Afghanistan, A Photo Essay

An interesting article. Many, myself included, have speculated that "nation building" is a doomed enterprise in a "nation" consisting largely of tribal villages in isolated valleys. While I'm still not convinced this view is wrong, I readily admit my ignorance about what Afghanistan once was. . . and not that long ago.

Enjoy.

http://www.foreignpolicy.com/article...in_afghanistan

If anyone in interested in reading some historical fiction that will give you the flavor of Afghanistan (and "a 1200 A.D. mentality"), I suggest James Michener's Caravans. And IAL, your article is quite interesting.

The beginning couple paragraphs of the IAL article.

On a recent trip to Afghanistan, British Defense Secretary Liam Fox drew fire for calling it "a broken 13th-century country." The most common objection was not that he was wrong, but that he was overly blunt. He's hardly the first Westerner to label Afghanistan as medieval. Former Blackwater CEO Erik Prince recently described the country as inhabited by "barbarians" with "a 1200 A.D. mentality." Many assume that's all Afghanistan has ever been -- an ungovernable land where chaos is carved into the hills. Given the images people see on TV and the headlines written about Afghanistan over the past three decades of war, many conclude the country never made it out of the Middle Ages.
But that is not the Afghanistan I remember. I grew up in Kabul in the 1950s and '60s. When I was in middle school, I remember that on one visit to a city market, I bought a photobook about the country published by Afghanistan's planning ministry. Most of the images dated from the 1950s. I had largely forgotten about that book until recently; I left Afghanistan in 1968 on a U.S.-funded scholarship to study at the American University of Beirut, and subsequently worked in the Middle East and now the United States. But recently, I decided to seek out another copy. Stirred by the fact that news portrayals of the country's history didn't mesh with my own memories, I wanted to discover the truth. Through a colleague, I received a copy of the book and recognized it as a time capsule of the Afghanistan I had once known -- perhaps a little airbrushed by government officials, but a far more realistic picture of my homeland than one often sees today.

I think both views have merit. Note that all of the photos in the story are from Kabul. It is likely the outlying areas haven't changed appreciably.

While my son definitely can exhibit a temper, at his core, to me, he is one of the gentlest souls I know; with a passion for literature above all else. As he prepares to go to this hell hole of a country I'm reminded of one of the few things he said about his time in Iraq.

"You can't help but feel sorry for the people, your heart goes out to the kids, but in the end, they live to kill each other, and there isn't anything we can do about it."

Can mankind ever outgrow our collective childhood myths? If not, I don't see a very bright future for Afghanistan. . . or us.

If your officer's dead and the sergeants look white,
Remember it's ruin to run from a fight:
So take open order, lie down, and sit tight,
And wait for supports like a soldier.

Wait, wait, wait like a soldier . . .

When you're wounded and left on Afghanistan's plains,
And the women come out to cut up what remains,
Jest roll to your rifle and blow out your brains
An' go to your Gawd like a soldier.

Go, go, go like a soldier,
Go, go, go like a soldier,
Go, go, go like a soldier,
So-oldier of the Queen!

The Young British Soldier by Rudyard Kipling

If your officer's dead and the sergeants look white,
Remember it's ruin to run from a fight:
So take open order, lie down, and sit tight,
And wait for supports like a soldier.

Wait, wait, wait like a soldier . . .

When you're wounded and left on Afghanistan's plains,
And the women come out to cut up what remains,
Jest roll to your rifle and blow out your brains
An' go to your Gawd like a soldier.

Go, go, go like a soldier,
Go, go, go like a soldier,
Go, go, go like a soldier,
So-oldier of the Queen!

The Young British Soldier by Rudyard Kipling Originally Posted by I B Hankering

Not sure if that is what a Father wants to read as his son prepares to head to this hell hole I B.

Iaintlien, I am not a religious man but my prayers are with your son's (and all sons and daughters) safe return from that region.

