Why Are We In Afghanistan? -- A Commentary

U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Robert Rios walks into a village in Jalrez Valley, Wardak province, Afghanistan, March 12, 2009. This was the troops’ first stop in the village as they work their way out from the nearby combat outpost Apache. DoD photo by Fred W. Baker III

We’re In Afghanistan For This? -- Captain's Quarters

At the Globe and Mail, Margaret Wente has a preening commentary on the situation for women in Afghanistan.

Why are we in Afghanistan? To do good, of course. To beat back the Taliban so Afghans can build a secure and peaceful state where little girls can go to school and their mothers have the right to go to the market without having acid thrown in their faces.

But that’s not the goal of Afghan President Hamid Karzai. His aim is to get re-elected. So he signed a law that gives the powerful Shia minority the right to treat women the traditional way. According to United Nations organizations, the law legalizes marital rape, gives custody rights to fathers and forbids women from leaving their home without their husbands’ protection.

Read more ....

My Comment: While I am a political conservative with a libertarian slant, I .... like most people in the western world .... do have that "liberal" sympathy for the unfortunate and down trodden. We want the best for everyone, and we want to impose what we believe is the best on those who do not have the best (from our point of view).

Unfortunately, the world is made up of thousands of distinct and unique cultures .... and while we perceive our culture as the best that man has ever developed .... others do not. Afghanistan is a case study of this perception. We view them as backwards, a prisoner of a societal and cultural traditions that belong to the 7th century. They view us differently also. A culture of pornography, exploitation, violence, corruption .... and most important of them all .... immorality. In a way .... we are both right.

Imposing our beliefs and cultural norms on the people of Afghanistan will be a complete disaster and failure. They are not ready for our traditions, our laws, and our cultural beliefs. They may one day share our point of view .... but that day is not now.

We are in Afghanistan for our own self interest .... to stop the Taliban - Al Qaeda alliance from ever coming to power. If we must stay in Afghanistan for the next 50 years ... so be it. This is where are focus should be .... and for the other staff .... education and patience may change this society by the end of this century.