Does anyone remember back when the old Soviet Union

[old mark]

was fighting in Afghanistan, and it cost them so much in lives and money the Soviets eventually fell apart?
Does this seem a little familiar to anyone, like what is happening with out economy now?

mark

[leftofcool]

1. We are fast becoming the Old Soviet Union

which was never really a communist country to begin with but rather state run capitalism

[dipsydoodle]

2. Does anyone remember

Exactly who was supplying arms to Afghanistan to fight the Russians ?

[liberal N proud]

3. I have been thinking that for a couple of years now

What really set my mind thinking was the Tom Hanks movie "Charlie Wilson's War".

I then recalled how Afghanistan broke the Soviet Union and started to compare it to what was and is happening to the US. It is exactly what the terrorist wanted. Bring the US to it's knees. And the bu$h regime helped them accomplish their mission.

[NNN0LHI]

4. They had Cosmonauts circling the earth and couldn't afford to bring them home

I remember well.

Don

[old mark]

12. They had one of the largest, most powerful Air Forces in the world

and could not affort the fuel to fly.
This occurred for years till just recently - they seem to be able to use their military to some degree again.
mark

[NashVegas]

5. And Does Anyone Remember the Rise of the Criminal Oligarchs?

Seems like we could be heading there, too.

[KharmaTrain]

6. It Took 10 Years...

The Soviets invaded Afghanistan in the Fall of '79 and didn't withdraw until '89. There are a lot of similarities in our involvement, but also some key differences.

Afghanistan wasn't the major reason for the downfall of the Soviet Union, just added to a cascading implosion of a system that had failed not just in Russia, but across the entire Soviet Empire (Eastern Europe) under a lot of corruption and decay. It was long lines for toilet paper in Moscow that was as much to blame as the war in Afghanistan. I also had a good friend who traveled in Eastern Europe prior to the collapse and his contention was that the communications revolution of the 80's...satellite TV, VCRs, Fax Machines made it harder for the governments to control the flow of information and no longer could hide the corruption.

Iraq is our Afghanistan...there's a difference between the two. Some can say our actions in Afghanistan are defensive and are part of a true multi-national effort. Iraq is our own total mess...no justification to go in and none to remain. It's been the big financial drain and stretch our military to the breaking point. What is amazing of the U.S. collapse is how, with all our financial resources, we squandered so much so fast.

[old mark]

13. I agree about Iraq being the real problem,

and I'm also convinced Afghanistan is more important than Iraq ever was.

mark

[defendandprotect]

7. EXCEPT that we organized their entry into Afghanistan . .. .

According to Brz . . .

"We went into Afghanistan 6 months before the Russians came in -- in order to
bait the Russians into Afghanistan -- in hopes of giving them a Vietnam type experience."

We also set up the Taliban via our CIA thru Pakistan --

[charlie]

8. And it was Ronald Reagan

the bestest president of the 20th century, whut bankrupted the Commies with his steely resolve and wily ways. He vanquished them forever and ever, amen.

So... will Bin Laden ever get his deserved props for bankrupting us?

[lynnertic]

10. I want to be part of a nation that does not spread

poverty, war and despair.

[old mark]

11. I'm sure he already is if you are in his crowd.

I seem to remember some Iraqui military bigshot (One of Saddam's)
saying something to the effect that the US was stepping into quicksand and would not get out as we were engaging Iraq. This was before the
"mission accomplished" statement, of course.
Bush's stupidity and the greed of those who funded his presidency are destroying our country.


mark

[Blue Meany]

9. Yup, and I though this would happen at the time

It reminds of how Japan built up their economy after they lost World War II and it came to rival ours after a few decades. It looks to me as though the Cold War had two losers: Soviet Communism and American Capitalism.

[leftchick]

14. I relate it more to Italy

and Mussolini's 'vision'.