- Jun 24, 2003
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A rough summary of the situation is that the people of Afghanistan supported a regime (the Taliban) which was instrumental in carrying out terrorist attacks against the United States, namely 9/11. In our hurt and rage, we decide to invade Afghanistan in order to oust the Taliban. The Taliban is swept out of power in a matter of days. Maybe they could have been removed from power without the enormous number of "boots on the ground."
But here's where things go wrong, according to me. Instead of leaving once we solved the immediate problem, we decided to "rebuild" the country. But there was never anything here to begin with. In fact we were building a country from scratch, infrastructure and all. Spectacular multi-story buildings of glass sprung up. Commerce began to bustle. The streets were lined with police officers and soldiers. Graft ran rampant.
But the government? It still holds many of the same domestic policies that the Taliban did. More than 60% of Afghans want to reunite with the Taliban.
Most Afghans are just happy for the enormous amount of money we're pumping into their country. They don't pay any taxes, but now they have TVs, DVD players, internet, (the government has mandated that every village have an internet connection by 2013) everything! For free!
But the Afghans that have more a global view think it's all hilarious. You can see it in their smirks, and some will come out and tell you. They attacked America, and America gave them trillions. And so they'll smile and wave as long as we're here, but when we're gone, things will go back to the way they were and always been, because in the end, that's how the people here want things to be. Their bureacrats in the government and military refuse to even look at any long term plans or budgets beyond the next year, because they don't expect us to stay and they don't expect any of this to last.
Talk about an eye opening experience. I'm thoroughly disgusted.
But here's where things go wrong, according to me. Instead of leaving once we solved the immediate problem, we decided to "rebuild" the country. But there was never anything here to begin with. In fact we were building a country from scratch, infrastructure and all. Spectacular multi-story buildings of glass sprung up. Commerce began to bustle. The streets were lined with police officers and soldiers. Graft ran rampant.
But the government? It still holds many of the same domestic policies that the Taliban did. More than 60% of Afghans want to reunite with the Taliban.
Most Afghans are just happy for the enormous amount of money we're pumping into their country. They don't pay any taxes, but now they have TVs, DVD players, internet, (the government has mandated that every village have an internet connection by 2013) everything! For free!
But the Afghans that have more a global view think it's all hilarious. You can see it in their smirks, and some will come out and tell you. They attacked America, and America gave them trillions. And so they'll smile and wave as long as we're here, but when we're gone, things will go back to the way they were and always been, because in the end, that's how the people here want things to be. Their bureacrats in the government and military refuse to even look at any long term plans or budgets beyond the next year, because they don't expect us to stay and they don't expect any of this to last.
Talk about an eye opening experience. I'm thoroughly disgusted.