Americans wonder should we leave or should we stay in Afghanistan? We discover or rediscover the answer to this question every year or so. Afghans in the meantime wait on us to decide. This year is no different and the result of America’s decision will decide whether Afghans continue to live under Karzai corruption or slip back into Taliban Sharia Law. I’m glad I’m in the country that gets to decide how things will go but I think if I was an Afghan I could tell you which one I’d prefer; definitely bungling democracy over totalitarian religious law any day of the week but you can read here to get some feedback from real Afghans. The fact of the matter is I’m no Afghan and I don’t think of Afghan interests, I think of American interests. I have a hard time thinking of humanity as one broad brotherhood (though I love the concept) in which we sacrifice on behalf of our Afghan brothers and sisters. I don’t want us to sacrifice any more for them strangers, can’t we spend the money we’re spending on them for healthcare instead;) On the other hand, this broad brotherhood concept could work in our favor someday. For instance, what if the roles were reversed and one morning we woke up and found ourselves in a situation similar to the Afghans under Taliban control, but instead of the Taliban, it was fanatic Christian strongmen killing and ruling us. We’d want the flawed but benevolent help of the (remember this is fiction) powerful Afghan government, or anyone else for that matter, to help break the chains that bind, wouldn’t we.
Funny to think, if those tables were turned and it was us wondering which faction to cozy up to while foreign people in foreign lands decided how long their foreign troops would be sticking around to help keep the more powerful than us zealot douche bags in check. Pro or con, a season of that would do wonders for the perspective…
