1 00:00:00,680 --> 00:00:07,440 Speaker 1: I'm strong, I'm strong, and Jaddy show in Afghanistan. We've 2 00:00:07,440 --> 00:00:11,160 Speaker 1: taken twenty years to lose to goatherds with fertilizer, and 3 00:00:11,200 --> 00:00:14,400 Speaker 1: they're not even waiting until we leave to loot Bagram 4 00:00:14,440 --> 00:00:18,360 Speaker 1: Air Base for basketballs and boom boxes and the world's 5 00:00:18,400 --> 00:00:23,000 Speaker 1: most lavishly funded and entirely useless General staff thinks we 6 00:00:23,040 --> 00:00:28,040 Speaker 1: need more diversity saminars. So that's Mark Stein filling in 7 00:00:28,160 --> 00:00:30,360 Speaker 1: last night on Fox. He's really good and a good writer, 8 00:00:30,480 --> 00:00:32,760 Speaker 1: but he was making his argument was we spend too 9 00:00:32,800 --> 00:00:36,160 Speaker 1: much time in our military worried about a political correctness. 10 00:00:36,159 --> 00:00:38,040 Speaker 1: Now you remember the thing, what was the thing last 11 00:00:38,080 --> 00:00:42,000 Speaker 1: week that General Milly was on critical race theory, but 12 00:00:42,080 --> 00:00:44,560 Speaker 1: whether recommending reading that was a good idea and not 13 00:00:44,760 --> 00:00:47,839 Speaker 1: see I'm I'm leaning toward getting out of Afghanistan and 14 00:00:47,880 --> 00:00:51,680 Speaker 1: have been for about fifteen years. Uh So I'll be 15 00:00:51,720 --> 00:00:53,599 Speaker 1: interested to see what our next guest has to say. 16 00:00:53,640 --> 00:00:55,240 Speaker 1: We always go to mic lines, but we want to 17 00:00:55,240 --> 00:00:57,880 Speaker 1: know this stuff. But this is from the Onion. Somebody 18 00:00:57,920 --> 00:01:02,720 Speaker 1: sent this. This is from the Onion in ten years ago. 19 00:01:02,880 --> 00:01:05,560 Speaker 1: This is on the ten year anniversary being in Afghanistan. 20 00:01:05,800 --> 00:01:08,600 Speaker 1: The Onion headline was and remember The Onion is a 21 00:01:08,680 --> 00:01:14,479 Speaker 1: joke newspaper. The Onion headline was US quietly slips out 22 00:01:14,520 --> 00:01:17,640 Speaker 1: of Afghanistan and dead of night. And there are some 23 00:01:17,680 --> 00:01:19,880 Speaker 1: reports that that's what we did just a couple of 24 00:01:19,880 --> 00:01:22,560 Speaker 1: months ago, leaving the Air Force base and not telling 25 00:01:22,560 --> 00:01:25,760 Speaker 1: anybody and just we're out. Well, let's talk to military 26 00:01:25,800 --> 00:01:28,959 Speaker 1: analyst Mike Lyons, who served with various military organizations in 27 00:01:28,959 --> 00:01:32,840 Speaker 1: both the United States Europe throughout his career. AH. He 28 00:01:33,080 --> 00:01:35,959 Speaker 1: is a student of history, military history in particular, and 29 00:01:36,000 --> 00:01:39,119 Speaker 1: we always enjoy his perspective. Mike, how are you sir? Hey, guys, 30 00:01:39,120 --> 00:01:41,360 Speaker 1: so good to be back with you. We have no 31 00:01:41,440 --> 00:01:44,360 Speaker 1: problem with being corrected on any of our beliefs, assumptions 32 00:01:44,440 --> 00:01:46,360 Speaker 1: or things we know about what's going on anywhere in 33 00:01:46,400 --> 00:01:48,920 Speaker 1: the world. What what is currently happening in Afghanistan? Is 34 00:01:48,920 --> 00:01:51,280 Speaker 1: it a good thing or a bad thing? Well, first 35 00:01:51,280 --> 00:01:52,640 Speaker 1: of all, I do agree we should have been out 36 00:01:52,960 --> 00:01:55,120 Speaker 1: maybe five years ago. I think Donald Trump should have 37 00:01:55,160 --> 00:01:57,400 Speaker 1: made it a priority