Afghanistan

[Yambo]

At least Toyota aren't giving them away:

https://www.reuters.com/business/aerosp ... 021-08-19/

I suspect that if there was a Toyota dealership full of Land Cruisers in Kabul, the Taliban wouldn't go in and try and negotiate a deal, but would still get the vehicles.

[Mr. Dazzle]

They'd pay full price for them all? That doens't sound very smart, someone should tell them.

That said - AIUI - Sharia law is particular on banking anyway, so maybe they would

[Count Steer]

Did anyone seriously think the whole Afghanistan adventure was ever going to end well?

It was retaliatory fro 9/11. The USA wasn't just going to let Al Qaeda ram a couple of aircraft into the World Trade Centre buildings and let them off scot-free. Afghanistan was (and will become again) a hotbed of activity for terrorist training. The worst part is, they might well end up being funded by China. Once China get involved especially if they end up on the ground or with military bases, it will be difficult if not impossible for the USA to take any further military action.

Plus of course, China get even closer to mainland Europe...

The concensus (well, the FT and Economist) seems to be that China will avoid boots on the ground at all costs. Particularly as they aren't on good terms with their own Muslims. They will probably try to get what they want through economic means.

[slowsider]

At least Toyota aren't giving them away:

https://www.reuters.com/business/aerosp ... 021-08-19/

I suspect that if there was a Toyota dealership full of Land Cruisers in Kabul, the Taliban wouldn't go in and try and negotiate a deal, but would still get the vehicles.

Well indeed.
Better still, the UK method in Iran: sell 'em tanks, take the money, don't deliver, keep the cash.


Best quote from the link above...
Military, not marketing, spokesman:

"Ironically, the fact that our equipment breaks down so often is a life-saver here," a third official said.

[irie]

ABC news edited its interview with Joe Biden, and is accused of removing the most incoherent and confused parts. Here is a full transcript of the interview, you can judge for yourselves.

https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/full-tr ... d=79535643

Full transcript of ABC News' George Stephanopoulos' interview with President Joe Biden.

By comparison, Biden makes Reagan look like a model of coherency.

[slowsider]

What's your point?

[Mussels]

If a conversation is written down word for word and read back it usually looks worse than it was, ask anyone who has heard the transcript of a police interview read out in court.

[Asian Boss]

What's all this talk of taking in refugees? We won the Brexit. Sink the buggers' boats. Look after our own. There's people right here short of Embassy Regal and fighting dogs. Getting it done. No regrets, regardless of the outcome. Getting it done.

[KungFooBob]

It's only the dogs we're letting in, innit?

Afghan hounds are worth a few quid.

[gremlin]

Afghan hounds are worth a few quid.

They make a nice coat, as I recall...

[Pirahna]

Afghan hounds are worth a few quid.

They make a nice coat, as I recall...

That's Caftan Hounds.

[Screwdriver]

If a conversation is written down word for word and read back it usually looks worse than it was, ask anyone who has heard the transcript of a police interview read out in court.

No, what actually happens is the "powers that be" wheel him out as infrequently as possible, pre-authorise any questions and wheel him away as soon as they can. They rely on a blatantly partisan press/social media/big tech to edit out as many of his uncountable gaffes as possible but if you ignore the bias, it's obvious the guy is an idiot.

The worm is starting to turn. This has to be the most disastrous first six months for any US president ever: open border, rampant unemployment (and employers can't compete with the free money handouts), crime surge, insane levels of quantitive easing (inflation is coming!), astronomical gas prices, drug addled Hunter Biden addicted to hookers and crack (but still mysteriously being paid $millions!) and now the Afghanistan debaclé.

I think we will start to see the press turn on him sooner rather than later. Difficult to see how this presidency could be any worse. Sadly, there is still time...

[Screwdriver]

The concensus (well, the FT and Economist) seems to be that China will avoid boots on the ground at all costs. Particularly as they aren't on good terms with their own Muslims. They will probably try to get what they want through economic means.

That is the only safety net but I rather suspect there's a way around that problem. Afghanistan is suffering from extremely poor infrastructure. Road, rail, water, power etc. Those are all the things that the CCP are happy to provide on credit, at astronomical rates leading to land grab.

I sincerely doubt there will ever be any organised government backed by the Taliban you could trust to keep their word and it has proved difficult for any modern superpower to force Afghanistan to do anything they didn't want. That would include honouring their debt.

The CCP might be happy to build infrastructure and take mineral resources as payment while they're doing it...

[Le_Fromage_Grande]

I doubt if anyone will invest in Afghanistan, and I also doubt if the Afghan men want that investment, they seem quite happy to live in a medieval hell hole, play with guns and be paedophhiles.

[Yambo]

I doubt if anyone will invest in Afghanistan, and I also doubt if the Afghan men want that investment, they seem quite happy to live in a medieval hell hole, play with guns and be paedophhiles.

^^^That

The Afghans don't want new infrastructure. They don't even want existing infrastructure upgraded (Kajaki Dam anyone?). They want Afghanistan to be a 15th century museum.

Apart from the guns. They like 20th century guns. 15th century guns don't have the same. . . appeal.

[slowsider]

They want a Strong and Stable government, and to Take Back Control. And Get US-exit Done.

[irie]

Blatantly stinky bait, iccy.

[irie]

Edited...

Blatantly stinky bait, iccy.

You know what, I just logged on to delete that post, because I'm talking to a bunch of racist idiots.

I said I was staying out of here from now on because it's like reading The Sunday Sport, but morbid curiosity made me look what you are posting and I just couldn't not respond to stupid racist bollocks. Every time someone posts or says stuff like that and no one pulls it up it adds another brick of idiocy to a wall being built.

You take it for whatever you want, you're going to say whatever you want anyway, so I'll leave you to your little Englander circle jerk.

I decided not to quote your post because I wanted to avoid providing further air to someone obviously not in control of their emotions. So thanks for deleting your post.

[Jody]

Weird how there's focus on toyota for building Hi-Lux's but no-one has mentioned the Munitions manufacturers which turn the Hi-lux from a farm to a military vehicle !

[Screwdriver]

Weird how there's focus on toyota for building Hi-Lux's but no-one has mentioned the Munitions manufacturers which turn the Hi-lux from a farm to a military vehicle !

I blame Jeremy Clarkson. Look what they did to theirs and it still ran!

I once accidentally drove a HiLux off a slip face (the precipitous edge of a sand ledge where there's a step change on a nominally flat plain). Flew through the air for a while as if someone had simply switched off gravity until physics saw what I was doing and slammed it into the ground some 15-20 feet below. After reassembling all the tools which had gone off like a grenade in the cabin, I sheepishly drove back to camp.

At the end of the day, you have to clean the thing up for the next victim and while doing so, I notice the engine was sitting a good 2 inches lower. Everything else seemed to rearrange itself around the new configuration. I shut the lid and resolved never to tell anyone...