the downfall of the Taliban, who were supporting the al Qaeda terrorists we went after in the first place. It is a retaliatory war for the Sept. 11, 2001 al Qaeda attacks on US soil and as such is exactly as justified as the US war against Japan in WW2. Your attitude about Afghanistan might be different if your facts were straight.
It is a retaliatory war for the Sept. 11, 2001 al Qaeda attacks on US soil and as such is exactly as justified as the US war against Japan in WW2. Your attitude about Afghanistan might be different if your facts were straight.
See, and I thought 911 was a false flag operation. You know, they let it happen, facilitated it even, and popped some explosives in the WTC to really give a show. How silly of me.
Now WW2, that's different. We KNOW they allowed Pearl Harbor to happen, and a damn good deed that was: something was needed to convince Americans to unify and take up arms.
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Maybe I'm mistaken, but I thought it was the British that were colonizing South Wales via penal transportation in the late 1700's? I believe it became a federation at the turn of the 20th century long before the Americans had contributed.Speaking of prisons, how did that work out for Australia?Americans kept moving there. Assumedly because their other ship was sinking.
Just look around slowly. Are there people jumping overboard? Are they members of the Crew?
English, please?
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English, please?
Iiis...yoooor....Leeeving....Iiin....Ayyy....Fayllld....Stayyyt?
You want ugly? Black hole radiation expands backward and forward through time from point of origin. Every US citizen currently or previously in the State of Afghanistan is going to have to be left/deported there along with the people who sent them. They have all been exposed to black hole radiation and pose a security threat to the rest of the world should they return/remain in the United States.
This sounds like something discussed on an Art Bell program.
And Sissyl, the argument that the US is in Afghanistan to beat them up and steal their resources is pure b&@~&%~*. A rational person might make that argument about Iraq which at least has oil, but Afghanistan doesn't have anything that we need. We're there primarily to root out al Qaeda leadership and secondarily to shore up the new regime that is in power after the downfall of the Taliban, who were supporting the al Qaeda terrorists we went after in the first place. It is a retaliatory war for the Sept. 11, 2001 al Qaeda attacks on US soil and as such is exactly as justified as the US war against Japan in WW2. Your attitude about Afghanistan might be different if your facts were straight.
This is about the most uninformed drivel I have read about the whole issue. First off: Afghanistan has MASSIVE mineral wealth, more specifically lithium deposits that might be the largest in the world. The american military recently made this public, but this does not mean they learned about it recently. It is also not a strange thing: They have simply not exploited much of their natural resources. So saying that Afghanistan has nothing we need is pathetic. Google "afghan mineral wealth" if you want to see this from other sources. Second: There has never been any serious connection made between the talibans and al qaeda. The talibans were severely impopular in the west at the time of the invasion, but they were not al qaeda. Finally, 9/11 killed around 3000 people. How much has retaliation cost so far? How many thousands dead? How much money has been spent on the war per 9/11 victim? Given that Al-qaeda has clearly stated that their goal is to ruin the US financially, these wars seem to really have advanced their agenda. Sure is lucky that the american economy is still completely solid and strong, right?
Furthermore, Pearl Harbor was an attack by hostile military troops of an enemy country. The al Qaeda is a terrorist organization that may or may not have been supported by the Afghan government - I distrust official US information since the Iraq invasion. Do they still search for the hidden weapons of mass destruction there? Yes, the Afghan warlords and the Taliban are a murderous lot. So what? The US government has shown little compunction to ally with criminals of all stripes, as long as they were in a position of power and could further their ends. IIRC, they supported the Taliban as long as there was a USSR to fight against. Most of the time, they don´t give a damn about the human rights in other countries. Mind you, you have to play with the real politics of the day, and can´t be idealist all along. But I see a difference between talking with a murderous dictator and supporting him.
I do not question the bravery and the accomplishments (and the agony of the soldiers and their families) of the armed forces (US or otherwise) when involved in a war. But I do question the motives of the government behind that war. If there was a real concern about the situation of the local people, why are these engagments not visible in Africa? Or right in the US backyard on Haiti? I see a pattern there: If the US engages it full military force anywhere, there are considerable economic interests in that area connected to the engagment. With Iran being out as an ally, you need an alternative route towards the considerable inner asian natural ressources - Pakistan and Afghanistan could just provide such a route.
Stefan
Furthermore...