of his administration when he first 38 00:01:57,600 --> 00:02:00,760 Speaker 1: got elected and just basically gave everybody in the Heisman 39 00:02:00,760 --> 00:02:03,800 Speaker 1: and said this is what we're doing. The military industrial complex, 40 00:02:03,800 --> 00:02:07,040 Speaker 1: though wasn't finished testing equipment wasn't finished the on the 41 00:02:07,120 --> 00:02:09,200 Speaker 1: army still didn't have a mission. What couldn't figure out 42 00:02:09,240 --> 00:02:11,800 Speaker 1: you know, how they're gonna make that happen. Um, I 43 00:02:11,840 --> 00:02:13,440 Speaker 1: think it's I do think it's the right thing. It's 44 00:02:13,440 --> 00:02:14,880 Speaker 1: going to be back to the future that we're gonna 45 00:02:14,880 --> 00:02:17,640 Speaker 1: go back to two thousand and one very quickly, the 46 00:02:17,680 --> 00:02:21,240 Speaker 1: civil war will start. The Taliban now controls something like 47 00:02:22,080 --> 00:02:25,440 Speaker 1: of the land districts in the country already, even just 48 00:02:25,480 --> 00:02:27,840 Speaker 1: giving up the air base. Yeah and so, and you know, 49 00:02:28,360 --> 00:02:30,680 Speaker 1: even the military has gone, the contractor so still being gone. 50 00:02:30,680 --> 00:02:32,840 Speaker 1: You're gonna see Unfortunately, we can't vet any of these 51 00:02:32,840 --> 00:02:34,840 Speaker 1: interpreters that that that plan is going to go out 52 00:02:34,840 --> 00:02:36,360 Speaker 1: the window. So there's gonna be a lot of people 53 00:02:36,440 --> 00:02:39,120 Speaker 1: that trusted us that are gonna end up losing their 54 00:02:39,160 --> 00:02:41,680 Speaker 1: lives when the Taliban takes over here. But again, it 55 00:02:42,040 --> 00:02:44,880 Speaker 1: probably should have happened years ago. To your point, Wow, hey, 56 00:02:44,919 --> 00:02:47,920 Speaker 1: can we uh take a look at that specific subject, 57 00:02:47,960 --> 00:02:50,160 Speaker 1: the vetting of the interpreters. You don't think it's going 58 00:02:50,200 --> 00:02:52,440 Speaker 1: to actually happen, and you don't think their necks are 59 00:02:52,440 --> 00:02:55,200 Speaker 1: going to be saved. No, you know, we're gonna we 60 00:02:55,200 --> 00:02:57,400 Speaker 1: talk a good game about it's all words. I just 61 00:02:57,520 --> 00:02:59,360 Speaker 1: it's just not gonna happen. It's just it's just can't 62 00:02:59,360 --> 00:03:02,560 Speaker 1: logistically up in the amount of people that that's involved with, 63 00:03:02,680 --> 00:03:04,480 Speaker 1: and people are gonna slip through the cracks, so there's 64 00:03:04,480 --> 00:03:07,400 Speaker 1: gonna be reports of that in the future. The question 65 00:03:07,440 --> 00:03:10,360 Speaker 1: is whether or not the Taliban is going to go 66 00:03:10,440 --> 00:03:12,919 Speaker 1: after those folks, and and you know, I think you know, 67 00:03:13,040 --> 00:03:14,520 Speaker 1: us ms, you might be safe. I don't think you're 68 00:03:14,520 --> 00:03:16,920 Speaker 1: going to see a complete sidon situation where we're going 69 00:03:17,000 --> 00:03:20,000 Speaker 1: to you know, escape from helicopter roofs there and whether 70 00:03:20,040 --> 00:03:21,560 Speaker 1: or not they want to go after But it's going 71 00:03:21,639 --> 00:03:24,679 Speaker 1: to happen. And the number we're talking about, it's just 72 00:03:24,720 --> 00:03:26,880 Speaker 1: too big a logistical challenges. More people in that group 73 00:03:26,919 --> 00:03:28,440 Speaker 1: than there are soldiers out of there to try to 74 00:03:28,440 --> 00:03:29,679 Speaker 1: get out of there in the next two months, so 75 00:03:30,280 --> 00:03:32,320 Speaker 1: and their family. So it's just not going to happen. 