President Joseph R Biden

[Alan]

This isn't a surprise, really.

 

[Templeton Peck]

This isn't a surprise, really.

True. He was doing so well though.

 

[Alan]

I'll be surprised if we see any American president publicly support Palestine in my lifetime.

 

[Tony Towner]

Complete lies on Afghanistan in his press conference.

 

[Stan Hullis]

Felt really uneasy listening to him essentially throw a whole nation under the bus.

Really feel for all the people about to be returned into a state of oppression with no hope to get out.

 

[Tony Towner]

Just goes to show that all American Presidents by UK standards are variations of right wing

 

[Templeton Peck]

Yep they're all cunts really. Mind you, loads of people in the UK think Blair is centre left.

 

[Dennisons Wrong Foot]

The US has wasted trillions of dollars on war in Afghanistan. This could not continue indefinitely. Unfortunately the US is much better at starting wars than ending them (Vietnam, Iraq).

 

[Banjo]

The tragedy of this makes me even angrier about Iraq, which was a huge distraction and which sullied the idea of any Western intervention for a generation. Blair and Bush have lots to answer for on this. For Bush, it was all about finishing his dad's work. For Blair, it was a delusional messiah complex. For lots of people it was about making lots of money. There was no external threat from Iraq whereas Afghanistan was and soon will be again a breeding ground for extremism.

Afghanistan was a UN mission and whilst so much money has been spent on it, there was a tangible benefit to it and I think if it had been a priority for the first decade instead of Iraq, they may have managed to create some substance to the new way of life. What's happened in terms of the speed at which the Taliban have taken back control is incredible.

There will be girls in Afghanistan who remember nothing but the western-backed regime. Going to school, seeing females in high profile positions (journalists, politicians etc).. overnight that's all changing and it's horrifying.

Politically, I assume Biden thought (same as Trump) that voters in rust belt swing states just wanted to see an end to American interventionist foreign policy with the somewhat simplistic "let's spend the money here instead" message. The same message would resonate here in Brexit-voting towns and it's why the Tories cut the foreign aid budget. I'd be interested to know how the pictures we've seen over the past 48 hours are being received in places like Pennsylvania.

 

[Banjo]

Just goes to show that all American Presidents by UK standards are variations of right wing

I don't think it's as simple as this. It's about intervention v isolation. Neo-cons are all about intervention (the Bush cabinet). The far left (Corbyn and the Bennites) are all about isolation.

 

[lemonjelly]

I was angry the focus of his speech seemed only to be about american lives. he kept repeating the loss of american lives, and how long america would agree to it.
like they're the only lives that matter, and other lives are expendable ffs.

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

The owners of those other lives don’t vote for him

 

[Donegal Wolf]

The owners of those other lives don’t vote for him

Yep and according to recent polls most are in favour of pulling out.
(That was a couple of weeks ago).

 

[sycophantia]

I've got a bit of sympathy with the 'if the Afghan leaders and military are so weak, why should our guys be put in danger', after all they have had 20 years of cash, equipment and training to get their shit together, however after Americas (and others) involvement they simply have to handle the withdrawal much better and over a longer period, both from a humanitarian and future security angle

 

[Tony Towner]

Biden’s national security adviser reveals the President has not spoken to any world leader about Afghanistan this week. Quite incredible. So much for consulting and informing allies who’ve also been in Afghanistan for two decades. And you thought Trump didn’t care about allies …

— Andrew Neil (@afneil) August 17, 2021

 

[Alan]

It would be even more sad if it didn't feel so inevitable.

America doesn't give a flying fuck about anyone but itself. A mid-tier neoliberal like Biden was never going to change that.

 

[Tony Towner]

It would be even more sad if it didn't feel so inevitable.

America doesn't give a flying fuck about anyone but itself. A mid-tier neoliberal like Biden was never going to change that.

I love and hate your country in equal measure Alan. TBF I do my own

 

[Tredman]

Similar to TT really, the US is equally amazing and terrifying. For me especially the fact that someone with a similar background and colour to my kids can be your President is truly inspiring. The fact it was followed up by Trump less so.

 

[Alan]

My feelings about this country run the gamut. I love it, I hate it; I'm proud of it, I'm ashamed of it.

As a straight, white man (even an effeminate one), this country can and has been very, very good to me. That it continues to fall short at being good to people who don't look like me hurts in a way that I find very difficult to describe, but which I imagine is not too far removed from the way some of you good folks feel about the UK.

Being American is part of my identity and I can't ever shed that (nor should I). Equally, I understand that the negative stereotypes that exist about Americans in the world beyond US borders are... Earned. And that saddens me very, very deeply.

 

[Papper]

Occupying these places will never be popular although they never much cared for occupying the equally repugnant Saudi regime did they. Did they ever complete that pipeline? guess they can bribe the Taleban to look after it if they did. The vile legacy of Bush and Blair.