Welcome back my friends to the show that never ends - Afghan edition

From the WSJ (there's a pay wall)

Talks Canceled in Big Blow to Afghan Peace Push

The gathering was to have been the first since the latest effort resumed that Taliban and government officials were to be in the same room

A landmark meeting between the Taliban and senior Afghan political figures was canceled Thursday in a row over who should participate, dealing a crushing setback to efforts to reach a negotiated settlement of the 18-year Afghan war.

Afghan government officials had asked Qatari mediators only to postpone the planned weekend meeting, hours after the Taliban issued a list of acceptable attendees that differed from a list of 249 politicians, officials, former anti-Soviet rebel leaders and representatives of civic and women’s groups announced by Kabul earlier this week, a Western diplomat and people briefed by the Taliban said.

Wrangles over the size and makeup of the delegation have beset efforts to convene the talks. The Taliban initially urged a small delegation from Kabul of about 50 delegates. But early this week, the list compiled by Mr. Ghani and his top aides had swelled.

I skipped the snips.

Also as reported that aside from Gubmint reps Kabul was bringing women. No, not women.

This "conference" was supposed to have between 200 and 500 attendees (the Taliban have 200+ attendees btw). Have you ever tried to get something agreed on let alone done with 500 people. Oh sure the US Govt is an example of efficiency. Heh!

Just leave.

Leave NOW!

If they're so proud of their bloody history sounds like a good base for a stew. Served by dancing boys maybe?

STOP THE WAR.

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thanatokephaloides's picture

Leave NOW!

If they're so proud of their bloody history sounds like a good base for a stew. Served by dancing boys maybe?

STOP THE WAR.

The forever Afghanistan war is older than the permanent European presence in the Americas. We USAians got tangled up in it from hubris and stupidity. And our involvement has only costs, and no benefits for us (i.e., stupidity).

If there's ever to be peace in Afghanistan, it will need to be a creature of all Afghans, including women and non-Muslim minorities, and of them alone.

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"US govt/military = bad. Russian govt/military = bad. Any politician wanting power = bad. Anyone wielding power = bad." --Shahryar

"All power corrupts absolutely!" -- thanatokephaloides

lotlizard's picture

@thanatokephaloides  
Among other things, hashish was legal. I had a book (stolen, alas) with color photos of hashish balls on sale on market day, embossed with a gold-colored royal tax seal.

In the early ’70s I knew a hippie backpacker who travelled from the Mediterranean all the way to Afghanistan by the overland route.

It was a different world before Brzezinski and later the neocons rose to power.

I don’t know where the idea comes from that Afghanistan has always been embroiled in civil war.

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@lotlizard
of burning Charas (hashish balls), the distilled Honey Oil and other social cannabanoids brought home from SE Asia's police intervention adventure. Then the CIA got involved. Oops.

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dystopian's picture

@lotlizard The issue of National Geographic most worshipped by a certain group in socal was the one with the beautiful Afghani young woman on the cover. The story didn't just discuss culture (poppies) and place, but use of hash oil in the cooking and for hair oil (no wonder they were content people) but had photos of breadloaf sized 5 lb. chunks of black primo being kneaded by the women in a deep cookie tins, the oil draining to the bottom, for cooking. It was the best ever shish photo, at the source of the best widely available (in socal) A+ grade Afghan thin-patty primo. A friend told me. I had friends that went and one got so sick it was a miracle he lived. Bad bug from the water. Until that he said it was the best time he ever had. Find that Nat. Geo. with the green-eyed beauty on the cover, early 1970's must have been. I have one in a box somewhere I bought when I saw it at a garage sale much later in life.

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We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.
Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better.
both - Albert Einstein

EdMass's picture

@lotlizard

I don’t know where the idea comes from that Afghanistan has always been embroiled in civil war.

History of Afghanistan

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Prof: Nancy! I’m going to Greece!
Nancy: And swim the English Channel?
Prof: No. No. To ancient Greece where burning Sapho stood beside the wine dark sea. Wa de do da! Nancy, I’ve invented a time machine!

Firesign Theater

Stop the War!

thanatokephaloides's picture

@lotlizard

It was a different world before Brzezinski and later the neocons rose to power.

I don’t know where the idea comes from that Afghanistan has always been embroiled in civil war.

Look back beyond living memory. Afghanistan isn't called "the graveyard of empires" for nothing. Of course, back pre-World War I, no pretense was made that any ordinary Afghans approved of the imperial powers' actions, so the proxy civil war thing didn't come up as much. It was blatant conquest war back then.

Bad

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"US govt/military = bad. Russian govt/military = bad. Any politician wanting power = bad. Anyone wielding power = bad." --Shahryar

"All power corrupts absolutely!" -- thanatokephaloides

detroitmechworks's picture

You can go by boat,
You can go in a dish,
You can go by the Ho Chi Min Trail if you wish,

If you wish you can go by the Khyber pass,
But whatever you do, please get off your ass.

The people are tired, sick of the drones
And the soldiers would greatly prefer to be home

So pack up your Conexes, clean up the tanks,
and pull the last funds out of Afghanistan banks

And do all the things that the law will allow,
but...
UNITED STATES ARMY, WILL YOU PLEASE GO NOW????

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I do not pretend I know what I do not know.

EdMass's picture

@detroitmechworks

I am proud to know you in an internet/blog type of way.

Peace

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Prof: Nancy! I’m going to Greece!
Nancy: And swim the English Channel?
Prof: No. No. To ancient Greece where burning Sapho stood beside the wine dark sea. Wa de do da! Nancy, I’ve invented a time machine!

Firesign Theater

Stop the War!

Big Al's picture

of Afghanistan in the overall imperialist/deep state and Zionist/neocon agenda and I think it's one of the things that Trump and Obama didn't fully understand until they took office (giving them some credit for what they said while campaigning) and they had to make decisions. So the only way to end the Afghan "war" is to end U.S. imperialism and Israeli apartheid and expansionism, or WWIII, which would end everything. Look what they were willing to do in order to justify invading and occupying Afghanistan (9/11).

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@Big Al @Big Al

Almost secret US govt. agencies have a vested interest in the importation of skag. Keeps the poor addicted and in prison. Powerful social weapon.

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Big Al's picture

@QMS I would consider that part of the strategic importance for the overall imperialist/Zionist agenda in that they use the poppies to advance their goals. Like you said, it's a social weapon not just for this country. They use it to flood other countries with heroin to fuck with their societies also, and of course, money for the black budgets to do all sorts of evil shit.

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dystopian's picture

A group of us that was at this very show in particular swore we would not hear anybody ever use that phrase without mentioning this:

You didn't have to be there, but it was better if you were...

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We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.
Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better.
both - Albert Einstein