Why did we stay in Afghanistan for twenty years, despite accomplishing less than nothing? For all too many people, the enterprise was just too profitable to give up.
“Who Won in Afghanistan? Private Contractors: The U.S. military spent $14 trillion during two decades of war; those who benefited range from major manufacturers to entrepreneurs,” by Dion Nissenbaum, Jessica Donati and Alan Cullison, Wall Street Journal, December 31, 2021 (thanks to Henry):
The U.S. lost its 20-year campaign to transform Afghanistan. Many contractors won big.
Those who benefited from the outpouring of government money range from major weapons manufacturers to entrepreneurs. A California businessman running a bar in Kyrgyzstan started a fuel business that brought in billions in revenue. A young Afghan translator transformed a deal to provide forces with bed sheets into a business empire including a TV station and a domestic airline….
Infidel says
I remember when President Trump told Tucker Carlson about $25 million get spent to build a gas station in Kabul. Great gigs, if you can get it!
gravenimage says
Even worse than that, Infidel:
“Pentagon spent $43m on ‘world’s most expensive gas station’ in Afghanistan”
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/nov/02/afghanistan-gas-station-pentagon-natural-gas
Completely insane.
By the way, the average cost to build a gas station from scratch in the US–with all of our first-world to-code safeguards–is just around $300 thousand.
Wellington says
Tending to prove that 9/11 was a victory for the forces of darkness and avarice after all.
The big loser? Why freedom and its wonderful allies like equality under the law, common sense, women’s rights, overall decency and a proper moral intelligence.
What a waste.
gregbeetham says
The military doesn’t seem to have an effective independent oversight committee that has an agenda to ensure cost effectiveness and conformity with the statement of purpose.
Col. Bill says
Congress established a particular entity. Kown as the Special Inspector for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR). The reports issued by John Sopko, the agency’s head, document the colossal waste of time, money, and physical assets.
SIGAR..mil/allreports/
gregbeetham says
Ok there is SIGAR but it doesn’t seem to have been as effective as it might ideally have been. And it also raises the question of why get involved in rebuilding Afghanistan in the first place? The place had been a basket case for a very long time and still is now just like most Islamic countries that aren’t sitting on vast oil wealth.
And that was another self inflicted problem, why did we ever give those sand monkey’s so much economic clout in the first place, we need our heads examined.
gravenimage says
Sadly this seems to be the case, Wellington. I had so hoped after 9/11 that everyone would study Islam and see what a threat it presents–but many are still in willful denial over twenty years later.
Wellington says
We’re actually worse off, gravenimage, then we were before 9/11, what with one pathetic Western nation after another (including ours, America) making excuse after excuse after nauseating excuse for the worst religion of all time.
Ignorance of the past (which millennials in the West excel at) plus the undying malevolence of Islam makes for a “perfect storm” for the ending of the West.
Yes, there is still hope, but it is fading. I fear fast like.
mortimer says
Yes, agree, too many politicians have made excuses for Islam and even whitewashed it so the public will remain ignorant. That is because of our dependence on the oil from Muslim-majority countries.
Before the British navy transitioned from coal to oil (beginning in 1903), Churchill wrote “The River War” (publ. 1899).
Churchill famously wrote: “Islam is the most retrograde force on earth.” No politician would say such a truth today. Islam was and will be retrograde until Muslims can be convinced that Islam is unhistorical, fabricated medieval rubbish.
gravenimage says
Wellington, I *wish* I could disagree with you here.
Infidel says
Yeah, I’ve seen wags who noted that 9/11 was the best thing to ever happen for islam! Before that, we didn’t see so many muslims in the West. Now, like the Omicron virus, they are everywhere
I’m starting to think – that had Trump been our president in 2001 – he did contemplate running in 2000 on a Reform Party ticket – that he would not have let either Saudi Arabia nor Pakistan get away w/ what they did
gravenimage says
President Bush talked about some version of a “Muslim ban”–and the backlash was so intense that he backed off. Wish he had held firm–things might be quite different now.
Infidel says
No, if you recall, in 2000, Gov Bush was already pandering to muslims in the run-up to the elections, since the Jewish vote was thought to be a lock-in by Algore and Joe Lieberman. And 6 days after 9/11, he was visiting a mosque, and making his disclaimers for islam. I was just wondering out aloud how different it would have been had Trump been running things
gravenimage says
U.S. military spent $14 trillion in Afghanistan; those who benefited range from major manufacturers to entrepreneurs
…………
Certainly the American people and her brave warriors and their families did not benefit.
Keith O says
The old saying goes, “follow the money”.
It takes a bit of digging, but my son in law, who is a top end accountant, showed me the money trail that resulted from 911.
Interesting corporations such as Haliburton, Boeing etc, who had major stock holders such as the Bin laden family, Dick Chaney, the Bush family. An interesting “who’s who” of powerful people, so the above article is no surprise. They used the evil that is islam to start a never ending war for never ending profits.