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Afghanistan: Talking Points US Troops

jonny5

jonny5

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Many of our Soldiers in Afghanistan are required to carry this paper in a pocket at all times. Troops are expected to memorize the talking points and cough them up to any journalists coming through.

We decided to help headquarters spread their message.

Many complaints about poor morale are coming from Afghanistan. Most troops are kept on base, where they undergo mindless inspections and even small ‘parades’, and of course rocket and mortar strikes.

It has been estimated that in 2014, the cost to taxpayers to keep one troop in Afghanistan for one year will be more than $2 million. And we have our $2 million dollar troops there doing inspections and memorizing propaganda for the press, while Washington bickers with Karzai and the enemy grows stronger.
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afghanistan-talking-points-us-troops

118 US Soldiers have died in Afghanistan this year. Why does the govt talk endlessly about healthcare, and the media talk endlessly about celebrities, yet soldiers don't even get a mention? Why doesn't the Commander justify these deaths like he justifies website failures? Why aren't our congressman explaining to us why we are still there, why soldiers are memorizing propaganda for journalist, instead of killing the enemy or coming home. Why do the people keep voting for a govt which doesn't care about sending citizens to a remote country to be forgotten?
 
jonny5 said:
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afghanistan-talking-points-us-troops

118 US Soldiers have died in Afghanistan this year. Why does the govt talk endlessly about healthcare, and the media talk endlessly about celebrities, yet soldiers don't even get a mention? Why doesn't the Commander justify these deaths like he justifies website failures? Why aren't our congressman explaining to us why we are still there, why soldiers are memorizing propaganda for journalist, instead of killing the enemy or coming home. Why do the people keep voting for a govt which doesn't care about sending citizens to a remote country to be forgotten?
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Interesting, I can't remember having ever been given a piece of paper with talking points on it. But there was several briefings by commanders and the sort of what to say or not say to reporters. My time in the military was from 1966 through 1986 so these things haven't changed. My grandson returned from Afghanistan over a year ago after a tour there with the 1st ID. He was fed up with it.
 
Couldn't agree more but don't put all the blame on the present CIC although I am sorely diassapointed he didn't pull us out. The past CIC put us there and should have pulled us out when the mission was accomplished. Nation building never ever works in corrupt 12th century countries.
 
jonny5 said:
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afghanistan-talking-points-us-troops

118 US Soldiers have died in Afghanistan this year. Why does the govt talk endlessly about healthcare, and the media talk endlessly about celebrities, yet soldiers don't even get a mention? Why doesn't the Commander justify these deaths like he justifies website failures? Why aren't our congressman explaining to us why we are still there, why soldiers are memorizing propaganda for journalist, instead of killing the enemy or coming home. Why do the people keep voting for a govt which doesn't care about sending citizens to a remote country to be forgotten?
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The honest answer?

1. The war has been going on for over a decade which contributes to people sense of being inured to it.

2. It is a conflict that has a relatively low US death toll and so unless catastrophic events (Navy SEAL helicopter crash, CIA bombing) happen it doesn't gather as much attention.

3. People are isolated from the conflict. Few of us have family members or close friends that are not only serving, but serving directly in harms way in Afghanistan right now.
 
EnigmaO01 said:
Couldn't agree more but don't put all the blame on the present CIC although I am sorely diassapointed he didn't pull us out. The past CIC put us there and should have pulled us out when the mission was accomplished. Nation building never ever works in corrupt 12th century countries.
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I dont put all the blame on Obama, but he is the commander now, so he is responsible. As is congress who keeps allowing it. If there is a reason to stay, they should be constantly convincing us of it. Or they need to get out, 100%. And the media needs to stop being negligent of their duties to inform us. I watch a lot of news, and I almost never see any coverage of the ongoing war, certainly not in the way they cover celebrities or attractive female crimals.
 
jonny5 said:
I dont put all the blame on Obama, but he is the commander now, so he is responsible. As is congress who keeps allowing it. If there is a reason to stay, they should be constantly convincing us of it. Or they need to get out, 100%. And the media needs to stop being negligent of their duties to inform us. I watch a lot of news, and I almost never see any coverage of the ongoing war, certainly not in the way they cover celebrities or attractive female crimals.
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Amen. It must be hell to be a soldier in today's Army being deployed over and over in bum **** eqypt. (That's what my unit called that region of the world.)
 
EnigmaO01 said:
Amen. It must be hell to be a soldier in today's Army being deployed over and over in bum **** eqypt. (That's what my unit called that region of the world.)
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I imagine they were ok with it when it was obvious why they were there, to kill AQ, and the media was embedded, and politicians were talking about it all the time. But now?
 
jonny5 said:
View attachment 67157884



afghanistan-talking-points-us-troops

118 US Soldiers have died in Afghanistan this year. Why does the govt talk endlessly about healthcare, and the media talk endlessly about celebrities, yet soldiers don't even get a mention? Why doesn't the Commander justify these deaths like he justifies website failures? Why aren't our congressman explaining to us why we are still there, why soldiers are memorizing propaganda for journalist, instead of killing the enemy or coming home. Why do the people keep voting for a govt which doesn't care about sending citizens to a remote country to be forgotten?
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You can't kill your way to victory.
 
jonny5 said:
I imagine they were ok with it when it was obvious why they were there, to kill AQ, and the media was embedded, and politicians were talking about it all the time. But now?
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I'm sure it still go old. With 22 suicides a day in the U.S. military something's not O.K.
 
