Booman Tribune ~ A Progressive Community

Stink from Afghanistan

by BooMan
Sat Nov 28th, 2009 at 10:18:04 AM EST

I'm not saying that setting up an elaborate system of tribal graft isn't the best available way to tamp down the civil war in Afghanistan, but I wonder if this is something that can really stand the light of day in this country. It may well be a long overdue concession to the realities of life in Afghanistan, but it reeks of corruption from our cultural perspective. We still have a few political graft machines here, but they lack their former legitimacy and must increasingly operate under the table. I know most Americans will wrinkle their noses when reading about this plan. It doesn't seem right.

On the other hand, it's a plan aimed at providing decent employment to gunmen. And that is something that always has merit.

Stink from Afghanistan | 10 comments (10 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)

Re: Stink from Afghanistan (none / 0)

Money talks...
Karzai can put them to work in the poppy fields!

For starters, I still don't understand why we call it the Afghan War. The way to both sell it here at home and abroad would be to call it what it is (or should be); The Al Qaeda War. Not the war on terror, not the war on the people or the country of Afghanistan, but the war on Al Qaeda. If I recall correctly Obama called it that during some of his primary speeches but we seem to have moved away from it for some strange reason.

by forus50 on Sat Nov 28th, 2009 at 10:49:00 AM EST

Re: Stink from Afghanistan (none / 0)

well, al-qaeda is a network like AOL or Facebook. It has no location.

Afghanistan is still experiencing a civil war that has been going on now for about thirty years.

by BooMan on Sat Nov 28th, 2009 at 11:08:34 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Stink from Afghanistan (none / 0)

I realize that but if they move into Somalia, are we going to call it "The War in Somalia"? Some of Al Qaeda was in Florida on 9/11. The war isn't against a tactic (terror) a place (Afghanistan currently) it's against a group of criminals intent on creating a global jihad. Calling it the war on Afghanistan distorts the focus of the mission. To me, it's the same BS (and dangerous false application of what we are doing) as "the war on drugs".

by forus50 on Sat Nov 28th, 2009 at 11:19:15 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Stink from Afghanistan (none / 0)

The construct is flawed, I agree.

But our mission in Afghanistan isn't about al-Qaeda right now. It's about leaving the country without it reverting back to the way it was before we went in.

by BooMan on Sat Nov 28th, 2009 at 11:32:36 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Stink from Afghanistan (none / 0)

It's about leaving the country without it reverting back to the way it was before we went in.

Is that really something we can stop?

by Calvin Jones and the 13th Apostle on Sat Nov 28th, 2009 at 10:43:50 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Stink from Afghanistan (none / 0)

So are we going to follow the terrorists around the world and just invade countries where they happen to be at the moment?

Come ON. You'd think all the smart and very serious people running the show could come up with a more workable strategy than this.

We'll be chasing these assholes for the next fifty years. They are mobile. Our military is not.

Oh and we are BROKE btw.

If obama does this tropop increase I don't want to hear a peep from the democrats when they lose their majority next year because we don't bother to vote.

by Jan on Sat Nov 28th, 2009 at 11:39:49 AM EST

Re: Stink from Afghanistan (none / 0)

A commentary from Eric Margolis who's always got an interesting take. The 'Pot Calls the Kettle Black'

by mainsailset on Sat Nov 28th, 2009 at 11:44:25 AM EST

Re: Stink from Afghanistan (none / 0)

I hate the war and really wish we could just leave. Let the country sink.
But, I realize we have some responsibility to the afghanies.
I just wish Obama was not left with so many monumental messes to clean up. It takes its toll and many forget alot of what they are angry about was because of Bush and not Obama.
Yet, here we are...

by renior (greenbug2@comcast.net) on Sat Nov 28th, 2009 at 12:49:41 PM EST

Re: Stink from Afghanistan (none / 0)

My first reaction was that this recognized the reality in Afghanistan that there is not going to be a centralized, powerful government. There is going to be some respect for the tribal history of the place. I have some confidence in Obama's sense of history --- including failed attempts to govern Afghanistan as a singular nation. This seems like an attempt to ratchet down the fighting, clearly identify and concentrate on those who self-identify as the "bad guys," and let the US and Pakistan do a squeeze play on Al Queda.

by anegadagino on Sat Nov 28th, 2009 at 01:22:12 PM EST

what you call "tribal graft"... (none / 0)

may in fact be a cultural norm, and failure to "gift" a headman could be interpreted as an insult. The due tribute to a ruler, however local. I don't know this for certain however, but I'm suspending judgement.

How likely is this? Hard for me to say, but we're speaking of a society with a 28.1% adult literacy - the world's third lowest - 53% of whom live below the poverty line. There is no major industry.

Their exports:

opium, fruits and nuts, handwoven carpets, wool, cotton, hides and pelts, precious and semi-precious gems

Hides and pelts, mind you.

This will change. Afghanistan is about to enter the world market as a copper exporter, China having recently reached a deal with Afghanistan to begin exploiting the estimated $88B copper deposits there.

What you call tribal graft may be the only game anywhere outside of Kabul.

The cure for bullshit is fieldwork
-Robert Bates; Harvard School of Government

by papicek (ezreader1248_ainacirle_hotmail.com) on Sat Nov 28th, 2009 at 01:39:24 PM EST

Stink from Afghanistan | 10 comments (10 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)

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