20 Comments

good interview Ioan, very insightful

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Appreciated Malcolm. Yeah, Hollie is great. I'd also really recommend the interview with Patrick Winn (China's Client Narco State) if you get a chance. All best to the Hooligan's game played by Gentlemen...

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Interesting. Thanks.

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All best there Mr Mike and back at yer. The Taliban; Same Shit, Different Islamic Dictatorship...

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Same Shit, Different Flowers.

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Poppies rather coca leaves - Same shit; different night life than Latin America

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Aug 10Liked by Ioan Grillo

Since it now seems that opium poppy production is moving heavily into Myanmar(Burma), it is not a coincidence that the United States and the CIA through it's proxy the National Endowment of Democracy has funneled over 23 million dollars to opposition groups in Burma just from 2016-2020. Our efforts for "democracy" in Burma are deeply reminiscent of our past actions in Afghanistan. Are we again supporting elements in a country that could make Burma a stronger narco hub then Afghanistan?

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Very interesting point there. The U.S. (and allies) certainly have a habit of being involved in countries with massive drug production. Let's see how much it is possible to get the claws into Myanmar...

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Aug 9Liked by Ioan Grillo

Taliban were and are the native people of Afghanistan. The so called Democratic Government ( Puppet Government) had no control over the rest of country apart from Kabul .

So it was a Kabul regime VS Taliban ( grassroot ) Government or government of people.

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Good point there Mindful Felka. Didn't the puppet government represent more certain ethnic minorities? Best.

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Aug 8Liked by Ioan Grillo

20 years to replace the taliban with the taliban. Pathetic. Afghanistan was my generation's Vietnam. My respects to our British military allies who fought along side with us. God save the queen!

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Aug 8·edited Aug 8Author

Yes, it has to be said it looks like a colossal failure - a generation of fighting, trillions of dollars and an objective defeat. Or was it a result for those who made all the money - from both guns and heroin...

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Aug 8Liked by Ioan Grillo

Also ioan a funny chicano movie you should watch is cheech marren's born in east LA 1988. It's about a Mexican American from East los angeles who gets mistaken for an illegal and gets deported to tijuana. Thus trying to find his way back to America. Hilarious movie

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Yeah, I remember watching some of those Cheech and Chong films back in the 80s when I was a teen. I don't think we understood many jokes but it was just like, "wow people are smoking reefer on camera.."

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Aug 8Liked by Ioan Grillo

Just another case study of the failure of counter insurgency warfare. France in the Indochina wars of 1950s, America in Vietnam in the 1960s, Great Britain in northern Ireland from the late 60s to late 90s, Russia in the Chechen wars in the 1990s. And so forth. Although I don't think the IRA ever truly beat the British army and vice versa

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We lose hearts and minds every time...

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Aug 10Liked by Ioan Grillo

Unfortunately, a US led counter insurgency in Indonesia led to the deaths of 500,000 to 850,000 lives in Indonesia 1965. Indonesia has never recovered from that massive political disaster and led to rural support for Al Qaeda in the 1990. Also the US with the CIA, multinational corporations including Belgium, and French and British cooperation, the murder assassination of Patrice Lumumba, the first elected leader of the Democratic Republic of Congo, destroyed the heart and soul of African nationalism and liberation. Africa was driven backwards with the continued international support of thugs and crooks to run many African countries. Armed and bribed hit men for global colonial elites. These ruthless counter insurgencies have been successful but at a huge cost for the country's future that suffer these ruthless and unwarranted incursions. Unfortunately, these are not the only examples.

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Damn, yeah Indonesia is one of these insane blood baths that is only in the corner of most people's mind. What a death toll right up there with Iraq in the early 21st century...

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Aug 9Liked by Ioan Grillo

Don't forget french soldiers ! We miss a lot of brothers now...

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Very good point friend. Rest in peace to all killed in that war.

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