Video of the day -- Afghanistan as it was
Images of Afghanistan from the sixties and seventies. This probably represents a mostly-urban modernized culture, with the rural areas remaining more primitive -- that's the pattern seen today in Turkey and, to a much lesser extent, the US. Nevertheless, the contrast with what the country looks like after the resurgence of militant Islam (which began even before the first period of Taliban rule, with the revolt against the communist regime) is striking. Outsiders have exerted influence at various times, but this tremendous regression would not have been remotely possible without religion. This is not about the CIA or the Russians or the Democrats or the Republicans. The beginning, middle, and end of the problem is Islam.
posted by Infidel753 at 12:23 AM
13 Comments:
Islam extremists. The bottom of the barrel of religion.
So striking.
I was talking to someone about this and about the idea that the US staying there would have had any impact in the results we're seeing now. The answer is no. You cannot change a world view with some artillery and some fancy bootcamp.
XOXO
Religion…barbaric, insidious and destructive. It’s been cleaned up a little in the US, but it’s only a facade. Underneath is the same obscenities in all the Abrahamic religions worldwide. A death-knell to any progressive society.
I can see the ugliness of it now in my lifetime, more than ever before. When I was growing up, it was not nearly as extreme.
But then again, I did not grow up with religion or around religious people, so perhaps it was there even then.
Video made me sad. A future never to be again.
Absolutely accurate assessment.
Mike: And that's a pretty deep barrel.
Sixpence: Considering how hard it is to change the views of anti-vaxers and conspiratards here in the US, changing the views of the Taliban seems pretty hopeless.
Mary: It is disgusting, and some of the religious extremists in the US are strikingly similar -- want to go back to outlawing homosexuality, etc. However, I'm not sure it's true that Afghanistan will never regain the level of development it once had. Religion is eroding everywhere, and even fanatics like the Taliban will have some difficulty keeping control in a country where they have only 15% support.
Ricko: Thanks -- I think so.
Exactly. Islam is the main problem.
And it's an ugly one -- see today's video.
It was a stable monarchy. But then Soviet invasion, Murica mujajideen, and you know the rest.
The Taliban did, however, eradicate bacha bazi (boy prostitution), so even here, there's a silver lining, as loath as I am to admit it.
I think it's very unlikely that they actually eradicated it, even if they tried to.
It came back under American occupation, with some contractors even participating.
I've often thought that if I had only been born 10 years earlier, I would have loved to travel there.
When you see the modernization and the elevated status of women that had almost been entirely wiped out by 2000, it's pretty hard to believe in the generals who claim that our 20-year effort to instill a thirst for democracy was not in vain.
I hope to travel to Iran someday -- it's somewhat similar but much more developed, and of course with much more ancient history. And the Islamist regime has soured a lot of the people on religion.
As to the modernization, we'll see. People have had twenty years of secularism and increased education, and are much more aware of the outside world. The Taliban may have a more difficult time keeping control than they would have without that.
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