Charlie Wilson

[oakranger]

R.I.P 

[soda72]

 

[oakranger]

I wonder how many youngsters know who he is?

[Motherland]

Wow! RIP

[TwinEng]

Ironically, if Charlie Wilson had not intervened in Afghanistan, the attacks on 9/11 would have never taken place.

However, the Soviets did richly deserve payback for the their roles in both the Korean and Vietnam wars.   Soviet pilots secretly fought US air forces in both wars, besides all the other help they gave to our enemies.   Afghanistan was just too good of an opportunity to get back at them.

It is ironic, though, that doing the right thing can often have negative side-effects.

"Charlie Wilson's War" is indeed an excellent film.   If you have not seen it, it is well worth renting.   Tom Hanks gives a great performance that is most convincing and realistic.

And reality can often be more entertaining than fiction.  Any Congressman who parties naked in a hot tub with porn stars is A #1 in my book:



.

[rogwar]

He was a patriot and a wild man!  RIP

[oakranger]

Ironically, if Charlie Wilson had not intervened in Afghanistan, the attacks on 9/11 would have never taken place.

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Well, if we continued peace talks with Afghanistan after Russia pull out, 9/11 would never happen.  Charlie said that him self.   but this starting to be a political so lets just skip it and  the man for beating the Russians. 

[Maverick]

Speculation on what "might or might not have happened" is fruitless. The attack on 9/11 DID happen, that's a simple fact and an example of reality vs speculative fantasy. You might as well speculate that if you travel back in time and shoot your great great grand father you will never exist. It's just as valid a speculation.

[TwinEng]

Speculation on what "might or might not have happened" is fruitless. The attack on 9/11 DID happen, that's a simple fact and an example of reality vs speculative fantasy. You might as well speculate that if you travel back in time and shoot your great great grand father you will never exist. It's just as valid a speculation.

This is not speculation.  It is something called cause and effect.  Do you actually believe that history would not have been different if Russia still controlled Afghanistan?

If I went back in time, my great great grandfather would probably shoot me, not the other way around.  He shot and killed 3 Indians during his trip moving from Missouri to California.

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[rpm]

"These things happened. They were glorious and they changed the world... and then we f*@#ed up the endgame." - Charlie Wilson

<<S>> Charlie 

[Captain Virgil Hilts]

This is not speculation.  It is something called cause and effect.  Do you actually believe that history would not have been different if Russia still controlled Afghanistan?

Yes, it is absolutely speculation. Mostly baseless speculation. Russia never controlled Afghanistan, at best they succeeded in killing a lot of people in Afghanistan. Neither did any other country before them. Nor will any country in the near future.

And what Charlie Wilson really said was that if we'd spent one tenth the money helping Afghanistan rebuild that we spent helping them kill Russians Al Queada and the Taliban would never have been in power there. He never said anything about "peace talks". Wilson repeatedly requested humanitarian aid for Afghanistan after the Russians left, but was denied each time.

[oakranger]

If I went back in time, my great great grandfather would probably shoot me, not the other way around.  He shot and killed 3 Indians during his trip moving from Missouri to California.

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What trail was he on? and what tribe(s) did he encounter? 

[Hajo]

Charlie Wilson is a hero.  If money were approved for rebuilding schools, infrastructure etc. after the Russians left,

speculation has it that the taliban etc. would not thrive as they do today.  IMHO Charlie Wilson was right.

We pooched the end game.  He saw it...unfortunately those with the purse strings didn't.

[Saurdaukar]

RIP.  A Congressman who actually *did something* regardless of personal opinion.

Also one of the most entertaining movies in recent memory.  Hanks and Hoffman were both brilliant.

[gyrene81]

One useless bureaucrat that actually did something useful...wish I could have met the guy. 

Do you actually believe that history would not have been different if Russia still controlled Afghanistan?

Wow...I'm sure the Russians would be surprised to hear that they controlled Afghanistan. Never happened...Russia invaded then occupied Afghanistan for a while, then withdrew.