76 00:03:32,360 --> 00:03:34,760 Speaker 1: And it's an unfortunate thing that we should have planned 77 00:03:34,760 --> 00:03:39,400 Speaker 1: for a long time ago. God I would say so. So, so, 78 00:03:40,120 --> 00:03:42,400 Speaker 1: how do we go into another country and get people 79 00:03:42,440 --> 00:03:44,600 Speaker 1: to help us? If we uh, if we leave these 80 00:03:44,640 --> 00:03:48,080 Speaker 1: interpreters behind to be killed maybe along with their families. Yeah, 81 00:03:48,080 --> 00:03:49,560 Speaker 1: I think we're out of country, is that we're going 82 00:03:49,600 --> 00:03:51,520 Speaker 1: to go into and have that situation. I think we 83 00:03:51,600 --> 00:03:54,040 Speaker 1: haven't learned from this one again. I I just don't 84 00:03:54,040 --> 00:03:57,160 Speaker 1: know what else to say here. Um we saw, you know, 85 00:03:57,480 --> 00:04:01,320 Speaker 1: this is Vietnam in some ways over and over, except 86 00:04:01,360 --> 00:04:03,360 Speaker 1: we didn't have a hunter fifty body backs coming back 87 00:04:03,400 --> 00:04:06,920 Speaker 1: every week. Um. We just don't seem to learn our 88 00:04:07,000 --> 00:04:10,840 Speaker 1: mistakes here from these kinds of interacts, and I really 89 00:04:10,880 --> 00:04:12,680 Speaker 1: don't see us doing it. I think in the next 90 00:04:13,000 --> 00:04:16,080 Speaker 1: few years, regardless of administration. Now the question is how 91 00:04:16,680 --> 00:04:18,360 Speaker 1: you know what it's trying to do is trying to 92 00:04:18,400 --> 00:04:20,920 Speaker 1: become more bellicose in the South China Sea. We saw 93 00:04:20,960 --> 00:04:23,520 Speaker 1: the comments by their leader the other day. I mean 94 00:04:23,560 --> 00:04:25,760 Speaker 1: they're talking about, you know, smashing heads and things like that. 95 00:04:26,040 --> 00:04:28,680 Speaker 1: So you know the military is gonna have to kind 96 00:04:28,680 --> 00:04:30,680 Speaker 1: of regroup here and kind of figure out what's the 97 00:04:30,760 --> 00:04:32,520 Speaker 1: army's mission going forward. First of all, I know the 98 00:04:32,600 --> 00:04:35,160 Speaker 1: Navy is going to project power. I just think the days, 99 00:04:35,520 --> 00:04:37,440 Speaker 1: as Dick Cheney I think said about fifteen years ago, 100 00:04:37,480 --> 00:04:40,280 Speaker 1: the days of US occupying countries with the intent of 101 00:04:40,400 --> 00:04:44,240 Speaker 1: trying to deliver democracy and capitalism are just over. Well, 102 00:04:44,320 --> 00:04:47,679 Speaker 1: good before we move on to China and geopolitics in general, 103 00:04:47,720 --> 00:04:50,600 Speaker 1: one more thought on Afghanistan. I was a little surprised that, 104 00:04:51,360 --> 00:04:53,520 Speaker 1: you know, at some point Bidener or Trump or somebody 105 00:04:53,640 --> 00:04:56,720 Speaker 1: just didn't say, look, it's not a war anymore. It's 106 00:04:56,760 --> 00:04:59,840 Speaker 1: a strategically important part of the globe. So we're gonna 107 00:04:59,839 --> 00:05:02,400 Speaker 1: have big old base there, so we're ready to move 108 00:05:02,480 --> 00:05:06,640 Speaker 1: when we need to. Why not that a statement that straightforward? 