ThreeFlangedJavis wrote: ↑Wed Sep 01, 2021 4:55 am
No problem with dog sanctuaries. The gender studies phenomenon is an unfortunate infection carried with aid and social development agencies so I don't think you can directly blame the occupying powers for that.
Why can't we blame the occupying powers? What is their job over there?
ThreeFlangedJavis wrote: ↑Wed Sep 01, 2021 4:55 am
Afghanistan has a very traditional culture for the region with a hierarchy of loyalties with the strongest at the family level and the weakest at the national level.
Sure, and the occupying power who was nation-building and all the rest hung flags on their embassy celebrating sodomites. At the same time setting up dog sanctuaries. Were we projecting that we were serious about what we were doing there or not? None of these things project seriousness to me.
ThreeFlangedJavis wrote: ↑Wed Sep 01, 2021 4:55 am
There is little desire to pool resources to develop amenities outside of the family or village, that burden is left to the outsider or those more forward thinking Afghans.
Are they leaving that burden to outsiders, or are outsider deciding it needs to be done? If after 20 years the villagers are still not interested in this stuff, then why are we spending time on dog sanctuaries and gender studies? None of those things are solving important parts of the problem and project lack of seriousness about the main problem.
ThreeFlangedJavis wrote: ↑Wed Sep 01, 2021 4:55 am
An outside force hoping to modernise must accept taking on that responsibility and work with exceptional willing locals.
Work with exceptionally willing locals to what end? If 99% of the country still wants Sharia law, isn't it just a small percentage of that 1% who were sold on the nation we were building? The whole thing feels like we were trying to stand up an inverted pyramid. It seemed to be going fine so long as the scaffolding was there.
ThreeFlangedJavis wrote: ↑Wed Sep 01, 2021 4:55 am
It takes time and commitment and the effort was slowly bearing fruit in the cities and in the security services.
Was it? How much time would have been required to achieve what end goal? Would a 20 year occupation be enough to turn the United States into a Sharia law loving Muslim state? I don't doubt that the occupying power could show progress amongst a small percentage of the population who was most willing, but wouldn't that progress be largely an illusion if only 1% of the population was actually on board with the plan?
ThreeFlangedJavis wrote: ↑Wed Sep 01, 2021 4:55 am
Unfortunately the occupying forces modeled the Afghan military on their own, making it dependent on advanced technology for which they relied on the occupiers, not a good idea unless they were willing to stay indefinitely.
But even then, if 99% of the country want to live in a theocracy, a non-theocratic government either has to be a dictatorship.... or it will collapse. It feels like we were trying to set up a dictatorship and a democracy at the same time.
ThreeFlangedJavis wrote: ↑Wed Sep 01, 2021 4:55 am
The US/NATO lured Afghans into working with them in the belief that they were going to build a nation, their trust was betrayed and now they are paying the price.
I agree on this 100%. For my money, we should have set up some kind of Saddam Hussein like dictator. One of the warlords who could crush and murder opposition, not an academic from the World Bank. We at least know how to install brutal dictators.