'Kabul Airport or Bust!'

There was a time in America when people seeking their fortunes cried out ‘California or Bust’.  They were headed west for gold, the first time.  Then came the Okies whose land had turned from rich soil to just plane dust.  They too invoked 'California or Bust' but all they wanted was to have enough to eat.  Then of course there were the generations of star struck young women and men heading for Hollyweird.  They were also seeking fortune but also a new kind of gold, fame.  But once again it was 'California or Bust!'  Now we have thousands of Americans headed for the airport in Kabul and it’s 'Kabul Airport or Bust'.  But they’re not seeking gold or fortune and fame.  They’re more like the Okies.  They just want to save their butts. 

There were either 2,000, 7,000 or up to 20,000 Americans trapped in Afghanistan invoking the 'Kabul Airport or Bust!' meme.  We’re sorry for the difference in the numbers but the numbers depend on what mass hysteria outlet you last looked at or what government spokesperson you last heard from or how much Exelon and Gingko the current occupant of the White House took on a given day. 

You may be wondering how many Americans are stranded in Afghanistan?  But this ever-changing figure is nothing new in the world of the mass hysteria and the government.  For example, the last war with Iraq either cost 1.9 trillion or 2.1 trillion or 2.4 trillion dollars depending on what source you consult.  Now you might say that the cost of a M1A1 Abrams Tank or an F-16 in combat could be a variable, so it might be difficult to get a constant value.  But it's the 21st Century and we have computers that utilize complex algorithms that could easily do that.  It's not like it's 1953 and we're asking a few guys with pencils, pads and an adding machine.  So that's a lot of billions, that no one seems to know if they were spent or not.

And, the government should know what it spent.  And, the mass hysteria who is supposed to tell us who, what, where, when and why should be able give us one figure as well.  Because when you spend your money you know the who, the what, the where, the when and the why.  You might regret some of the why but you know why.

And, it's not just with trillions and billions.  The same thing happens with lesser numbers and constant values.  Like how many people died on 9/11.  Either 2,974 people died or 2,977 or 2,996 died.  So it's possible that somewhere between 19 and 22 people who were thought to have died, didn't!  That's great.  Of course it could also mean that between 19 and 22 people who were thought to be alive are well... you know.  But you can see that these numbers don't need any fancy algorithms to calculate.  You could do it with a pad, a pencil and an old 1953 style adding machine.  But somehow well they, just can't get it straight.

Oh yeah, we haven’t even mentioned the number Afghans who were friendly to the U.S. Government or who are also invoking 'Kabul Airport or Bust!', who also  need to save their butts!  That could be another 10 or 20 or even 80 thousand people, depending upon who you ask and when.

Stay tuned. 

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