ClearedHot

Here is what gets me. The Trump supporters were so proud and quick to tout him for operation Warp Speed...he actually got the vaccine done in record time. Now that Biden is in power and asking people to get vaccinated the same Trump supporters think the vaccine is the equivalent to getting a chip implanted in their brain. Even though there is case law that supports mandatory vaccines for all (Jacobson v. Massachusetts), I am all about free will and choice. There is a difference for the military...Ironically taking that oath to serve and protect the Constitution gave up all sorts of Constitutional rights. If the vaccine is legally approved there is little resistance ground to stand on. I think there most certainly should be further discussion and research on those who have already had COVID. Having had a nasty fight with COVID....vaccinated or non-vaccinated, I hope you don't get it.

Ammo prices were finally starting to come down...another year of Chaos.

Might need a bit of deconfliction and I would be careful who we strike there. The Taliban are going because Ahmad Massoud, (son of Ahmad Shah Massoud “Lion of the Panjshir"), has established a serious resistance threat. If you know the history his father was a legendary Anti-soviet guerilla fighter/leader who also hated and resisted the Taliban. He successfully defended the Panjshir Valley against the Soviets and Taliban. He was assassinated two days before the planes hit the tower and may well have shaped a different outcome in Afghanistan had he survived. Regardless, his son is the only one who can mount a serious internal challenge to the Taliban. Like his father he is highly educated (secondary school education in Iran, time at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst (Britain's West Point), Bachelors Degree in war studies from King's College London and a Master's Degree in international Politics form University of London. This will be the only serious challenge to the Taliban and they have a lot of backing from more moderate sympathizers in Europe.

I take it you haven't been there? Not a snide comment but if you've spent anytime in country then you have a better optic for all various groups and folks operating there. I have not seen the number 15,000 confirmed but from some of the articles I've read they are mixture of different folks and different reasons. First and foremost, there are MANY NGOs that have been working in Afghanistan for years. At one point there were 298 Afghan and 182 International NGOs working in Afghanistan. There are also dual-citizens and American family members who were there helping family and with businesses. There are VAST resources of some key minerals like Lithium so I would assume some of them were working for the various businesses in country. What is so asinine is things have been relatively quiet as compared to years past. The last U.S. combat death in country was almost 18 months ago. Was this a function of the Taliban waiting foe us to leave after the Trump deal or were things better...I do not know. What is certain is once we started to run the Taliban became EXTREMELY aggressive.

Posted multiple times and discussed on last page of this thread.

Private groups now attempting to do what the U.S. Government cant...or won't.

Standby for complete pandemonium...The gates are again closed and the Taliban are seizing American passports. What are the clowns running the White House and DoD doing? https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2021/08/21/kabul-airport-gates-closed-taliban-confiscating-u-s-passports/?fbclid=IwAR331nOgsb_2x0G67TWEB67Ydn8NEXgcVC2T1mTEXYzO6anf_r_MvvFLEXw

So these assholes decided to don American gear and recreate the infamous Iwo Jima flag raising to rub our noses in it. At least we don't have mean tweets anymore...well, except from the Taliban...their Twitter account remains active and approved while a former POTUS is permanently banned...this situation has become Orwellian

Anyone else see the irony of Kamala leaving for Vietnam today? Is she going to Saigon to bring back some DLOs on that evac so we can do better in Afghanistan? The optics are simply surreal.

Horrifying video reportedly shows Afghan police chief executed by Taliban But Biden said the Taliban promised amnesty...Why would anyone ever trust us again?

We have become a joke on the world stage.

