Joe Biden Presidency thread *Please read OP - Threadbanned Users Added 4/5/21*

Melanchthon

Only watched the first half of the speech so far but he keeps mentioning wider interests and geopolitical rivals.

That's true but this mess just weakens the view of the US as a reliable ally and weakens them in the region. The Chinese are laughing now.

charlie_says

I'd say even Balina is deeply disillusioned with Joe right now.

Watching that addess was 10% truth and 90% lower IQ version of W.

Melanchthon

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117764209#Comment_117764209

What part does he take any responsibility?

Professor Moriarty

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117764328#Comment_117764328

A meaningless tweet. Just like daddy. I wouldn't take much notice of Junior says.

Overheal

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117764328#Comment_117764328

Junior also said a vote for biden is a vote for forever wars.

Maybe don't rely on Junior for political takes.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117764321#Comment_117764321

The post you are replying to is itself a reply to a post. What does that original post say?

Overheal

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117764359#Comment_117764359

.....

Melanchthon

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117764366#Comment_117764366

Saying the the line and then not taking any responsibility 😂 Will be curious how the next press conference goes when hard questions might be asked about what advice was ignored, guess it will be a while though. What I caught of the pentagon press conference seemed shambolic.

osarusan

Biden spent the whole speech defending the decision to withdraw, but virtually all the criticism is over the shambolic nature of the withdrawal, so while I'd actually agree with a lot of what he said, I'm not sure how worthwhile the speech was.

Desperate Afghans climbing onto moving USAF planes is an image that will stay in the public consciousness for a long time.

There is no way in the world that this is how the withdrawal was supposed to happen, so who f**ked up, and who overruled who is important, and hopefully it will all come out in the wash.

Faugheen

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117764398#Comment_117764398

The thing is, American's won't give a complete f*ck about that. They just want their sons and daughters home.

PropBuyer101

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117764589#Comment_117764589

us media and social media would beg to differ on it.....they are demanding answers.... for once it has transcended the great bi partisan divide

markodaly

The latest polls are not good for Biden, not good at all.

https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/568054-poll-majority-of-americans-disapprove-of-bidens-handling-of

69% disapprove of his handling of the affair, while only 23% approve.

Even 40% of Democrats disapprove of Biden's handling of Afghanistan.

Hard midterms coming up, meaning a possible lame duck for the 2nd half of his presidency, and then 2024, even if he does run, will not be easy for him.

A part of me thinks, he did this, so it will free up Harris in 2024 to not be burdened with Afghanistan. Taking one for the team so to speak.

Manic Moran

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117760746#Comment_117760746

Google with the date filter is a wonderful thing, makes it easy to search for news without the overwhelming of the current story. Back in April, the Secretary of Defense, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the commanders of Mid-East theater and of Afghanistan operations all told Biden "don't do it".

https://www.wsj.com/articles/biden-rebuffed-commanders-advice-in-decision-to-leave-afghanistan-11618696597

https://www.politico.com/news/2021/04/14/pentagon-biden-team-overrode-afghanistan-481556

Then if you filter back to the pre-Biden days, October last year, you get things like General Milley saying "The whole agreement and all of the drawdown plans are conditions-based, and I expect that we'll have further discussions on the conditions and ensure that they warrant....Well, that has always been our instructions. That's always been the agreement. That was the decision of the president on a conditions-based withdrawal."

https://www.npr.org/2020/10/11/922848187/transcript-nprs-full-interview-with-joint-chiefs-of-staff-chairman-mark-milley

Overheal

I'm also fond of the '-' operator in google searches, really wipes out a lot of bs

everlast75

From my armchair expert position, i think that the sudden withdrawal of troops is generally the wrong move.

I thought so when trump did it, and I think so when Biden did it.

There is a larger geopolitical context of course, but doing this where locals are relying on the US for help seems wrong to me.

Brian?

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117764328#Comment_117764328

I’m generally not in favour of ad hominem arguments. But I’ll make an exception for Don Jnr. The guy is a complete and utter tool who should be ignored.

Brian?

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117765080#Comment_117765080

When the last 2500 US troops were removed there were 300,000 Afghan troops left.

The US withdrawal clearly wasn’t the only problem here. How could 300,000 troops just give up like that?

@Manic Moran have you any idea what happened, it bamboozles me.

Taliban numbers are estimated to be about 180-200k, from a population of about 37m.

The population of Tallaght is about 65k. Biden is welcome to use that as a soundbite.

everlast75

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117765098#Comment_117765098

I agree that the withdrawal isn't the only problem. Clearly there's an intelligence failure here. There also doesn't appear to be a contingency plan.

