08-27-2021, 03:34 PM
(08-26-2021, 08:31 PM)Dill Wrote: I agree with the bolded, if we are talking about commitment to war.
On the other hand, he was big on SYMBOLIC violence, like MOAB which was supposed to intimidate the Taliban, the assisination of Suleiman, and shooting down drones in the Gulf--the latter two actions walking us close to the edge of war.
The Kurds helped the US find and kill Al Baghdadi; Leaving them then to fend for themselves is probably the best predictor of how Trump would have handled the Afghan pull out. Would he "own" bringing 20,000 Muslim collaborators to the US?
Perhaps he would authorize some random bombing if the Taliban failed to meet some demand, killing more civilians, friend and foe, in a final masculinist gesture. But it's doubtful the Taliban would worry enough about that to alter their behavior. Trump was not going to restart the war, and that was his only possible leverage, not another MOAB. The big win for them was the Doha Agreement with its deadlines. One way or another, big boom or quiet whimper, the US was leaving.
I don't think Trump was only tough on conservatives. Think of the whistleblowers he fired.
Nothing to disagree with in this, but I just want to note that I said only conservatives saw him as a tough guy (as in believes the charade), not that he was only tough on them.
![[Image: ulVdgX6.jpg]](http://i.imgur.com/ulVdgX6.jpg)
![[Image: 4CV0TeR.png]](https://i.imgur.com/4CV0TeR.png)