Come on Man... First and foremost Trump promised to maintain U.S. Air support for the Afghans...Biden took it away. We all know our airpower was holding things in place. How do you think this would have gone down had we kept airstrikes in support of the Afghan Army in place...please answer honestly. I seriously doubt the Taliban would have won in 11 days with airpower hitting them. We most certainly would have had more time. Members of Trump's National Security team have come forward to say he was bluffing and it was part of his plan...not sure I buy that, Trump wanted us out but I don't think it would have gone down like this. Also, didn't Trump slip his initial date? Biden straight up admitted that he made the decision to do it this way. He has been wrong on EVERY foreign policy decision he has ever been associated with and this is the apex of his absolute stupidity. Look at him attempt to answer questions...utterly embarrassing as he "stands by his decision."

The French and Germans are conducting operations outside the Taliban check points to retrieve their citizens but we are not. I get it, Trump was a narcissistic asshole but this is what you wanted?

Nothing political, just a first hand reflection of a linguist who spent a lot of time listening to the Taliban during fights. What I Learned While Eavesdropping on the Taliban

Biden told George Snuffleupagus "No one is being killed there"...so we got that going for us.

"This placed turned into MadMax Quick"

European officials dismayed by Biden's decision to follow Trump's lead on Afghanistan Interesting report yesterday, The White House admitted that President Biden has not spoken to a SINGLE foreign leader about the situation in Afghanistan. I thought Biden was going to "restore America's place on the world stage" Where are all the people who voted for Biden and why aren't you here defending him and his actions...this is what you wanted right? Biden's first Foreign Policy Speech "As I said in my inaugural address, we will repair our alliances and engage with the world once again, not to meet yesterday’s challenges, but today’s and tomorrow’s." "As I said earlier this week, we will work with our partners to support restoration of democracy and the rule of law, and impose consequences on those responsible." "America’s alliances are our greatest asset, and leading with diplomacy means standing shoulder-to-shoulder with our allies and key partners once again."

Do we think they care and what gains are we going to attack...the third compound from the north T intersection? There is no infrastructure to attack. We can keep manhunting but we have been doing that for 20 years. Seriously...they have shown and unbelievable ability to absorb casualties and play the long game...they waited 20 years for this moment and they will make the most of it. I would look to their motivation, what is in their best interest? Is it better for them to let us leave peacully, avoid a few casualties on their side and own Afghanistan without much of a fight? Or, would it be better to wait until we are almost gone and grab a bunch hostages to make the point that they run Barter Town. Think about their PR machine (far better than ours) and what kind of play they could get out of defeating the Americans AND parading around a bunch of American hostages...that video alone would recruit extremists into their ranks for a generation. I am shocked they haven't rolled any Americans up yet and I hope I am wrong.

George - "Chaos was always priced into your decision?" Biden - "Yes" I am out of words...

As the current 380 AEW/CC said..."We all hoped for a different outcome, but here we are. Right now, Airmen are working 24/7 to bring this to as successful a conclusion as we can manage. Right now, every warfighter in the 380th is putting everything they have into the task at hand. This moment puts a fine point on what I feel every single day: I’m incredibly proud to serve alongside these great Americans, there’s nowhere on Earth I’d rather be." God bless and protect these heroes...every single one of them.

State Department says the Taliban has broken its promise to provide safe passage to the airport...NO SHIT! If they take American hostages...

Might as well laugh at this point.

Real Estate has in the past been a proven hedge. Consider new property or the structure of existing property you own. I currently own six houses, five outright. I also have a longtime investment property that I am selling and reinvesting via the IRS 1031 provision. In short, I have owned a property for 29 years and can no longer depreciate. I am selling and immediately reinvesting in another "like-kind" property which defers the capital gains tax (my son will have to pay it some day). I have already identified the new property and it already has a rental lease in place. While I cannot establish a new depreciation schedule, in doing the exchange I am moving that invested capital form a state that is unfriendly to outside investors (South Carolina), to Florida with much lower property taxes and higher rental incomes. The overall exchange will increase my monthly cash flow by $700. You may also consider land, particularly land that can be used for farming, they don't make any more of it and depending on the area you can get a big tax break if used for agriculture. Whatever you do, I would suggest a diversified approach that spreads your risk.

China will not be constrained by silly things such as collateral damage or human rights.