Life in Afghanistan these days
The Stars & Stripes gives us a glimpse of what life in Afghanistan will be like when that magic 2014 withdrawal happens and the US along with it’s allies leaves Afghanistan. This is pretty complicated, so I hope I got it right; the militia loyal to the titular army chief of staff opened fire on the militia loyal to a local war lord when they were getting together to discuss elections;
Mohammad Alam Sayee, the governor of Jowzjan province, was returning to his compound in the provincial capital Sherberghan, when armed men affiliated with Gen. Abdul Rashid Dostum moved in on the facility, Sayee’s spokesman, Mohammad Yama Jamili said.
Dostum, a prominent military leader during the 1980s and an infamous anti-Taliban warlord in the ’90s, currently serves in the largely ceremonial role of army chief of staff.
After Sayee took refuge in his compound, tensions escalated and the two sides fired on each other, though no one was injured, according Jamili.
Of course, no one was injured – it’s just another example of how Afghans haven’t taken advantage of the opportunity to be a civilized nation and to command a professional force that will protect the citizens.
In another story, the LA Times reports that life as a boy or girl scout in Afghanistan is quite a bit different than in the rest of the world;
“I love my uniform; it makes me feel proud,” said Ayob, 18. “Scouts are like my family.”
The group’s motto, “Be prepared,” takes on special meaning here, where members risk death to attend meetings, earn “rule of law” merit badges and learn to identify roadside bombs in first aid class.
While Boy Scouts plant trees on streets traversed by Islamist suicide bombers, Girl Scouts in this conservative Muslim nation are more cloistered, volunteering in hospitals, for instance, rather than working in the open.
“With Taliban problems, it’s hard to let the girls do everything,” said Mohammad Tamim Hamkar, Afghan Scouting’s program manager.
Camping and hiking are also restricted for boys, given the security concerns. Campfire singing stopped after mullahs accused the Scouts of worshiping fire.
You can’t civilize people who resist civilization. Yes, it’s the innocents who suffer the most, but when people like Karzai, who are only interested in their own fortunes rather than the future of their nation, in charge, the future as member of the community of nations isn’t very bright.
Category: Terror War
Yup–Afghanistan is a classic example of an oligarchy enriched off the backs of the masses, and the masses don’t seem to give a shit they’re being fucked nine ways from Sunday and won’t improve their lot.
And no amount of American blood or treasure is going to change 3000-plus years of head-up-the-ass thinking anytime soon.
Glad my OEF deployment was in a general support role and not served in-country. Serving in Iraq was bad enough…
In regard to comment #3, serving in Iraq was not really “bad”, but it was really DEPRESSING…
I find it hysterical the two factions fired upon one another for 20 minutes, but no one was injured.
As for the “scouting” program, that’ll go away once the Taliban take over again.
The only way those people will see change occurring in their country is if they start it themselves, but history proves that will never happen.
The people there are worse than they are here. They don’t do anything that might remotely be considered “at the forefront.” For too long, they say loved-ones try it and those loved ones were executed in front of them. That kills innovation. Add to that the Taliban’s other cruel and unusual behaviors (read SOPs) and you have a country of sheep that only want to live day to day without looking to the future.
Changing this nation would require a 100 year effort, that’s about the time it would require for most who remember today to be dead, and while they are dying off you can educate the future generations and teach a different path.
Barring that century of occupation Afghanistan will remain an afterthought of misery for the rest of man’s existence on this planet.
Which may or may not be very long in and of itself….man has not necessarily been a boon to the planet…once the planet figures that out we might get shrugged off like the dinosaurs.
Just my thought but when we are out of Afghanistan it will become the next Syria. Until the day to day people take up arms against the AQ and Taliban and put a bounty on their heads, they will not change. In our country we had a revolution of regular folks against the tyranny of an empire. EVERY Muslim nation who says they “want peace”, has to do the same. The trouble is they can’t get that damn Koran out of their heads and think for themselves. IMHO
You know the old saying, “You get the Government they put a gun in your face and tell you who to vote for”. But at least the Heroin dealers are safe we would not want the Taliban cutting into the GDP.
“Campfire singing stopped after mullahs accused the Scouts of worshiping fire.”
Does anyone anywhere need another example of what a backward assed cluster fuck that country is?? Why the fuck are we still there? I was there in 2002 and believed we had been there about a year too long even then.
Until the Afghans get tired of being led by scumbags, there aint anything we can do for them. And that pretty much goes for every other 3rd world shithole we decide to babysit. And by babysit, I mean throw money at in hopes that they will be our friend.
My vote is we stop sending our troops and money over to these rotten, leaching dumpsters of humanity and worry about our own asses for awhile. Cause God knows we have some shit we could be fixing here at home.
merit badges for IED identification? man, if scouting was like that when I was a kid I would have stuck with it past just earing my Bear Badge.
@9 Thank you MGySgtRet. I am so fed up sending money and worse, blood to these backwards assholes who will not help themselves.
When the most(say 70%)can read, write and do math all the Mulsins will commit the barbric acts and blindly follow the Mullahs version of the Koran. The Mullahs would lose their power. History has proven that those in power do not give up their power without a fight. Joe
@9 – Giving money to Afghani’s and other 3d world shitholes is like giving money to a homeless wine-o bum. You know it won’t be used the way you’d find it most beneficial, but the poor slobs use it on alcohol because that’s all they know, and they don’t want to change their circumstances.
I just think we need to find a better way to use our resources and stop spreading ourselves thin. The ineptitude by certain persons 🙂 going on now is becoming more and more disturbing.
Certainly the afghan picture of civilization might be different than ours; however, don’t lose sight that their country was civilized before our was even founded!
@15 A “civilization” that kills women who have been raped isn’t civilized. And that’s only one example of what they do that I don’t ever want to be a part of. Whatever civilization they ever had they lost, and the Taliban and others like them routinely destroy any part of that old civilization that is found.