Lawrence O'Donnell says no one knows how to run the American evacuation from Afghanistan without the same chaos and dishonor we experienced in Vietnam.
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Drawing upon his experience as a former chief of staff on the Senate Finance Committee and as an Emmy-winning executive producer and writer of "The West Wing," Lawrence O'Donnell examines the compelling and impactful political stories of the day. O'Donnell convenes diverse panels of guests, including a variety of politicians and cultural voices, to offer unique viewpoints and perspective. In his signature style, O'Donnell highlights the latest news developments and offers his take on the political stories driving the national conversation.
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#MSNBC #Vietnam #Afghanistan
Another Bush mess winding down. Better late than never.
@Andru303 Not true, Barbara Lee voted against and many were clear their vote was specifically to go in to wipe out Al Qaeda terrorists and leave, no regime change crap, but the neo-con/neo-liberal war mongers got their way (Cheney, Clinton, Nuland, Wolfowitz, Kagan, et. al).
So, this is where you come to deny Biden did ANYTHING WRONG. Does it make you feel better? Even you people REALLY know what Biden did, don’t you? Come on!
@Mike Bridson Biden also accepted his portion of the blame. This deal started unfolding in Feb 2020 when Trump struck a negotiation w/ the Taliban for a peace agreement between them and the Afghan Govt. who weren’t even allowed to participate!!! Trump agreed to a complete withdrawal by 05/01/2021 and moved it up to 01/15/2021 out of spite because he lost. However, he was to preoccupied with fighting against a legitimate loss to act. Trump is recorded saying it would collapse IMMEDIATELY after our exit. There are no winners here. The war needed to end. Everything ends badly, or else it wouldn’t end.
@Mike Bridson do you understand this, sir? Unlike, most President’s Biden…was honest with his faults…now that’s honorable.
It is Obama mess
Thank you. Historical perspective is seriously lacking in most Americans.
@Totally Accurate Botan Simulator No, they don’t. The racist Dems want you to believe that, but it’s not true.
@pants No, they have not switched places on the political spectrum.
@Jason Matthews How are Democrats racist? Everyone knows only Republicans are racist. Are you lying?
@Neo Meo theres still thousands of Americans still trapped in afghanistan. So yeah this is bigger than Vietnam, you have the worlds largest hostage situation in world history
@art dalby No, they do not. The one and only trait that the old southern confederate Democrats share with the modern day Trump supporters(Rinos don’t count), is their favoring a less powerful Federal Govt with more power resting with the State Governments. The Confederate Dems wanted this so that they could keep slavery going as they were a minority and a poor minority at that. The North had twice as many people and was much better off financially. Modern Republicans favor this so that they can keep more of their money, and can enjoy more freedoms by living in Red states. They don’t want another civil war in order to keep the Dems from gaining too much power and trying to control their lives. They are fine if the Dems are allowed to ruin their own states like they are presently doing, but with the lower taxes that comes from having a smaller Federal Govt, less of the money being made in Red states will go to help bail out the blue states after they run themselves into financial ruin.
No political system is perfect, in part because they all depend on fallible sinful humans to apply their principles to the job of Governing. But Leftism is so wrong about everything, the only thing they got is the race card, but they can’t be seen as the hero saving the country from racism if most people believe racism isn’t a huge problem. So the Left goes around trying to fan the flames of racial division and then when people believe their fear mongering lies, and start protesting, The Left then points at them as proof that there is a problem and claims they are the only ones who can fix things, despite the cities they run having some of the worst problems.
I was 17 at the time. My uncle and my cousin’s husband were drafted and fortunately survived, if that’s what you call their lives afterwords. The experience destroyed their lives. I can remember listening to Walter Cronkite during diner and each day there were death tolls that would make anyone mourn. When veterans came back they were scorned and called baby killers.
This is brilliant analysis. Thank you.
The Baby killer shi is a myth lmao
@Christopher Holt you are right. My uncle came back and suffered PTSD. He didn’t live on his own for years. No support was provided to soldiers especially African Americans. He is still alive but as a little girl I could tell he was withdrawn.
@Britt Mar Much respect for your uncle! May he find peace!
Take care of yourself and give my best wishes to your uncle.
@Ash Roskell So purposely leaving 15000 Americans behind enemy lines and supplying them with billions of dollars of armaments is perfectly acceptable and ripping off the bandaid? Curious!
@loudnsounds You are right on that. One person calling a returning Vietnam Vet a baby killer would have been in traction in a hospital. Returning Vets knew lots of ways to take on someone calling them names—–and had zero to lose. The cops were on our side in those days.
