I was vocal and terrified about climate change in the 90s (although I didn't do a whole lot). I was super active in the anti war stuff during the war on terror. I said repeatedly that Iraq had no WMDs and that Afghanistan wouldn't go well. I was sorta active during Occupy. I was telling everyone not to buy crypto years ago. And I've been very COVID outspoken from day one.
This post is not to brag about how based I am. I was very slow to get on the correct side of trans issues, and I've said/done enough borderline racist and misogynistic shit. I have enough cringe memories of me being a lib. I've also just been really lazy and selfish.
Anyhow, I had hoped that the right would be so wrong, so badly, that people would wake up and warm to our side. I used to actually do organised debates with different groups at uni. I even sent a few a FB message years after Iraq went to shit (ya I'm petty). None have been like "oh fuck, you were so right want the WMDs". When I'm battling friends over COVID issues or the newest bullshit trans conspiracy theory, THEY FUCKING KNOW I was right about crypto and Elon Musk. It's like, all the Ls that the right had taken are in the memory hole and we're onto the next bullshit idea. I'm still the lone crank that's warning about war with Russia and China and telling everyone to mask when my mates were smoking weed through every horrible murderous mistake the West made.
Sorry if it sounds like I'm whinging for my own sake. I get that the right is very well funded, and that is no individual's fault. I'm just very aware that people around me find me to be a tedious crank, but they're all fucking liberals who've been eating out of the trashcan of ideology their whole lives.
I meant Afghanistan, here's one poll;
https://news.gallup.com/poll/5029/eight-americans-support-ground-war-afghanistan.aspx
The why is fairly complex, but there was pre-existing intent to start wars with what ultimately became the "axis of evil." 911 was simply used to make it happen.
Why Americans permitted it? We didn't know Iraq from Afghanistan, and didn't care. A common term at the time was "glass the middle east with nukes."
I meant genocidal when I said it.
I'm surprised people in US even remember Afghanistan. That seemed like such a side thing to Iraq.
But I guess the question is phrased as "were we right to invade brown country" instead of "name the countries that we were correct to invade". I feel like no one American even talks about Afghanistan because the reasoning was slightly less flimsy than Iraq.
You're right, they don't remember Afghanistan and it really fucks with me. The shit we did there is horrific and I walk amongst war criminals.
Yeah, i was saying glass the desert for a while back then. I was in highschool in 2001 and didn't know anything about anything. It was such a bizarre, scary time culturally. Just the worst fascist impulses on full display, not that it ever got better.