109 00:05:07,080 --> 00:05:10,839 Speaker 1: Or do you think the geopolitical need isn't that strong? Yeah? 110 00:05:10,839 --> 00:05:12,960 Speaker 1: I think the two reasons. First of all, our messaging 111 00:05:13,000 --> 00:05:15,760 Speaker 1: has been awful when it comes to Afghanistan, and you 112 00:05:15,800 --> 00:05:17,840 Speaker 1: know we're out September eleventh. Looks like we're gonna be 113 00:05:17,880 --> 00:05:19,840 Speaker 1: out here in two weeks for all practical purposes. The 114 00:05:20,400 --> 00:05:24,360 Speaker 1: commander there, Scotty Miller, is someone that knew the mission 115 00:05:24,360 --> 00:05:26,280 Speaker 1: from the beginning, didn't realize it, knew it didn't have 116 00:05:26,320 --> 00:05:28,719 Speaker 1: a timetable. So I think that was the first thing 117 00:05:28,760 --> 00:05:31,080 Speaker 1: that I think. The second reason is because we've just 118 00:05:31,240 --> 00:05:34,480 Speaker 1: built this over the horizon standoff military now where we 119 00:05:34,520 --> 00:05:37,880 Speaker 1: don't feel that we need logistical basis in places like this, 120 00:05:38,000 --> 00:05:40,000 Speaker 1: I think we're gonna be proven wrong. I think that 121 00:05:40,200 --> 00:05:41,600 Speaker 1: that would have been a great idea to keep this 122 00:05:41,680 --> 00:05:44,520 Speaker 1: arabase and keep these kind of lily pads that exist 123 00:05:44,920 --> 00:05:47,400 Speaker 1: either in the ocean or in in certain land masses, 124 00:05:47,440 --> 00:05:49,080 Speaker 1: because we have no friends now in that part of 125 00:05:49,080 --> 00:05:51,680 Speaker 1: the world. We don't have any in Pakistan. We're not 126 00:05:51,760 --> 00:05:54,160 Speaker 1: doing anything obviously in India and a like and Diego 127 00:05:54,200 --> 00:05:56,719 Speaker 1: Garcia is a long long ways away, and we store 128 00:05:56,839 --> 00:05:59,760 Speaker 1: P fifty two is there? I think, I think again, 129 00:06:00,560 --> 00:06:03,240 Speaker 1: you know, we we've we've built this over the horizon 130 00:06:03,360 --> 00:06:05,719 Speaker 1: military with drones, and we were taking the human element 131 00:06:05,720 --> 00:06:06,880 Speaker 1: out of it. And I think that's how we think 132 00:06:06,920 --> 00:06:08,479 Speaker 1: we're going to defend. I think it's going to prove 133 00:06:08,520 --> 00:06:10,880 Speaker 1: to be full harding when it comes to strategic things 134 00:06:10,920 --> 00:06:12,280 Speaker 1: that are going to take place in the future when 135 00:06:12,279 --> 00:06:15,120 Speaker 1: we're gonna need to put people on the ground. But 136 00:06:15,360 --> 00:06:19,599 Speaker 1: in general, is this pivot that Barack Obama talked about 137 00:06:19,920 --> 00:06:23,560 Speaker 1: and kind of started and then Trump kind of continued. 138 00:06:24,120 --> 00:06:26,400 Speaker 1: It's amazing how slow it is. So you think this 139 00:06:26,520 --> 00:06:28,080 Speaker 1: is the right thing to do. We just let's stop 140 00:06:28,160 --> 00:06:31,320 Speaker 1: talking about these sand countries. We produce our own oil now, 141 00:06:31,720 --> 00:06:34,479 Speaker 1: and let's look at the real threat to the future, 142 00:06:34,560 --> 00:06:37,560 Speaker 1: like the next hundred years China. So that just that 143 00:06:38,400 --> 00:06:40,960 Speaker 1: general pivot of our attention you think is a good idea. 144 00:06:41,600 --> 00:06:44,600 Speaker 1: It is, it's overdue, and I think, um, you know, 145 00:06:44,720 --> 00:06:47,320 Speaker 1: the given the century, the question is this is another 146 00:06:47,360 --> 00:06:49,560 Speaker 1: American century or does it become the century of the 147 00:06:49,680 --> 00:06:53,000 Speaker 1: Chinese and some of those countries? And and how what 148 00:06:53,400 --> 00:06:57,039 Speaker 1: Russia's role in