Does anyone here think the Afghans owe us something?

[howard112211]

I get the impression that now that minerals have been discovered in Afghanistan, the sentiment is surfacing (even here on DU) that the USA should have priority when it comes to reaping the yields, because of all the sacrifices that American troops have made and because of all the "aid" the Afghans have received during the recent years.

Let me make this clear: Whatever America has invested into Afghanistan, the Afghans never asked for it. Their collective suffering from this war is beyond any match on the American side. If they would have had a say in whether the Taliban should be overthrown by force, the overwhelming majority would most likely have refused, if presented a clear forecast of what that will amount to. America had strategic self interest in invading Afghanistan, and whatever good or bad comes out it for the Afghans in the long run, that does not change the fact that "helping the Afghans" was not on top of any priority list. My opinion is that they are perfectly within their right to make deals with whoever they like, even if it is China, Russia or Iran, and that any opposition to this on the grounds of an argument that "America deserves to go first because we helped the Afghans" is a display of arrogance akin to when Liz Cheney said that the US military should get the nobel prize for peace for liberating Iraq.

[katandmoon]

1. Hell fucking no!

[tabatha]

4. Absolutely not.

They are owed big time by all the countries that have invaded them.

[and-justice-for-all]

28. +1,000,000

[liberal N proud]

2. Now that we know they have trillions in mineral deposits...

certainly, it brings a whole new purpose to the fight we don't want to call a war.



NOT!


This is what GREED will do for us, more war!

[niyad]

3. the afghans owe the united states nothing--certainly not their mineral wealth

we all know that being in afghanistan is, and has been, more about those damned oil/natural gas pipelines than anything else. it now appears that there has been even more to it than that--as I recall hearing somewhere (rachel, maybe??) that the soviets knew about this when they invaded.

[niyad]

5. this situation reminds me of the native americans--forced onto worthless reservation lands--until it

was discovered that those lands contained oil, or water, etc.

[Warren Stupidity]

6. Opposite: we owe them reparations.

[treestar]

7. No, but expect the right wing to say so

They "harbored" the Taliban, leading to 911 - most Americans bought that line in Oct. 2001 - and then we "saved" them from the Taliban.

[MadHound]

8. No, but given that we owe Japan and China a buttload of money

We'll probably be doing the security work for those countries in Afghanistan while they extract the wealth.

It always sucks being a debtor nation.

[City Lights]

9. I don't think the Afghans owe us a thing. nt

[Goldstein1984]

10. "Liz Cheney said

that the US military should get the nobel prize for peace for liberating Iraq."

That makes about as much sense as giving President Obama a Nobel Peace Prize for escalating the war in Afghanistan.

Of course, like the daughters of George W. Bush, Obama's own children will never be asked to fight U.S. wars.

[provis99]

19. Liz cheney thinks Hitler should have gotten a nobel prize for liberating Poland.

What sickening, evil creatures Dick Cheney spawned.

[gateley]

20. Excellent! nt

[treestar]

24. What a nasty thing to say when the Obama girls are that young

You have no idea whether they'll join the military someday.

And Bush's daughters are not responsible for Chimpy's actions either.

It's truly evil to call out people's children to pay for whatever their parents have done.

[TheKentuckian]

29. Lizard makes her own shit legacy and backs daddy to the hilt

No pass from me for her.

[treestar]

31. she's an adult doing her own thing

Lizard, love it, :rofl:

[USArmyParatrooper]

11. I don't think this part is necessarily true

"If they would have had a say in whether the Taliban should be overthrown by force, the overwhelming majority would most likely have refused, if presented a clear forecast of what that will amount to."

I think it would have had overwhelming support if posed as a general question. If given a forecast of what was to come, much less so but I don't automatically think there would be overwhelming opposition.

But to the point of your thread, I think it's in everyone's interest for all avenues and benefits of economic development to go toward the Afghan people, including any possibly revenue streams from the minerals discovery.

[dipsydoodle]

12. Poke in the eye with a sharp stick maybe

Nothing else.

[VMI Dem]

13. I remember supporters of Obama's War being awfully happy when the "news" broke.

[jp11]

14. They 'owe' us an effort to control their own country, whether that lasts a week or a day

*I* think they should at least try to do that, if they don't want it enough to deal with the crap we stirred up so be it. We are/will set them up to 'take charge' of something probably corrupt and imperfect to govern and secure their country the people there should 'step up' even if it just to see that they really don't want to deal with it and are fine letting the Taliban take power again.

Basically I'm saying they 'owe' American soldiers and taxpayers the courtesy of looking at the pos government/military we hand over to them and spending a little time thinking about if they want to try to work with/fix it or not.

[niyad]

26. why? they did not ask us to come in and break their country even more than it was.

[I Have A Dream]

15. Nope.

Actually, it makes me happy to see them acting and making decisions independently.

[stray cat]

16. People here don't even think we owe the Afghans anything

ie who cares if they all kill each other as long as we are not there and people are probably right. Genocide isn't are problem if we are not there. Let them rot

[frebrd]

17. At the very least........

a swift kick in the nuts.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

18. Kinda like asking what the rapee owes the rapist.

[noamnety]

23. Or like our politicians

apologizing to BP.

[KonaKane]

21. JP Morgan has already sent a "team" to Afghanistan

setting a land speed record after the discovery of a huge untapped mineral cache....

[Bigmack]

22. They owe us a lot....

and they seem to be paying it back. One bullet.... one IED... at a time.

[ZombieHorde]

25. Us, no. Me, $20. nt

[Puregonzo1188]

27. No, but I think our government owes the Afghans something--for invading and occupying their country.

[TheKentuckian]

30. Fuck no and we shouldn't provide security for anybody else either

Bring em home.

[bobburgster]

32. Considering all we have done for them......

killing innocent civilians, supporting opium production, re-energizing homegrown terrorists, rebuilding infrastructure, destroying opium production, destroying infrastructure, supporting a corrupt regime... we should have first dibs on mineral rights.