Best to you Lawrence. Very well said
Thank you, Lawrence! People amaze me with how little “facts” they bother to research before they make political statements like those made by Ben Sasse. The ignorance is breathtaking.
@Christine King ” Sasse was referring to the US’s ignominious departure from Vietnam”
O’donnel is STILL right.
Biden did screw up, but the withdrawal is nowhere NEAR as bad as how we left Vietnam.
for one thing, there’s a cease fire.
@Corrupt 45 You can’t read, can you. I’m a lifelong Democrat, voted for Biden. You, however, are trolling to keep the sh*t from hitting the fan. Biden screwed up here, he realizes that our nation doesn’t have the stomach to bring in 80,000 Afghan refugees, far beyond the 2000 translators discussed, no other nation is willing to take them either. Ever hear of the pandemic? So, he is leaving them to the Taliban, thanks to the orange puke. Biden could have changed that “Act”, he chose not to.
@Christine King why do turmpturds always say their democrat? that an old bull right there.
@Ethan Weeter not totally true though. The bulk of US forces in Vietnam were already leaving in 73′ and the south still managed to fight the north even with no air power and limited supplies
@Christine King what did the “orange puke” do wrong? Trump made a deal with the Taliban to be gone by the date they agreed on and biden pushed it farther breaking that deal. Biden has left thousands of Americans encircled with the taliban and has created the biggest hostage situations in US history on his watch…
As a disabled Nam vet, it was an actual war- unlike the two decade piggy bank for the defense contractors
@Eric Echols Sr. Carter gave sanctuary to a brutal dictator, the Shah. While I give no value to the 6th century tyrants that took his place and turned Iran into despotic theocracy, his actions definitely precipitated the response which we continue and will continue with indefinitely.
And the Roman and Grecian wars were piggy banks for those who made shields and spears. Any time there is conflict, there will be those who stand to gain. So your comment is really pointing out a distinction without a difference. As of now, there is also profit in “peace” too. If you don’t think so, consider that someone gets the $500M that Biden just allocated to unscrewing up this disaster. Count on that only being the beginning. 7000 troops moving back to do what should have been done months ago isn’t going to be cheap, and the money is going somewhere.
So true – my sympathies for you
@Papadoc1000 – Mohammad Reza Pahlavi was a installed U.S. brutal puppet, who was overthrown, and ousted from Iran, through revolution. What choice did America/Carter have?
@Robert Richard Carter and Reagan were not involved in the Viet Nam war; Nixon ended the Viet Nam war that he purposely persuaded the leaders of South Viet Nam to drag out so that he could win the 1968 Presidential election. Jimmy Carter was not involved in any wars; in fact his policy involved protecting human rights and cooperation and expanding peace treaties. Because of his emphasis on human rights, and his efforts at negotiating peace treaties with the Soviet Union as well the Panama Canal Treaty and initiating peace talks between the Israelis and the Palestinians, he was labeled as weak by the US press and political commentators and members of the Republican Party as well as Ronald Reagan, the 1980 Republican Presidential Candidate who ran against Jimmy Carter and won.
You are right that Reagan does have blood on his hands. He was involved in several shady deals that led to loss of life. Most notably the Iran-Contra scandal in which he convinced the Iranians not to release the American hostage while Carter was trying to negotiate their release. After he won the 1980 Presidential election, Reagan was involved in selling military weapons to Iran to release US hostages held by Iran and diverting the proceeds from the Iranian arms sales to the Nicaraguan rebels who Reagan backed.
Good Work on the reality check Lawrence – Smackdown!
“The Fall of Kabul/Afghanistan” is a made for TV special; “The Fall of Saigon/South VN,” a movie blockbuster (still watchable on Youtube.)
Nicely worded! 💯🥰
Of course! The world loves war movies and computer games. War and the destruction of the ecosystem is coming to a drive-in near you. Just wait for the war entertainment after the soon to come thermonuclear holocaust destroys all life on earth forever. You should find that fun! 🤪🤪
I love hearing Lawrence’s perspective on complicated matters such as this.
So do I…I remember him telling me stories about ‘Nam at a rock festival back in the 90’s, he had long green hair back then and I threw up in it….ahh good memories…
No kidding! He is ALWAYS COMPLETELY WRONG, not unlike our president. This wacked-out out MARXIST couldn’t give an honest assessment on a ANYTHING. His prospective is SO slanted he could NEVER see the truth in front of him. He says nobody knows how to exit a country. No, BIDEN, AGAINST ALL ADIVCE, DID IT HIS WAY. IT WAS A DISASTER. DONT YOU DARE TRY TO RIDE COVER FOR BIDEN!!! Not many know this crack-pots opinion because almost NOBODY knows he is on the air. Theres that.