that? Um, what's you look at again 149 00:06:57,080 --> 00:06:59,599 Speaker 1: the South China. See, our navy is going to continue 150 00:06:59,640 --> 00:07:01,920 Speaker 1: to project power for some reason, We're now screwing around 151 00:07:01,960 --> 00:07:05,200 Speaker 1: the Black Sea with Russia trying to you know, bring 152 00:07:05,320 --> 00:07:07,720 Speaker 1: up Ukraine too. That's another issue that's come up on 153 00:07:07,800 --> 00:07:10,120 Speaker 1: this week and here. But but really the focus I 154 00:07:10,160 --> 00:07:12,360 Speaker 1: think everybody I talked to the Pentagon. I talked a 155 00:07:12,440 --> 00:07:14,120 Speaker 1: good friend of mine the other day. He's actually back 156 00:07:14,160 --> 00:07:16,520 Speaker 1: at the Armed Services Committee, sent Armed Services Committee back 157 00:07:16,560 --> 00:07:18,080 Speaker 1: in the desk and he's back at the China desk, 158 00:07:18,640 --> 00:07:20,760 Speaker 1: and I'm just glad he's there because he's a smart guy. 159 00:07:20,800 --> 00:07:23,240 Speaker 1: And he says, that's exactly where our focus has got 160 00:07:23,320 --> 00:07:24,880 Speaker 1: to be, at least for the next four years. Build 161 00:07:24,960 --> 00:07:28,120 Speaker 1: up enough military presence there that projects enough power that 162 00:07:28,200 --> 00:07:31,520 Speaker 1: the Chinese don't want to do anything that will upset 163 00:07:31,560 --> 00:07:33,680 Speaker 1: the trade balance. And upset. What will be you know, 164 00:07:33,720 --> 00:07:36,080 Speaker 1: the world economy and that's what's at risk right now. 165 00:07:36,680 --> 00:07:39,200 Speaker 1: Military analyst Mike Lions on the line, Mike, I realized 166 00:07:39,200 --> 00:07:42,160 Speaker 1: you could probably write a seven page book about this question. 167 00:07:42,240 --> 00:07:45,960 Speaker 1: The answer to the question. But uh, comparing contrast China 168 00:07:46,080 --> 00:07:48,920 Speaker 1: and the US in terms of military hardware and also 169 00:07:48,960 --> 00:07:53,520 Speaker 1: in terms of training this actual battle experience. Uh, you 170 00:07:53,600 --> 00:07:58,320 Speaker 1: know what adaptability? How did the two forces compare well? 171 00:07:58,520 --> 00:08:02,520 Speaker 1: So the last two war or the US came prepared? 172 00:08:03,080 --> 00:08:05,880 Speaker 1: I thought, both does aer Storm and then in Afghanistan 173 00:08:05,960 --> 00:08:07,760 Speaker 1: and the run up to in the Rock. And what 174 00:08:07,880 --> 00:08:09,560 Speaker 1: I mean by that is we didn't have what's called 175 00:08:09,600 --> 00:08:12,400 Speaker 1: the Task Force Smith. And that took place in Korea 176 00:08:12,640 --> 00:08:15,680 Speaker 1: during the Korean War when the military was just unprepared. 177 00:08:15,720 --> 00:08:18,600 Speaker 1: After the Second World War, so the military has learned 178 00:08:18,640 --> 00:08:21,400 Speaker 1: it's less than about preparedness and being ready to go 179 00:08:21,840 --> 00:08:24,000 Speaker 1: right away out of the gate. What's the question is 180 00:08:24,360 --> 00:08:27,160 Speaker 1: how much hardware now do we have comparative to the Chinese. 181 00:08:27,200 --> 00:08:29,760 Speaker 1: The Chinese still don't really have this great navy. They 182 00:08:29,800 --> 00:08:32,280 Speaker 1: have one aircraft carry there. They've got they project power 183 00:08:32,320 --> 00:08:35,320 Speaker 1: in some ways, but they have a much larger land force. 