Wednesday, April 01, 2009

HORRIBLE NEW LAWS IN AFGHANISTAN IN ONE ODD WAY DO REPRESENT PROGRESS

POSTED RESPONSE TO A COLUMN IN TORONTO'S GLOBE AND MAIL

Well, we have made progress of a sort in Afghanistan.

We've come full circle from Bush's propaganda of years ago about women in Afghanistan, propaganda intended to win over soccer moms to an invasion that had nothing to do with human rights.

The place we've come to is to realize that you cannot change the culture and habits of an ancient, backward society in a few years, and especially with the use of armies.

Trying to alter the society of Afghanistan is like stepping back in time to fourteenth century France and trying to get women out of the convents and nuns out of their habits.

Ridiculous. And you'd only have made yourself an enemy to attempt doing so.

Only time and economic growth will change things in Afghanistan.

And surely it is clear to most that you do not get economic growth by bombs and invasion.

As I've said before, the U.S. would have achieved more dropping dollar bills on the countryside from its planes.





AN AMERICAN HUMAN-RIGHTS MISSION




GEE, SHE'S NOT FROM THE FOURTEENTH CENTURY - MORE LIKE THE EARLY 20TH