@Linda Terrell I read somewhere Biden disregarded ALL his advisers & sanity & pulled troops BEFORE civilians, creating ANOTHER CRISIS
@THE AMERICANS Have you got a reset button. Press it.
@Mike Bridson yup. Now youve got the largest hostage situation in US history thanks to joe “chocolate! Chocolate chip!” Biden
THANK YOU LAWRENCE, THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH.
Thank you, Lawrence. I remember how the fear of having a male family member or sweetheart drafted to Vietnam was at the top of everyone’s mind at that time. The fear was so strong that a certain someone feigned bone spurs to avoid that draft. Ben Sasse, you embarrass yourself.
Well said!! I am from that era too, and remember that fear. Interesting remark from a taliban leader, you have the watch, we have the time.
In an era where everyone professes to be an expert and trite soundbites are consumed and shared like junk food, a little perspective is always welcome.
@V for Wombat Trump would have had us out on May 1st——and that is good. But it still would have been a mess Trump knows that much.
@Ash Roskell Do you think Trump would of left men behind? You should watch Pompeo interview about it Trumps agreement.
But…isnt Lawrence “professing” to be an expert? Unless you think his opinion is the definitive statement on the Afghan war?
Taliban Holds Press Conference From Presidential Palace While Biden Hides From Public… Trump would have had Hellfire’s coming through the windows… I think we have the coords… Missed opportunity Joe.!!! DOLT
@dennis platte idk if trump would have left that early, he has a habit of dithering.
but yeah, it would have been a mess.
I know a person who was on the third to the last of the helicopter of the embassy in South Vietnam. It was unreal. So Sad!
We had no business going there in the first place.
Thank you for shedding light from historic perspective. You just have to tell those people like Ben Sasse that they are not in position to make a comment like that.
Trump dodged the Vietnam War five times based on a lie.
This was the best segment, I was mislead to believe that this was worse than Vietnam.
come on you have to so uneducated and narrow to think afghan was worse than vietnam
@Kenchiro Kenchiro The educated(Journos & Politicians) are pushing that line – agendas & drama
” he who doesn’t learn from history , is destined to repeat it ”
Ring any bells ?
@Larry AmesI think William might have been referring to the British defeat and then the Russian defeat. Afghanistan is one country that values their religion and sovereignty. To them, peace can now return under a police state format. It seems better than endless war.
Ain’t that just an old wives tale?
That is such a tired, worn out cliche. Aren’t you aware that history nor political science are taught anymore?
He has a tremendous grasp of the obvious, even his hindsight is 20/20…. good boy here’s a cookie!!!🤓🤓🤓
David Lee doesn’t mean it’s not true cliches usually are
This sharing of himself is so brave and his historical perspective is incredible. Thank you
@Jeremy Smith I trust my father who was there as I typed above. So since he’s upset as my dad I believe him.. My uncles also just sat and shook their heads..
My dad was there also and said this is BS, the Taliban on TV not fighting and running the US away from anything. You all sound like you want it to be bad, but whats really happening right now? Are we being fired upon? No
@sipboi I really think you missed the ENTIRE point.. We are talking about the VIETNAM War ending.. Did you miss the entire video too?? We are AGREEING that this is NOT worse than Vietnam.. Now do you get it? Think you need to apologize to everyone..
To his point most of you didn’t serve or was born during WWII, yet you called Trump a Nazi. Don’t play yourselves. We can learn from things we haven’t been apart of. Its called history. Its called read a book. Watch a documentary. Stop clowning yourselves on here.
@Bufalo Pete this is why we have freedom of speech.
Lawrence O’Donnell is definitely one of the best and brightest!
Ben Sasse needs to get out his history books & learn humility
Pauline ,
I FOUGHT in Vietnam . I was there when we left. Lawrence and you, my dear, are the ones who need to be schooled!!!!!!!
No. He needs get out his psychology book and learn humility.
DUMMIES NEVER LEARN!
You need to stop being a sucker for every straw man argument that comes along.
@Paula Guenon You need to shut up. I SERVED in the Vietnam War and was ordered back on the evacuation while Larry was dodging the draft. Funny thing is that Biden didn’t serve, but was in the Senate [so arguably partly running the show] when the debacle happened in Vietnam and he STILL didn’t learn.