Afghan refugees. Sorry but Britain is full up.

[Sheepy]

There is no mad story, only you ignorance of history. (Amongst other things.)

And you are heading fast for a lie down in a dark room with some nice medicine.

[Sampanviking]

It does, but can they get a route into landlocked Afghanistan? Karachi, Pakistan is the nearest port but there is no rail link.

They have a land border

[papasmurf]

Are you in some fantasy land? I just told you we didn't end of your mad story.

There is no mad story, only you ignorance of history. (Amongst other things.)

[papasmurf]

Well, that explains China's interest

It does, but can they get a route into landlocked Afghanistan? Karachi, Pakistan is the nearest port but there is no rail link.

[Sheepy]

When you resort to nasty personal insults you have lost credibility. (Not that you have ever had any with me.)
The issue is we should stay well out of Afghanistan, we should waste no more money and British squaddies lives on the place.
There are more than enough problems in Britain that need sorting.

Are you in some fantasy land? I just told you we didn't end of your mad story.

[papasmurf]

What have I just fecking told you? about dealing with the issues at hand, we need steady heads not raving fecking nutters from the Cornish peninsula.

When you resort to nasty personal insults you have lost credibility. (Not that you have ever had any with me.)
The issue is we should stay well out of Afghanistan, we should waste no more money and British squaddies lives on the place.
There are more than enough problems in Britain that need sorting.

[johnofgwent]

Apparently there is:-

https://www.mining.com/1-trillion-motherlode-of-lithium-and-gold-discovered-in-afghanistan/

Well, that explains China's interest

[Sampanviking]

Well Cromwell I will take any Tabloid as they all read the same to me.

More over to everybody, before getting overly dewy eyed. Remember this.
Afghanistan is a country of over 31 Million people, most of the men in which have had military training or combat experience of one sort or another.
The Taliban number about 50,000 and are/ were spread pretty thinly across the country.
The Country in Government held areas were awash with modern US Weapons.
Had there been any will to fight for the system that we Installed and Imposed on them. Tens of thousands of men; competent with firearms, could have taken to the barricades, in the cities and kept the Taliban out (Just like Londoners did to Charles I)
This did not happen. Instead the population rose on mass, to welcome them as Liberators.
We have been kicked out and our hand wringing angst about moral obligation is nothing more than delusional.

Be thankful, that after we launched and occupied their country in a violent Invasion and stayed in a violent occupation, that they are letting us withdraw unopposed and unassailed. We are getting out in one piece, just be grateful for that.

[Sheepy]

The brains have to be there to baffle. I suggest you study the sad history of Britain's and Russia's involvement in Afghanistan.

What have I just fecking told you? about dealing with the issues at hand, we need steady heads not raving fecking nutters from the Cornish peninsula.

[papasmurf]

The Taliban have decisively walked into the country with little or no contest,

They were already there, they were born there and live there.  It came as no surprise to me they took over so quickly. Given the "ghost army," that was supposed to be keeping Taliban at bay and the corrupt government the Taliban chased out.

[T00ts]

Is it really such an all or nothing decision? I have wept at the prospect of the future in Afghanistan and of course particularly the fate of the women who I can so easily relate to. The instinct is to try to extricate them and take them away from it all, and I am sure that they will be feeling exactly the same and want to run as far away as possible.

But are we missing something here in our efforts to be generous. To remove people from their home may seem like the best solution and initially will have massive appeal but can we guarantee them a better life really? Initially perhaps so, but long term? Into their old age? Are we in danger of pushing the pendulum too far one way or another? With the best will in the world we cannot help all at the moment, we are on very uncertain ground economically ourselves, so is it really fair to take vulnerable people onto an unsteady ship?

The Taliban have decisively walked into the country with little or no contest, we see them as bad people although they are asking at present for a chance. My personal view is that this will last just long enough to get the infidels out of their country when they will revert to type, but we have tried for 20 years to give the Afghans the strength and courage and means to defy the Taliban. It seems it was wasted. Perhaps they want a leadership which is strong and decisive and perhaps our substitute was not what they wanted when they saw it in action. After all they have always been governed by warlords.

Is it right to give so much that we risk them as well as ourselves? Put it on a basic level. We all have a finite pot of gold in terms of money, time and capability. If everyone in your town or even your street suddenly landed on your doorstep asking for help, how far could you extend yourself. Wouldn't some people have to be left out or left til later? This is no different. If we are to be able to help going forward then we have to be judicious now.

[papasmurf]

Eh? bullshit baffles brains?

The brains have to be there to baffle. I suggest you study the sad history of Britain's and Russia's involvement in Afghanistan.

[Sheepy]

The Russians should have kept out of Afghanistan and stayed out back in 1826 as well.
I am moving on it seems you have not.

Eh? bullshit baffles brains?

[papasmurf]

Well, we didn't we went on a jolly with Uncle Sam, you have to be a realist about these things. Move on which you always seem to have a massive problem with.

The Russians should have kept out of Afghanistan and stayed out back in 1826 as well.
I am moving on it seems you have not.

[Sheepy]

My mind was made up about Afghanistan about six decades ago when I was aged 11 or 12. Britain should have kept out of the place back in 1826 and stayed out.

Well, we didn't we went on a jolly with Uncle Sam, you have to be a realist about these things. Move on which you always seem to have a massive problem with.