Perotista said:
Interesting, I can't remember having ever been given a piece of paper with talking points on it. But there was several briefings by commanders and the sort of what to say or not say to reporters. My time in the military was from 1966 through 1986 so these things haven't changed. My grandson returned from Afghanistan over a year ago after a tour there with the 1st ID. He was fed up with it.
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I could explain it, but you've already made up your mind.
 
This is such a discombobulated OP.
 
Wiseone said:
I could explain it, but you've already made up your mind.
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the actually war, no. I think it was fought ideally, our air power, a few SF and paramilitary on the ground and the Afghani's providing the ground troops. Outstanding. It reminded me of the time I spent in Laos from 1969-71. It was the nation building that perturbed me. Forcing a form of government on the Afgan's that they didn't want. From that start on it became a farce and a mess.
 
Perotista said:
the actually war, no. I think it was fought ideally, our air power, a few SF and paramilitary on the ground and the Afghani's providing the ground troops. Outstanding. It reminded me of the time I spent in Laos from 1969-71. It was the nation building that perturbed me. Forcing a form of government on the Afgan's that they didn't want. From that start on it became a farce and a mess.
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That's exactly how it should've been. Iraq? An invasion I can get behind. A geopolitical goal, a vision, etc. Just executed horribly by the Bush Administration. But Afghanistan? Pointless. Just dumb vengeance, nothing more. Should've just used SOF and air platforms to kill people as they flared up and left it at that.
 
OldWorldOrder said:
That's exactly how it should've been. Iraq? An invasion I can get behind. A geopolitical goal, a vision, etc. Just executed horribly by the Bush Administration. But Afghanistan? Pointless. Just dumb vengeance, nothing more. Should've just used SOF and air platforms to kill people as they flared up and left it at that.
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I'm just the opposite. I understood Afghanistan since UBL and AQ were using Afghanistan as a training ground and safe haven. In order to get UBL and AQ we had to do something in Afghanistan and we did admirably, that is until we began nation building and inserted 150,000 troops to force the 18 tribes to accept democracy as their form of government. Iraq seem more a revenge type of operation. A preemptive war started by us.

In Afghanistan if we let the tribes choose their own form of government there wouldn't have been any need for the nation building we done.
 
jonny5 said:
For example...
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I'm not sure what the smart card has to do with anything? I'm not sure why it isn't obvious why a war that's went on for 12 years isn't talked about as much as recent public policy? I'm not sure what even the point of the thread is. It's just...bizarre.
 
OldWorldOrder said:
I'm not sure what the smart card has to do with anything? I'm not sure why it isn't obvious why a war that's went on for 12 years isn't talked about as much as recent public policy? I'm not sure what even the point of the thread is. It's just...bizarre.
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Then ask questions. Or move on.
 
jonny5 said:
Then ask questions. Or move on.
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Why has Afghanistan OPIUM production increased under USA stewardship? Under the Taliban in 2002 production was 290 tons per year. Under USA stewardship production has increased to over 10,000 tons per year. We, the USA, obviously are encouraging and protecting the production. Would that be big CORPORATE Pharma's contribution to our well-being? Could the USA be the World's biggest drug dealer? What does recent history say i.e., Noriega, Iran/Contra (coke for arms), Phoenix Program, Corporate Banking in America laundering drug money, and the list goes on. There is rot on the vine. Systemic. Sleazy.
 
DaveFagan said:
Why has Afghanistan OPIUM production increased under USA stewardship? Under the Taliban in 2002 production was 290 tons per year. Under USA stewardship production has increased to over 10,000 tons per year. We, the USA, obviously are encouraging and protecting the production. Would that be big CORPORATE Pharma's contribution to our well-being? Could the USA be the World's biggest drug dealer? What does recent history say i.e., Noriega, Iran/Contra (coke for arms), Phoenix Program, Corporate Banking in America laundering drug money, and the list goes on. There is rot on the vine. Systemic. Sleazy.
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I would assume its because they were more afraid of the Taliban than us? THey want money, opium makes money. Ive seen no evidence of whatever conspiracy youre talking about though.
 
jonny5 said:
Yes, if you have an opinion, support it with an argument. THis is a debate forum, not a comment section.
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My opinion was that it was discombobulated. What did the smart card have to do with what you typed?
 
jonny5 said:
I would assume its because they were more afraid of the Taliban than us? THey want money, opium makes money. Ive seen no evidence of whatever conspiracy youre talking about though.
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There, something I can work with: you're absolutely right. The Taliban often killed people that farmed poppies. They killed people that didn't rat out poppy farmers. The current Afghan government doesn't do that. And the US, in an effort to try to allow rural economies to grow- so the young men aren't poor, disenfranchised, and drawn to extremism (like many of our conspiracy theorists on this very website)- often looks the other way when they stumble upon poppy fields.

That's why opium production is up. Not because the US is a global drug dealer lol
 
OldWorldOrder said:
My opinion was that it was discombobulated. What did the smart card have to do with what you typed?
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It was stated in the OP

Why aren't our congressman explaining to us why we are still there, why soldiers are memorizing propaganda for journalists, instead of killing the enemy or coming home?
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The implication being that if our soldiers have time to memorize propoganda to make the war seem less tragic, they should be brought home.
 
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