Article

2003-11-21 Afghanistan

Karzai govt takes a leaf from Taliban book

Archived material is restricted to Rantburg regulars and members. If you need access email fred.pruitt=at=gmail.com with your nick to be added to the members list. There is no charge to join Rantburg as a member.

Posted by Paul Moloney 2003-11-21 12:06:09 AM|| || Front Page|| [4 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 Idiots.

"Hello Pres. Bush? Yes, Karzai here, well, uh... We've decided that modernization isn't really our bag. So we're going to keep our girls stupid and see if we can get back to the good old dark ages again. Thanks for all your help."

Posted by joe 2003-11-21 12:27:02 AM|| 2003-11-21 12:27:02 AM|| Front Page Top

#2 I actually think that Karzai's views towards women are pretty progressive, although it's hard to be sure, but at the very least the people around him seem to want Afghanistan to stay a backwards hellhole.

Posted by Paul Moloney 2003-11-21 12:30:37 AM|| 2003-11-21 12:30:37 AM|| Front Page Top

#3 Who do we hit for this? Is there any hope of talking or beating sense into these people?

Posted by Tokyo Taro 2003-11-21 1:49:30 AM|| 2003-11-21 1:49:30 AM|| Front Page Top

#4 Another point is that the EU and others reneged their own signature and never sent the economic help they had promised by treaty. Meaning that it is Saudi Arabia and similar who have filled the gap, more exactly 10% of the gap, but enough to to send Afghanistan backwards

Posted by JFM 2003-11-21 1:50:21 AM|| 2003-11-21 1:50:21 AM|| Front Page Top

#5 There is no hope.

Posted by Rafael 2003-11-21 1:54:13 AM|| 2003-11-21 1:54:13 AM|| Front Page Top

#6 Hope the coalition stomps on this with both feet.

Posted by Raptor 2003-11-21 6:45:55 AM|| 2003-11-21 6:45:55 AM|| Front Page Top

#7 "TFT sources in Kabul disclosed last week "

reliable source?

Posted by liberalhawk 2003-11-21 8:21:43 AM|| 2003-11-21 8:21:43 AM|| Front Page Top

#8 if it is true, the cure is democracy. Push afghan to real elections, with women voting.

Posted by liberalhawk 2003-11-21 8:24:53 AM|| 2003-11-21 8:24:53 AM|| Front Page Top

#9 democracy doesn't drive culture; culture drive democracy.

Posted by rawsnacks 2003-11-21 9:15:47 AM|| 2003-11-21 9:15:47 AM|| Front Page Top

#10 Remember, you can only rent Afghanis, you can't ever really count on them.

Posted by Douglas De Bono 2003-11-21 9:37:31 AM|| [http://www.DouglasDeBono.com] 2003-11-21 9:37:31 AM|| Front Page Top

#11 New and Improved Taliban-Lite^TM--now with fresh lemony scent!

Posted by Dar 2003-11-21 9:40:17 AM|| 2003-11-21 9:40:17 AM|| Front Page Top

#12 Remember, you can only rent Afghanis, you can't ever really count on them

Well, if the coalition "rented" Afghanis, it's not clear we've paid our invoices on time. Karzai has begged for money, help and a clear signal that the West is dedicated to helping him construct a functioning liberal democracy there. How much response has he actually received? Not all that much .....

Posted by rkb 2003-11-21 10:27:10 AM|| 2003-11-21 10:27:10 AM|| Front Page Top

#13 Did anyone expect modernization overnight? The real test is whether they keep the terrorists out. That is what we paid for.

Posted by Spot 2003-11-21 10:40:18 AM|| 2003-11-21 10:40:18 AM|| Front Page Top

#14 "democracy doesn't drive culture; culture drive democracy"

Im not sure the aove policy really reflects the cultural beliefs of the majority of Afghans. I guess it depends on how assertive Afghan women really are, especially outside of Kabul. Everything ive read over the last few months indicates they are quite eager to be educated, and would take this poorly.

Posted by liberalhawk 2003-11-21 10:44:09 AM|| 2003-11-21 10:44:09 AM|| Front Page Top

#15 "Reliable source?"

Friday Times is an island of sweet reason in the sea of Pak ~~ranting~~ journalism.

Posted by Fred 2003-11-21 11:05:18 AM|| 2003-11-21 11:05:18 AM|| Front Page Top

#16 democracy doesn't drive culture; culture drive democracy.
Heading in the right direction, but not quite on centerline yet. Culture establishes the basis of Government (the purpose of government is to sustain the culture of the majority). Change the culture, and you affect the purpose of government (hearts and minds thinking). We're trying to change a culture of oppression and murder into one recognizing the rights of others to live as they choose. The closer we come to that ideal, the more likely a democratically based government will have of being successful. The Iraqi people are tired of the foot on their neck, are happy to have that foot removed, and aren't ready at the moment to let someone else put their foot where Saddam's was. Once the benefits of a representative republic trickle down to all the people, the less likely they'll let another demagogue gain power over them.

Posted by Old Patriot 2003-11-21 1:23:30 PM|| [http://users.codenet.net/mweather/default.htm] 2003-11-21 1:23:30 PM|| Front Page Top

#17 Remember that Afghanistan has been clannish and into this culture for hundreds of years. There are alot of switchboards to rewire. It is frustrating to us as westerners to see such behavior perpetuating itself. Alot of the people do not have the tools to jump with both feet into the western ideas of equality of women, representative govt, etc etc.

"I want immediate gratification, and I want it now."

Posted by Alaska Paul 2003-11-21 1:37:57 PM|| 2003-11-21 1:37:57 PM|| Front Page Top

#18 It would come as no surprise if the all the cars over there only moved in reverse.....

Posted by Bomb-a-rama 2003-11-21 3:34:39 PM|| 2003-11-21 3:34:39 PM|| Front Page Top

#19 The fact that the West seems to have remembered Afghanistan exists for this long is encouraging. The process of forcing Afghan legal reform will take at least five years, metropolitan social cange will take a decade and social change in the hinterland will take a genertion or two. I have no qualification to make this assertion.

Posted by Super Hose 2003-11-21 4:51:27 PM|| 2003-11-21 4:51:27 PM|| Front Page Top

04:35 DEBBI PILAND
11:55 Bulldog
08:00 Shipman
07:52 Shipman
01:57 Jeff
01:54 Jeff
01:38 Atomic Conspiracy
01:25 Val
00:15 Korora
00:13 Lu Baihu
00:07 Robert Crawford
23:48 Fred
23:45 Fred
23:35 NotMikeMoore
23:35 Anonymous
23:33 Charles
23:31 NotMikeMoore
23:30 Frank G
23:26 Frank G
23:17 Anonymous2U
23:17 NotMikeMoore
23:13 Chuck
23:11 NotMikeMoore
23:10 rkb