I Guess We're Just Pulling Out Now
Wow, I guess we’re just pulling out now & I didn’t see it coming.
Despite not being an expert, here’s my in-depth analysis since I need page views today.
Pulling out is not fun or easy, especially when you’re in deep.
According to NBC News,
The roughly 2,000 U.S.troops in Syria, first deployed in 2015 on President Barack Obama’s watch, helped Kurdish-led forces deliver a resounding defeat against Islamic State extremists that at one point held large swaths of territory. Now the Islamic State is severely damaged and is holed up in the Euphrates River valley.
So it seems the balls of our country are smooshed right up against the grundle that is ISIS. We’re in deep…
It’s been 3 years, 2,000 troops, who knows how many contractors & ‘troops that don’t exactly count as boots on the ground for whatever reason’, & who knows how much money’s been spent on our own forces & on bolstering the resistance, how many new enemies have we made, how many new allies will we be abandoning and can they hold their own, etc… not to mention how this effects the worldview of us and so on.
How do we pull out without leaving a big ‘ol gaping hole? And who will fill it in our place?
Pulling out is an absolute mess. (I’ve heard that from friends of friends.)
Truly a sticky situation. In this case the sudden ejaculation of information has stunned everyone feeling screwed by Trump on both sides of the isle. Politicians & military advisors are speaking out against this move, of which most were not informed of until they saw it on Twitter.
Even the Department of Defense walked back on the President’s statements faster than Jamiroquai strolling backwards on a moving sidewalk. All those ‘purposefully curated at a 2nd Grade-level’ sentences invoking patriotic feelings at the expense of those who have paid the ultimate price (“Hey, our dead soldiers are gonna be smiling down, happy with this!”) sound fluffy & lovely and are probably quite effective at face value, but beyond that who knows.
I think people imagine ‘pulling out’ means troops all hopping on planes tomorrow, popping out of giant Christmas packages to delight their kids by the 25th. It does not work that way at all. Regardless of which President, I get annoyed when our military is used as a pawn (they all do it) or distraction from other things & that’s what this feels like to me.
Pulling out can be the stupidest way to attempt being smart, but it’s better than nothing.
Was this move communicated with all partners involved? No. Are there way better options? Probably. But if you’re going to make the bare minimum effort to avoid a loooooong term problem & make yourself look good along the way, this might be the way to go.
The way we handled Iraq was disastrous, the way we’re handling Afghanistan is disastrous. The way we got involved with this, disastrous (thanks Obama). One was a late pull out, the other is almost 18 years old now & not looking to leave us any time soon (no Afghanistan, you cannot borrow the car tonight), and now we’re in the weeds with Syria. So examining this like a judgy moron who is by no means an expert I truly wonder, “What does it matter?” if we do it this way.
If you couldn’t tell my opinions are formed strongly by what I saw as a frustrating quagmire during my time in Afghanistan, and I don’t care that this is great news for Russia & Iran. Save us the trouble, get us out, let ‘em mire themselves further into it.
Pulling out still carries a risk.
In real life for every 100 folks who try that method, 4 wind up knocked up & that’s because a little bit still escapes. In this case, we put a real ass-whooping on ISIS (shout out to those putting it all on the line overseas & accomplishing incredible things) but about 30,000 remain, and ISIS fighters are kind of like disgusting cockroaches. Once we’re gone more will come skittering back to regroup. Just look at what’s happening in Afghanistan right now for a handbook on that.
Who will be left to cleanup the mess? Or will it only get worse? The saddest part is knowing the innocent people caught in the middle of it all will continue to suffer. I wish I had an answer.
All in all, it’s all about timing & risk management. Getting a grasp on the whole situation made me feel like Charlie Kelly at the cork board, but once the knee-jerk reactions die down we’ll see nothing crazy is going to happen immediately.
Anyways, I shouldn’t even be rambling about any of this. I wouldn’t know.