Most Americans want their kids home but the images emerging are making an impact on their point of view. Competency is being called into question (**** trumpites - they revelled in incompetency for 4 years so they don't get a say). I'm talking about the average person with average intelligence

Dempo1

Less than 2 weeks ago Biden gave a Tetchy press conference and made some outlandish predictions about the Taliban Advance and the Strength and resolve of a near 300,00p strong Afghan army/airforce, bigger he said than some NATO allies. Putting these bizzare statements into context, Roll on to this weekends utter shambles.

Pretty Grim state of affairs in Afghanistan and from an untrained eye, Biden has seriously underestimated the speed of the Taliban advance but equally the utterly cowardly behaviour of the Afghan Government and Army.

Surely US military commanders on the ground and in the Pentagon were doing / Getting reports, had an incling of the ineptitude of Afghan leadership & their incompetence in advance of a withdrawal not to mention the corruption.

No one doubts Bidens long held views on withdrawal but my god, the scene's of utter chaos over the past few days is just beggar's belief. The only saving grace ironically is the Taliban did not actually attack American forces at the airport, it would have been a bloodbath with civilians got in the middle.

The Taliban have clearly learned from past mistakes and have played a blinder here, very, very Cunning and dare I say cleverly restrained, of course it's doubtful that ploy will continue albeit I do sense a different approach by them.

I Watched Bidens press statement last night in complete disbelief , it was just appalling, a playbook of the blame game approach , taken from the playbook of the Odious Donald Trump, also ironically Biden just handed Trump the excuse he needs to Run again. Biden barely acknowledged the sacrifice of so many, it was just shocking to listen too as was his petulant storming off the podium refusing to take any questions. It's not the first Tetchy performance from the sol called president of the people.

Personally I liked the man, its hard not too after whom he took over but any respect I had, now disappearing fast, have watched him stumble through his presidency over the past few months, the honeymoon long over now, no amount of trips to ballina and proclaimations of his Irish Roots will polish the Turd he's thrown into the mix, a shambolic failure and the Pentagon press conference afterwards was actually worse. Even the most ardent media supporters at CNN were aghast.

Shocking, Appalling and quite unbelievable a man with so much foreign policy experience could be so Niaeve, its going to take some time for Biden to recover from this abject farce, if ever. Noticeable too the VP"s complete silence.

everlast75

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117765124#Comment_117765124

You started off so well. However, it all became clear at the end. Trump running again lol

Brian?

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117765116#Comment_117765116

I am listening to an ex diplomat on RTE Radio 1 here, he's tearing Biden to pieces.

I don't disagree with some of what he said. Mainly that there had to be a better plan around securing Kabul to ensure people could be evacuated properly.

everlast75

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117764328#Comment_117764328

Imagine, of all people in the entire world, quoting ****ing Donny Jnr.

Donny Jnr.

Ffs.

Melanchthon

https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/568054-poll-majority-of-americans-disapprove-of-bidens-handling-of

is it normal for the press secretary to be off at the same time as the president? I know trump was chaotic but in terms of administrations before that

Dempo1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117765129#Comment_117765129

I maybe wrong but I honestly think Biden just gave Trump a stick to beat him with. In essence, it was Trumps team that negotiated the actual withdrawal. Biden had a number of months to assess the poison chalice as it were. How it was remotely possible not to manage a withdrawal is beggars belief and its the abject failure of Biden and his team to manage this better that Trump and his lunatic supporters will latch onto with Gusto, it's already begun and if history tells us anything, it's Americans have very, very short memories. Wether Trump will ever grace the white house again is a different question, this doesn't stop him attempting too.

Just read back, your response, what exactly do you mean, it all became Clear 🤔 have you actually fully read my comment🤔 I hope your not inferring I support any notion of a Trump return, the thought disgusts and horrifies me.

Dempo1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117765138#Comment_117765138

Honestly no press Secretary, no matter how good, would have been able this spin this mess into a positive, she was wise to be on holidays 😉

everlast75

https://twitter.com/newschambers/status/1427252455537008647?s=19

Intelligence failure it is then so

Dempo1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117765187#Comment_117765187

Yes, from the president down it would seem.

Hande hoche!

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117765138#Comment_117765138

I wouldn't blame her for avoid this flack storm. Kirby was getting some difficult questions yesterday from the assembled press.

timmyntc

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117765098#Comment_117765098

US trained Afghan army to mirror US style of operating - heavily reliant on air force, both for logistics (supplies to far bases) and for firepower.

Once the US pulled out, the Afghan airforce was non-functional. They didnt have the expertise to keep planes in service, so their airforce has been effectively grounded for months. ~1 month ago there were articles about Afghan airforce having to skype US counterparts to help service planes.

The other thing is that the Pentagon paid most of the Afghan military - after the withdrawal that function was transferred to the Afghan govt. Almost immediately, many servicemen complained of no pay and no food - hardly surprising they deserted given the conditions.

The US withdrawal was done in a "sink or swim" manner - instead of testing the water to see could the Afghans run things. They sank.