184 00:08:35,400 --> 00:08:38,520 Speaker 1: They have much more mass, let's say, and much more equipment, 185 00:08:38,640 --> 00:08:40,439 Speaker 1: and I just don't see us facing off in that 186 00:08:40,559 --> 00:08:43,360 Speaker 1: realm anyway. Um, but I do think the days of 187 00:08:43,440 --> 00:08:46,360 Speaker 1: the U. S. Military being not prepared are over and 188 00:08:46,600 --> 00:08:48,839 Speaker 1: and in some ways, UM, that's always gonna be a 189 00:08:48,880 --> 00:08:51,400 Speaker 1: good thing. And if as long as we fight ferociously 190 00:08:51,480 --> 00:08:54,040 Speaker 1: and fight the way that we're trained to do, I 191 00:08:54,280 --> 00:08:57,240 Speaker 1: think will be okay. Once should something arise, either on 192 00:08:57,960 --> 00:09:00,120 Speaker 1: in Eastern Europe, let's say, the Russians, or either are 193 00:09:00,160 --> 00:09:03,880 Speaker 1: somewhere in China and the South China. See interesting stuff. 194 00:09:03,960 --> 00:09:07,880 Speaker 1: Mike always come away from these conversations wishing we could 195 00:09:07,880 --> 00:09:10,319 Speaker 1: talk all day. But uh, maybe we'll invite you on 196 00:09:10,600 --> 00:09:13,960 Speaker 1: for a podcast for more extended conversations soon. But the guys, 197 00:09:14,080 --> 00:09:15,559 Speaker 1: whatever it takes, I think there's a lot going on 198 00:09:15,559 --> 00:09:18,559 Speaker 1: in the world right now for sir, Amen to that, 199 00:09:18,679 --> 00:09:21,000 Speaker 1: Mike clients, thanks so much for the time. Really interesting. 200 00:09:21,160 --> 00:09:24,800 Speaker 1: America's so called longest war is gonna be just a 201 00:09:25,000 --> 00:09:27,480 Speaker 1: blip in the history books if ever talked about it 202 00:09:27,559 --> 00:09:31,360 Speaker 1: all twenty years. They're all that money, luckily not too 203 00:09:31,400 --> 00:09:33,360 Speaker 1: many lives. But you know, if it's a loved one 204 00:09:33,400 --> 00:09:35,319 Speaker 1: of yours, it's an, of course, a very huge deal. 205 00:09:35,440 --> 00:09:39,800 Speaker 1: But um yeah, and and you know, outside of the 206 00:09:39,920 --> 00:09:42,400 Speaker 1: first couple of years where we broke up the guys 207 00:09:42,480 --> 00:09:48,400 Speaker 1: that attacked New York what what what, it's just amazing 208 00:09:48,559 --> 00:09:51,920 Speaker 1: the momentum of these projects. And Mike what he said 209 00:09:51,960 --> 00:09:55,880 Speaker 1: there at the very beginning, the military industrial complex wanted 210 00:09:55,920 --> 00:09:59,400 Speaker 1: to test some more equipment, right right. You know. The 211 00:09:59,559 --> 00:10:03,480 Speaker 1: really distressing part of it to me is what we've 212 00:10:03,800 --> 00:10:06,439 Speaker 1: brought up a couple of times through the years. The 213 00:10:06,640 --> 00:10:10,880 Speaker 1: messaging to the American people has to be so oversimplified 214 00:10:11,000 --> 00:10:14,720 Speaker 1: to the point of being stupid, that our leaders either 215 00:10:14,840 --> 00:10:17,920 Speaker 1: can't or feel like they can't level with us and say, look, 216 00:10:17,960 --> 00:10:20,080 Speaker 1: you know, it's stop being a war a long time ago. Now, 217 00:10:20,120 --> 00:10:22,360 Speaker 1: we're just trying to pop prop up this government until 218 00:10:22,360 --> 00:10:24,480 Speaker 1: they're strong enough to stand on their own. It's not 219 00:10:24,679 --> 00:10:27,120 Speaker 1: looking great. We're gonna stick with it for another six months. 