mike_field
Vital Football Legend
I'm not big on podcasts - especially as my earphones are bust at the moment, but never heard Coxy approach the topic. You got a link as I'm sure others would appreciate it Col.
Here is the full podcast. 2 hours 34 minutes. They talk about alot but its bloody interesting.I'm not big on podcasts - especially as my earphones are bust at the moment, but never heard Coxy approach the topic. You got a link as I'm sure others would appreciate it Col.
Just as you thought it was relatively safe, we have this;
https://uk.yahoo.com/news/people-who-live-near-parks-should-be-taxed-more-165622405.html
Yes, a 'Thinktank' is now suggesting people who live near parks should be taxed more, together with the NHS being given a role in maintaining parks.
I thought the NHS had got enough on their collective plates......
I think this 'thinktank' needs to go for a long, quiet lay down in a darkened room.
Is anyone here into Eckhart Tolle? I just watched a video of someone else talking about Tolle and his thing of watching your own thoughts as an external observer, recognising that you are not your thoughts. Trying to get my head around that. I get the concept but it might take a while to get the practice of observing my own thoughts and not trying to make jokes about them.
Yes mate agree.Just as you thought it was relatively safe, we have this;
https://uk.yahoo.com/news/people-who-live-near-parks-should-be-taxed-more-165622405.html
Yes, a 'Thinktank' is now suggesting people who live near parks should be taxed more, together with the NHS being given a role in maintaining parks.
I thought the NHS had got enough on their collective plates......
I think this 'thinktank' needs to go for a long, quiet lay down in a darkened room.
You know the way most subjects at university have "the textbook", the one textbook which is pretty much the bible for that subject? I'm wondering what "the textbook" is for political science or even where I could find out what it is. I know @thefear studied political science but it was a little while ago.
Have you been sat in the hot sun today mate?Alright, here's one that will probably not be warmly embraced. I'll say in advance that I'm not advocating for this. It's just a thought.
It was very clear to anyone paying attention from the start that the US could never hold Iraq and Afghanistan. They would be constantly under attack from all sides until they left. Stubborn as they are, they stayed for almost 20 years in Afghanistan without ever making any real progress. Afghans are still in much the same situation now as they were 20 years ago. I don't believe that the top brass in the US ever expected a different outcome.
So what could have perpetuated a different outcome? How could America have Americanised (Americanized?) Afghanistan? How could they create the Hawaii of the Stans?
One way would have been to confiscate land from the locals and give to to good old boys from middle America. Locked and loaded young men could go on a great adventure to Afghanistan and shoot their way through any obstacles.
There were 21m people in Afghanistan in 2001 when America invaded. If America had managed to relocate something close to that into Central Asia, the country would have been Americanised in no time.
Of course, it would have been a horrific thing to do to the already traumatised population of Afghanistan but would it be worse than living under the Taliban? There would have been huge losses of life on both sides but didn't that happen anyway? 20 years later, would Afghanistan be better off than it is now? I think it probably would. Afghanistan would have peace and security. It would have a democratically elected government and modern infrastructure.
There would be a new generation of American Afghans coming of age expecting democracy, fast food and Netflix.
Goepolitically, America would have an unsinkable aircraft carrier right in the middle of Asia. They would have a huge platform to put the squeeze on Russia, Iran and China.
It's all hypothetical and America is certainly not going back into Afghanistan, nor should they. They never should have invaded in the first place.
The only thing missing from this plan is "reeducation camps".Alright, here's one that will probably not be warmly embraced. I'll say in advance that I'm not advocating for this. It's just a thought.
It was very clear to anyone paying attention from the start that the US could never hold Iraq and Afghanistan. They would be constantly under attack from all sides until they left. Stubborn as they are, they stayed for almost 20 years in Afghanistan without ever making any real progress. Afghans are still in much the same situation now as they were 20 years ago. I don't believe that the top brass in the US ever expected a different outcome.
So what could have perpetuated a different outcome? How could America have Americanised (Americanized?) Afghanistan? How could they create the Hawaii of the Stans?
One way would have been to confiscate land from the locals and give to to good old boys from middle America. Locked and loaded young men could go on a great adventure to Afghanistan and shoot their way through any obstacles.
There were 21m people in Afghanistan in 2001 when America invaded. If America had managed to relocate something close to that into Central Asia, the country would have been Americanised in no time.
Of course, it would have been a horrific thing to do to the already traumatised population of Afghanistan but would it be worse than living under the Taliban? There would have been huge losses of life on both sides but didn't that happen anyway? 20 years later, would Afghanistan be better off than it is now? I think it probably would. Afghanistan would have peace and security. It would have a democratically elected government and modern infrastructure.
There would be a new generation of American Afghans coming of age expecting democracy, fast food and Netflix.
Goepolitically, America would have an unsinkable aircraft carrier right in the middle of Asia. They would have a huge platform to put the squeeze on Russia, Iran and China.
It's all hypothetical and America is certainly not going back into Afghanistan, nor should they. They never should have invaded in the first place.