Ben Anderson's VICE documentary shows embedded reporting on Afghan security forces and US Marines in Helmand during the troop drawdown, exposing incompetence, drug abuse and corruption.
Why Hacker News points people here: Recommended during Afghanistan withdrawal threads as a sobering look at why the transition to local forces was failing.
“I highly recommend giving this a watch though it's very upsetting”
Illuminating coverage of rebuilding failures; upsetting
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Their youtube channel used to deliver incredibly raw and direct coverage of world events other US news sources seemed to be ignoring. Over the last few years though I've become increasingly annoyed with what content of theirs I saw, it's definitely changed. Their coverage of the rebuilding efforts and failures in Afghanistan for instance was very illuminating and well done, I highly recommend giving this a watch though it's very upsetting: this video
Strongly recommendspeterkellyAug 2021
“I highly recommend the 2013 documentary”
Fascinating insight into failed transition to local security forces
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For a fascinating insight into the disaster that was supposed to be the training of and transition to local security forces, I highly recommend the 2013 documentary "This Is What Winning Looks Like": this video
Strongly recommendscf141q5325Feb 2022
“Ben Anderson whos Afghanistan and Iraq reporting was really impressive.”
Impressive embedded reporting by Ben Anderson
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Vice news has (or had?) some actual journalists. They hired Ben Anderson whos Afghanistan and Iraq reporting was really impressive. Especially "This is what winning looks like". this video If i recall correctly he made the footage when embedded via the BBC and (re)published it on vice? Still incredibly impressed of the footage he managed to shoot as an embedded journalists. I would guess in no small parts due to the integrity of Major Bill Steuber. Unfortunately that seems to have cost him his military career. He is now a security guard in Manhattan. link Afterwards Anderson mentioned the required style of reporting at Vice negatively (the camera focusing on his reactions) but he stayed with them for a while. Not sure if he is still associated with them. edit: Fixed timestamp & He left vice last year link
Strongly recommendspengaruFeb 2023
“If you haven't seen the VICE special This Is What Winning Looks Like [0], watch it.”
Shows war was a waste with no plausible path to success
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If you haven't seen the VICE special This Is What Winning Looks Like [0], watch it. As a sibling comment said, there was no plausible path to success. It was just a tremendous waste of time and resources, many of which just ended up in terrorist hands. [0] this video
RecommendsHenryMcJun 2014
“has some great reporting on Afghanistan.”
Great reporting on the war in Afghanistan
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The Vice documentary 'This Is What Winning Looks Like' has some great reporting on Afghanistan. this video
RecommendsnewnewpdroDec 2019
“It's a very sobering and disturbing report, available on youtube.”
Sobering and disturbing report on Afghanistan struggles
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The VICE documentary This Is What Winning Looks Like exposes some of the same struggles with Afghanistan. It's a very sobering and disturbing report, available on youtube. this video
RecommendspengaruJul 2021
“was very illuminating for me, the situation there is a total clusterfuck and waste of resources”
Illuminating look at waste and chaos in Afghanistan
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The VICE documentary This Is What Winning Looks like [0] was very illuminating for me, the situation there is a total clusterfuck and waste of resources. [0] this video
RecommendssureglymopAug 2021
“See this documentary (from 8 years ago) about how utterly lost and helpless this situation has always been”
Shows how lost and helpless the situation always was
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The goal was never to "win". It was to build up an army (the afghan army) that could eventually stand by itself and defend the government in place. This was a largely failing effort even years ago, considering that most of the afghan army were made up of people from the north of Afghanistan and previous geopolitics (north/south) play a role. The people in the south would at times trust the taliban over sympathisers for the previous northern warlords which had influence over members of the afghan army. See this documentary (from 8 years ago) about how utterly lost and helpless this situation has always been: this video
RecommendspengaruMay 2023
“seemed like pretty solid journalism”
Solid journalism on the US war in Afghanistan
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I was never much of a VICE follower, but their This Is What Winning Looks Like [0] special on the US' war in Afghanistan seemed like pretty solid journalism. Wish they'd continue producing content like that... Hamilton's Pharmacopeia was fun as well. [0] this video
RecommendsreapermanMay 2023
Example of Vice's older, higher quality work
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"Old Vice": this video "New Vice": link Hopefully they can regain their conscience and quality.
RecommendsreapermanMay 2023
Example of Vice's older, higher quality work
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"Old Vice": this video "New Vice": link > A @VICEUK video producer once responded to me: "I don't understand why this is so difficult, all I want to know is if you can do the job" when I brought up the issue of my safety covering sensitive topics in China, and how I'll take the fall while her team leaves unscathed. > Naomi: Off limits stuff: I don't talk about my relationship status or my sexual orientation. China is China and it's a complex issue that is sometimes dealt with in pragmatic ways- and my focus is on other issues. It's just a lot of trouble here. > Vice: "LOL. We outed you on an international stage and also went out of our way to get your Patreon banned, buh-bye!" Hopefully they can regain their conscience and quality.
Cites itsorokodAug 2021
Cited in support of Afghans' unwillingness to defend themselves
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To state the obvious, the Afghans in aggregate, were not willing to build an army and were not willing to defend themselves against the Taliban. This Is What Winning Looks Like (2013?): this video