+1
And Sissyl....This is about the most uninformed drivel I have read about the whole issue.
I've heard worse. But hey, I still love Charlie.
First off... Finally, 9/11 killed around 3000 people. How much has retaliation cost so far? How many thousands dead? How much money has been spent on the war per 9/11 victim? Given that Al-qaeda has clearly stated that their goal is to ruin the US financially, these wars seem to really have advanced their agenda. Sure is lucky that the american economy is still completely solid and strong, right?
Good thing they caught Osama. Oh wait....
This sounds like something discussed on an Art Bell program.
Well come on, everybody knows about the UFOs and black hole radiation in Afghanistan, am I right?
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RPG Superstar 2015 Top 16, RPG Superstar 2013 Top 16
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This is about the most uninformed drivel I have read about the whole issue. First off: Afghanistan has MASSIVE mineral wealth, more specifically lithium deposits that might be the largest in the world. The american military recently made this public, but this does not mean they learned about it recently. It is also not a strange thing: They have simply not exploited much of their natural resources. So saying that Afghanistan has nothing we need is pathetic. Google "afghan mineral wealth" if you want to see this from other sources. Second: There has never been any serious connection made between the talibans and al qaeda. The talibans were severely impopular in the west at the time of the invasion, but they were not al qaeda. Finally, 9/11 killed around 3000 people. How much has retaliation cost so far? How many thousands dead? How much money has been spent on the war per 9/11 victim? Given that Al-qaeda has clearly stated that their goal is to ruin the US financially, these wars seem to really have advanced their agenda. Sure is lucky that the american economy is still completely solid and strong, right?
Post a link where American companies are hauling lithium out of Afghanistan without paying for it. The article that you're going to find is from the NY Times, and describes international companies BUYING Afghan mineral rights, particularly Chinese companies. It would be pretty silly of us to invade a country for its mineral resources then hand them over to the Chinese. Conclusion: we're not there for the resources.
As to your second claim, this article from 2001 contains quotes from the Taliban ambassador where he specifically refuses to hand over Osama Bin Laden or al Qaeda leadership to the US. Had they simply rounded up al Qaeda and handed them over to us, no war would have been necessary. Unfortunately for everyone involved, the Taliban chose otherwise. As for al Qaeda ruining the US financially, last time I checked, I still own 2 houses, 3 cars, 6 TVs, and 5 computers while they are squatting in caves and eating stale rice.
It is a retaliatory war for the Sept. 11, 2001 al Qaeda attacks on US soil and as such is exactly as justified as the US war against Japan in WW2. Your attitude about Afghanistan might be different if your facts were straight.See, and I thought 911 was a false flag operation. You know, they let it happen, facilitated it even, and popped some explosives in the WTC to really give a show. How silly of me.
Now WW2, that's different. We KNOW they allowed Pearl Harbor to happen, and a damn good deed that was: something was needed to convince Americans to unify and take up arms.
...that's a poor reading of the actual history involved.
1. Commanders at Pearl Harbor had been ordered to prepare for war. We have the transcripts, we have the orders, they weren't set up there to be a big fat target for public outrage. Whether or not they had properly done so is up for debate, but they weren't an unwitting sacrifice.
2. Even after Japan attacked America, America had no reason to go to war with Germany, which had been FDR's goal, defense of Europe. Japan and Germany were in a defensive alliance, which only caused obligation if they were victims of aggression. Thus, an attack on Pearl Harbor was the last thing the American government wanted. Luckily enough, Adolf Hitler was kind enough to declare war on the U.S. a few days afterward, allowing America to get involved after all.
...that's a poor reading of the actual history involved.
Yah, I took epic liberties with something of significant historical debate. I'll give you that.
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Post a link where American companies are hauling lithium out of Afghanistan without paying for it. The article that you're going to find is from the NY Times, and describes international companies BUYING Afghan mineral rights, particularly Chinese companies. It would be pretty silly of us to invade a country for its mineral resources then hand them over to the Chinese. Conclusion: we're not there for the resources.
Except that the resources that are the property of every Afghani citizen - for use in their nation by them - are now the property of a few for the exploit of someone other than the people of Afghanistan. And Money - inherently worthless as it is - is exchanged for real resources. We dont see traders giving the Afghani people Ownership of Medical Patents in trade for their raw resources.
If you have used your equal share you do not have the right to the share of another. Ever. Its called Disposession.