Thanks WTF,
As per the poem, I am a realist, and, as I said, my son's greatest love is literature, so I'm sure he's read and appreciated this one as well. We do ill service to minimize the horror of war, to spare feelings and insulate the people from it. When, after 9/11, Bush essentially told the nation t go shopping, I was beyond appalled.

May they ALL come home safe.

Not sure if that is what a Father wants to read as his son prepares to head to this hell hole I B.

Iaintlien, I am not a religious man but my prayers are with your son's (and all sons and daughters) safe return from that region. Originally Posted by WTF

You're right. Evidently, I was searching for the poem as Iaintlien was making his second post. But I've been there, and I've seen the glimmer of modernism mixed with the ancient ways.

@ Iaintlien - My hopes and prayers are that your son - everybody's sons and daughters - safely return home.

If anyone in interested in reading some historical fiction that will give you the flavor of Afghanistan (and "a 1200 A.D. mentality") Originally Posted by charlestudor2005

Or as they call it -- last week.

Thanks WTF,
As per the poem, I am a realist, and, as I said, my son's greatest love is literature, so I'm sure he's read and appreciated this one as well. We do ill service to minimize the horror of war, to spare feelings and insulate the people from it. When, after 9/11, Bush essentially told the nation t go shopping, I was beyond appalled.

May they ALL come home safe. Originally Posted by Iaintliein

You're right. Evidently, I was searching for the poem as Iaintlien was making his second post. But I've been there, and I've seen the glimmer of modernism mixed with the ancient ways.

@ Iaintlien - My hopes and prayers are that your son - everybody's sons and daughters - safely return home. Originally Posted by I B Hankering

Excellent replies from two fine men located slightly to the right of me. First beer on me should we ever meet up!

You're right. Evidently, I was searching for the poem as Iaintlien was making his second post. But I've been there, and I've seen the glimmer of modernism mixed with the ancient ways.

@ Iaintlien - My hopes and prayers are that your son - everybody's sons and daughters - safely return home. Originally Posted by I B Hankering

You know, the feeling I got from my stay was that no matter what we do or don't do, it will revert to the way it's been for a thousand years. As a person intrigued by culture and history, it's appalling the first time you see a two thousand year old structure laying in ruins with people using the stones without a care for the past. I'm not as optimistic about any (if any) positive changes staying put.

My thoughts are with your son Iaintlien. Thanks for the link.

You know, the feeling I got from my stay was that no matter what we do or don't do, it will revert to the way it's been for a thousand years. As a person intrigued by culture and history, it's appalling the first time you see a two thousand year old structure laying in ruins with people using the stones without a care for the past. I'm not as optimistic about any (if any) positive changes staying put.

My thoughts are with your son Iaintlien. Thanks for the link. Originally Posted by Sa_artman

I agree artman...we'd have to stay there 100 years to change their mindset and even then all it would be is a welfare state.

I've never been to Kabul but I stared at a 1960 picture of it for 30 minutes every month for more than 5 years as my Paki barber cut my hair. I thought the guy was Hispanic initially. He'd tell me what it was like growing up there before the Russians and Taliban took over. After 9/11 he tried to get hired by the CIA. Then he was gone for a few months. What happened, I asked? He was watching an Afghani report on TV about a teenager who was hung by the Taliban. He realized that it was his cousin so he went back home. Everytime I see an Afghan report I can't help but think of "The Man Who Would Be King."

They won't be able to stay in Medieval Times forever. The internet, cable tv and American culture will eventually win out. The Libyans are about to "de-friend" Khaddafi. It may not happen today but it will eventually. Muslims will see what other people have and can do and will want the same for themselves. That's why the mullahs in Iran are building a bomb. You can't firewall off human desire.

Iaintlien, good luck to your son. In my correspondence to every soldier, I tell them "If you make a mistake, make sure it is in your favor." Fuck the ROE if need be. I will let my congressman know not to hold it against you.