The Last Word With Lawrence O'Donnell - General Discussion

[possibilities]

Last night, he was saying that what is happening in Afghanistan is not worse than what happened in Saigon. Okay. But he seemed to be also saying we should not care about it, and that strikes me as utterly insane, or at least repulsively cynical.

 

He kept saying the military does not know how to do evacuations. Well, why aren't we supposed to be outraged by that? 

 

I was glad his guests called him on it, to some extent, but it was unsettling to see him argue that people shouldn't be upset.

[tessaray]

His opening seemed more targeted to opposing war - period. That all war ends badly when you're on the losing side.

That said, I remember Vietnam and how horrible the losses were, how the draft affected the young men I knew, including my future husband and how humiliating the withdrawal was. Lawrence's anger was directed to those who tried calling Afghanistan worse. I didn't get that Lawrence didn't care, just that this was always going to happen because we haven't learned anything in 50 years. 

[Pearson80]

16 hours ago, tessaray said:

His opening seemed more targeted to opposing war - period. That all war ends badly when you're on the losing side.

That said, I remember Vietnam and how horrible the losses were, how the draft affected the young men I knew, including my future husband and how humiliating the withdrawal was. Lawrence's anger was directed to those who tried calling Afghanistan worse. I didn't get that Lawrence didn't care, just that this was always going to happen because we haven't learned anything in 50 years. 

Thank you for saying that it is time for America to let other countries tend to their affairs, full stop..  

[possibilities]

I 100% agree that war is hell and we should stop it. I always thought the military involvement in Afghanistan was a mistake (a calculated, cynical, idiotic mistake). If we actually wanted to do some good there, as has been the official line for 2 decades, sending the military was the wrong approach.

But I thought he came across more like an apologist for the military, saying no one could have done better and thus excusing their incompetence, and that anyone who claims otherwise is uninformed. I think that's untrue and a mistake.

Others have been making a more convincing anti-war argument, in my opinion. 

[Kemper]

I don't watch Lawrence all that much anymore....got burned out on the the entire network for awhile.  But I tuned in last night; and Lawrence opened with a heartfelt, honest commentary on the 20+ years of the US trying to fix this country.  He was not dramatic, no hand-wringing, no pounding of how the entire thing was handled.  For the last couple of weeks the media has been hysterical; it was nice to see a straightforward, unvarnished report/opinion that doesn't try and play to the heartstrings.

[Medicine Crow]

Lawrence is not appointment T.V. for me (like Rachel & Brian), but when I do watch, I always enjoy his shows.  Speaking of, where the hell is Brian?  He already had a week off!!!

[Hanahope]

I've heard that interview with TFG several times now, that LOD played on his show last night.  I am astounded that no one ever comments that the interviewer never pushed back at tfg for claiming the election was stolen.  there never has been (or ever will be) evidence of such and its criminal that other media outlets and interviewers never push tfg back on those false claims.