this post was submitted on 27 Feb 2026
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[–] CyborgMarx@hexbear.net 29 points 3 days ago (3 children)

The Afghans could very well pull a major upset and penetrate deep into Pakistan, evicting the Pakistani army from large swathes of the western regions. The Taliban has had five years to build on the vast surpluses of equipment the US left behind, they have tens of thousands of soldiers with decades of combat experience, they know the mountains and the towns, the locals are sympathetic, and Pakistan has to keep large concentrations and assets on the Indian border in case Modi takes advantage

What a stupid risk for Islamabad to take, this could be June 2014 all over again

[–] Awoo@hexbear.net 26 points 3 days ago

My money is definitely on the taliban here. They are significantly more experienced and it has not been long enough for those experiences to age out completely.

[–] CitizensTyrant@hexbear.net 26 points 3 days ago (1 children)

The taliban also have a major presence in Pakistan itself so...this could get interesting. Taliban, the next nuclear power?

[–] Crucible@hexbear.net 27 points 3 days ago (3 children)

I keep being reminded of This paper from 2018 that says the first world will survive the worst of climate change if the third world has a limited nuclear exchange specifically naming Pakistan and India. I think this is as close as the western governments get to having a plan to confront climate change and will not be surprised if it's revealed in some years down the line that the more cynically evil characters like Bannon and Miller have been trying to make it happen

[–] BodyBySisyphus@hexbear.net 22 points 3 days ago (3 children)

Beyond the obvious objections, it seems like the effect on global temperatures would be gone within 20 years, so it'd be something like temporary sulfate aerosol injection with the same expected termination shock. You'd truly have to care about absolutely nothing beyond your own immediate existence, a singularity of solipsism, to think this is a good idea.

[–] Carl@hexbear.net 22 points 3 days ago (1 children)

The Futurama bit with the giant block of ice, but it's a slightly larger nuclear exchange in the developing world each time.

[–] FALGSConaut@hexbear.net 12 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (1 children)

Pretty sure in Futurama they also had global warming canceled out by nuclear winter...

Edit: yeah...

[–] HexReplyBot@hexbear.net 1 points 2 days ago

I found a YouTube link in your comment. Here are links to the same video on alternative frontends that protect your privacy:

[–] SkingradGuard@hexbear.net 17 points 2 days ago

You'd truly have to care about absolutely nothing beyond your own immediate existence, a singularity of solipsism, to think this is a good idea.

Unfortunately, Conservatives/fascists/Western chauvinists are exactly like this. In fact they'd salivate at the idea of a nuclear exchange between people they consider subhuman

[–] UmbraVivi@hexbear.net 16 points 2 days ago

You'd truly have to care about absolutely nothing beyond your own immediate existence, a singularity of solipsism, to think this is a good idea.

anakin-padme-3

[–] D61@hexbear.net 16 points 3 days ago

pain ... how long before somebody finds something about this in the "Epstein files"?

[–] NephewAlphaBravo@hexbear.net 14 points 3 days ago

thanks i hate it agony-shivering

[–] MarmiteLover123@hexbear.net 21 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Pakistan will just bomb them to bits with complete air superiority. The chances of a Taliban offensive succeeding beyond a few border posts are slim.

[–] CitizensTyrant@hexbear.net 12 points 2 days ago (2 children)
[–] ClathrateG@hexbear.net 9 points 2 days ago

Exactly, I'm surprised that got so many upbears, I thought people here had a better memory than the average normie

[–] MarmiteLover123@hexbear.net 6 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (1 children)

Big difference between offense and defence. Against the US, the Taliban were on the defence as an insurgency, the US on the offensive. Now it's the opposite, the Taliban is on the offensive, trying to seize territory, and can't be insurgents trying to ambush attackers.

The Taliban in Afghanistan also lost every single major battle/engagement vs the USA. They didn't win a single large battle. They outlasted the US as an insurgency for 20 years despite that, while the USA pursued an always doomed to fail "nation building" plan. That's how the Taliban won the war on a strategic level. This is very different from invading Pakistan, holding territory, etc. Unless the Taliban plan to bait Pakistan into invading and occupying Afghanistan, they can't use that strategy.

[–] CitizensTyrant@hexbear.net 3 points 2 days ago (2 children)

Holy lib slop.

Big difference between offense and defence. Against the US, the Taliban were on the defence as an insurgency, the US on the offensive. Now it's the opposite, the Taliban is on the offensive, trying to seize territory, and can't be insurgents trying to ambush attackers.

First of all Pakistan declared war, and are the ones bombing Afghanistan. How does your mind translate that into the Taliban being the aggressors?

Second, the Taliban have major strongholds in both Afghanistan and Pakistan, they aren't "invading" anything. The borderlands between Afghanistan and Pakistan have essentially been Taliban territory since before they were even the Taliban. These areas are also incredibly ethnically diverse. The nature of their struggle hasn't changed beyond Pakistan officially declaring itself an adversary. At the US' behest, no doubt.

The Taliban in Afghanistan also lost every single major battle/engagement vs the USA. They didn't win a single large battle. They outlasted the US as an insurgency for 20 years despite that, while the USA pursued an always doomed to fail "nation building" plan. That's how the Taliban won the war on a strategic level. This is very different from invading Pakistan, holding territory, etc. Unless the Taliban plan to bait Pakistan into invading and occupying Afghanistan, they can't use that strategy.

That's literally the purpose of an insurgency. Avoid large, pitched battles and wage asymmetrical warfare and engage in a campaign of attrition. Which they executed flawlessly and kept the US and NATO from achieving ANY strategic objectives of their own. That's literally the very definition of a successful insurgency. Like, what are you even saying here lol

[–] egg1918@hexbear.net 6 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Marmite: The chances of a Taliban offensive succeeding beyond a few border posts are slim

CitizensTyrant: First of all Pakistan declared war, and are the ones bombing Afghanistan. How does your mind translate that into the Taliban being the aggressors?

CitizensTyrant: Mm you must be some kind of fed bot lol

Don't fed jacket users because you misread their comment

[–] CitizensTyrant@hexbear.net 1 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

Lmao wow, way to ignore the rest of the comment and copy + paste specific tidbits to form your own narrative. Talk about misreading

[–] egg1918@hexbear.net 1 points 19 hours ago (1 children)

Is this the point where you accuse me of being a federal agent too?

[–] CitizensTyrant@hexbear.net 1 points 19 hours ago* (last edited 19 hours ago)

Depends on if you're going to go ahead and justify western imperialism because a former western proxy bit the hand that fed it.