220 00:10:27,160 --> 00:10:29,079 Speaker 1: If it doesn't work, we're out. We're gonna keep a 221 00:10:29,160 --> 00:10:32,319 Speaker 1: base there because the region is super important. Pakistan is 222 00:10:32,320 --> 00:10:34,960 Speaker 1: a bunch of maniacs with nuclear arms and they're right 223 00:10:35,080 --> 00:10:37,160 Speaker 1: next door, and if we need to jump from there, 224 00:10:37,200 --> 00:10:39,240 Speaker 1: it's a good place to jump from. That that's not 225 00:10:39,480 --> 00:10:43,520 Speaker 1: that complicated. But no, it's our longest war. You know 226 00:10:43,559 --> 00:10:46,480 Speaker 1: it could come on. I don't you know. Plenty of 227 00:10:46,559 --> 00:10:49,480 Speaker 1: you are that's stupid. Not you, not not our audience, 228 00:10:49,520 --> 00:10:53,040 Speaker 1: the American people, But you're not you faults. You're obviously brilliant, 229 00:10:53,160 --> 00:10:55,800 Speaker 1: But to come on it, do we have to dumb 230 00:10:55,960 --> 00:10:58,599 Speaker 1: down our messaging that month. I've been saying this for 231 00:10:58,840 --> 00:11:02,960 Speaker 1: years with Democrats and Republicans. I don't think you're gonna 232 00:11:03,040 --> 00:11:06,199 Speaker 1: take the political hit you're worried about if you get 233 00:11:06,200 --> 00:11:08,680 Speaker 1: out of Afghanistan. If you say what Joe just said, 234 00:11:08,840 --> 00:11:10,559 Speaker 1: I don't think your poll numbers are gonna crash. I 235 00:11:10,600 --> 00:11:13,199 Speaker 1: don't think anybody's gonna run against you on that. Nobody's 236 00:11:13,600 --> 00:11:16,480 Speaker 1: any attention. They're gonna say, Okay, that's interesting. What about 237 00:11:16,760 --> 00:11:19,280 Speaker 1: a homeless or schools or whatever issue they care about. 238 00:11:19,559 --> 00:11:23,360 Speaker 1: Nobody's talking about Afghanistan. Yeah, you're probably right in this case. 239 00:11:23,400 --> 00:11:25,360 Speaker 1: I was gonna say somebody will't run against you and say, 240 00:11:25,400 --> 00:11:28,040 Speaker 1: looking at me, he's cutting and running, But even that 241 00:11:28,360 --> 00:11:30,319 Speaker 1: is so tired at this point. You're right now. I 242 00:11:30,400 --> 00:11:32,640 Speaker 1: agree with you, who right, left or center would react 243 00:11:32,679 --> 00:11:37,440 Speaker 1: to that cutting and running from Afghanistan? And if there 244 00:11:37,559 --> 00:11:40,160 Speaker 1: wasn't the weren't so much blood and treasure involved. It 245 00:11:40,320 --> 00:11:44,360 Speaker 1: just be hilarious, just the stupidity again of the messaging, 246 00:11:44,400 --> 00:11:46,240 Speaker 1: but it's not at all. We had to do a 247 00:11:46,320 --> 00:11:49,199 Speaker 1: podcast with Laura Logan because you know she she went 248 00:11:49,240 --> 00:11:51,800 Speaker 1: to Afghanistan all those years and have her on to 249 00:11:51,880 --> 00:11:55,199 Speaker 1: talk about the high point when they had the most 250 00:11:55,360 --> 00:11:58,480 Speaker 1: miles of roads paved and the most schools opening, all 251 00:11:58,520 --> 00:12:00,640 Speaker 1: that stuff. The high point. This is where it is 252 00:12:00,679 --> 00:12:02,040 Speaker 1: now and versus where it's going to be in a 253 00:12:02,160 --> 00:12:06,680 Speaker 1: year from now. All that just completely wasted. You could 254 00:12:06,760 --> 00:12:09,600 Speaker 1: drive from the airport to Kabul to walk the streets 255 00:12:09,679 --> 00:12:12,079 Speaker 1: and greet the locals. That was a brief period of 256 00:12:12,120 --> 00:12:13,880 Speaker 1: time that we paid a lot of money for. We 257 00:12:14,120 --> 00:12:16,040 Speaker 1: US taxpayers paid a lot of money for and just 258 00:12:16,200 --> 00:12:17,200 Speaker 1: it's over, It's gone.