gearhog

Brother, I get all that. But here's the way it seems to me: The most embarrassing bumblefcku in American military history had just occurred due to poor decisions and assessment of risk, leading to the conditions that caused to 13 of our military brothers and sisters and countless civilians being killed at the airport gate. We're further shocked and humiliated, and Biden announces that this evil attack will not go unpunished. The same leadership, same decision process, same intelligence methodology that missed the attack at the gate miraculously finds a VBIED in a Kabul neighborhood the next day. So we shoot at an explosive laden vehicle in a dense neighborhood just before our final exist and blame civilian casualties on secondary explosions. Occam's Razor.

First, let's remind ourselves that I have created none of these hypothetical situations we're discussing. All I have done is used your hypotheticals (ventilators and heart transplants), and added some complexity. Adding just a little bit seems to create frustration because they are difficult questions to answer. No offense, but I'm left to assume that's why you didn't. Second, I haven't seen either your examples occurring on a scale or frequency that necessitates a blanket policy decision by you about who gets treatment. Or much, much worse yet, taking life away to give life. To give you an imperfect answer: I would help where help is needed, as it is needed, knowing full well I do not have the moral authority to take life away with regard to changing circumstances, or my personal beliefs. To me, it would seem the most obvious answer that is if you are limited in our capacity help, you increase capacity.

I think some of us may have a tendency to create a false hypothetical unrealistic dilemma to make our choices easier. I know I do it, too. Let's make it more interesting. You're a good guy and you have friends. Think of two of them. One is probably runs a little more than the other, one may be slightly overweight, one holds different political views than you, and you may even have a friend who is unvaccinated. Again, this is based on your hypothetical. With the names of these two real people in mind, say both need the heart transplant in your earlier example, do you automatically choose the one runs more miles? Let's go on make a decision nearer the one I asked about the ventilator: Only somewhat overweight one needs a heart transplant and gets it. He's okay. The other friend now needs one. With the same logic applied in this situation, it'd be okay to remove the former's new heart and give it to the latter. Would you treat them both with the same cold, simple variable approach you use for deciding who gets a ventilator? It's not the likelihood of the above dilemma, it's the moral and ethical decision process that matters, and that's what we're establishing.

This is fascinating stuff. However, that's an unfair caveat, because there are no equal medical situations. A scenario where you would have to choose between two identical human beings and the only basis for your decision being, one is vaxxed, one is not, simply cannot exist. The important information I gather here is that we have reached a point where I can give a person an unlikely hypothetical scenario, and their beliefs over such an unclear, widely debated issue allows them to so quickly attest that they would be willing to remove someone's life over it. Dark times are ahead.

That's an interesting thought. So medical staff shows up to work to an ER full of patients. They would obviously select the vaccinated people first for ventilators. However, I just don't see it working out that way. Would you remove an unvaccinated person from a ventilator if a vaccinated person later showed up needing one?

Propagandists strike again: https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2021-08-30/family-says-several-children-killed-us-missile-strike-kabul

Who is the guy between the two Presidents? https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20210825-harris-in-hanoi-as-afghan-debacle-rumbles

What type of treatments would you refuse the unvaccinated? Just COVID-related illnesses or any medical treatment?

Correct me if I'm wrong, but you seem to indicate a belief that civilian casualties and collateral damage as a result of this confirmed drone strike did not occur, because in the past, similar things have been lied about at least some of the time. In spite of reports from actual reporters on the ground and an acknowledgement of that possibility from CENTCOM, you've concluded that the whole story is propaganda and lies, and sharing it is doing the work of the Taliban. Believe me, I don't want to see things like this happen, and I didn't want to believe the monumental levels of incompetence that have consistently occurred prior to this alleged tragedy are real. But let's face facts, the conditions and leadership that have created the situation we now find ourselves haven't changed, so it's not a stretch to acknowledge that, yeah, we're still fkucing up and and accidentally blowing up innocents, perpetuating the cycle. Perhaps CENTCOM will release the video and it will be compared to the widely available graphic images on the ground. Perhaps they don't. Perhaps it's better to let people believe "This is a lie. This couldn't have happened."

Looks like we got our vengeance. Good work, everyone. https://www.cnn.com/world/live-news/afghanistan-kabul-taliban-us-news-08-29-21/h_2bd817e241b383fb2d746202ef5ed752 https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E9_5npPWEAAYZh8?format=jpg&name=4096x4096

I’ve tried to remain stoic through all of this. I can’t. We need to see changes. Today.

Hey guys, not sure what to do with this. Help/Advice/Recommendations welcome. I just checked into my hotel here in California and struck up a conversation with the bellman. I was struck by what an incredibly genuine human being he was from the moment he started speaking. He asked where I was from, I asked where he was from. Afghanistan. Former interpreter for the Marines. Came here under the whatever program it was that got him and his family US citizenship. Extremely long conversation ensued until the manger hinted that he needs to be working, not talking politics. Long story short: He has a brother in Herat with a wife and kids. The brother is in hiding because he also worked for Kellog, Brown, and Root on military bases throughout AFG. The Taliban is trying to root them out. Apparently, he needs some sort of a letter saying he worked for KBR to get the documents required to leave the country. Latif then asked, because I was former military, if I had any ideas or knew of anything he could do. He's worried that his brother and his family will not survive this. I got a lump in my throat as this whole thing I've been following suddenly became personal. I want to help, but I don't know what to do. I have his contact info. Any comments welcome.

State Department = "Brainworms" https://twitter.com/JimmyPrinceton/status/1428756995650240513?s=20

This one was a gut punch when I saw it, but it was designed to be. It's not for everyone, but consider looking into Stoicism.

From the WSJ article: A tent city is being erected at the New Jersey base and medical supplies, food, water, restrooms, lighting and other equipment are being installed there now, officials said. Evacuees could be there by next week, they said. Other bases being studied as potential housing sites include Fort Pickett, Va., Camp Atterbury, Ind., Camp Hunter Liggett, Calif., and Fort Chaffee, Ark. Pentagon officials are also looking at American bases in Japan, Korea, Germany, Kosovo, Bahrain and Italy, officials said. The Pentagon earlier had identified Fort Lee, Va., Fort Bliss, Texas, and Fort McCoy in Wisconsin as bases that were to begin housing refugees.

C’mon, man! The fall of Kabul was 4-5 days ago. Why are we still talking about this?

What the hell is he doing? He keeps attacking a significant portion of his base. LOL. If he’s intentionally trying to end his career, good for him.

Senator John Cornyn tweeted that we had 30,000 troops in Taiwan. He deleted the Tweet, but China didn't like it. China is also holding live-fire exercises and making even larger incursions into Taiwan airspace today: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/aug/17/china-holds-live-fire-exercises-near-taiwan-response-provocations?utm_term=Autofeed&CMP=soc_568&utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Twitter#Echobox=1629225077

I’ll say it: “battles”.

Everything you're going to hear at 3:45pm. Leaked from a Pelosi staffer.

According to German media, none of the German aircraft that were earlier launched to rescue citizens have been able to land in AFG. They've all been diverted to Uzbekistan. What are the chances the Taliban will be seeking stranded foreign nationals for a GITMO prisoner exchange?

Blood in the water: https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202108/1231636.shtml

EST I believe: 2:00 PM: U.S. State Department briefing 2:30 PM: Pentagon briefing 3:45 PM: President Biden to make remarks on Afghanistan from the White House. First remarks since last week.