My latest in PJ Media:
Baktash Ahadi, according to his Washington Post bio, “served U.S. and Afghan Special Operations forces as a combat interpreter from 2010 to 2012 and is a former chair of the State Department’s Afghan Familiarization course.” In the Post Tuesday, he asserts that “cultural illiteracy” led to the failure of the U.S. mission in Afghanistan, and he has a point. But this is the Washington Post, after all, and so Ahadi doesn’t say a word about what was the flashpoint of the cultural differences between Americans and Afghans, or about the real reason why the Taliban was in control when the U.S. entered Afghanistan and is back in control now that the Americans have left, twenty years later. The reality is far too politically incorrect for the Post to dare to touch.
Ahadi asks, “How could Afghanistan have collapsed so quickly?,” and immediately answers: “As a former combat interpreter who served alongside U.S. and Afghan Special Operations forces, I can tell you part of the answer — one that’s been missing from the conversation: culture.”
This is true. Likewise true is Ahadi’s assertion that “when comparing the Taliban with the United States and its Western allies, the vast majority of Afghans have always viewed the Taliban as the lesser of two evils.” And he is right again when he says: “To many Americans, that may seem an outlandish claim. The coalition, after all, poured billions of dollars into Afghanistan. It built highways. It emancipated Afghan women. It gave millions of people the right to vote for the first time ever. All true. But the Americans also went straight to building roads, schools and governing institutions — in an effort to ‘win hearts and minds’ — without first figuring out what values animate those hearts and what ideas fill those minds. We thus wound up acting in ways that would ultimately alienate everyday Afghans.”
Ahadi goes on to expatiate about how Americans in Afghanistan had very little day-to-day contact with Afghan civilians, but that isn’t really the heart of the matter. He says that the problem was that Americans didn’t understand Afghan culture, but he doesn’t make any mention at all of what drives the cultural differences between Americans and Afghans: religion.
Many Afghans viewed the U.S. with suspicion because the U.S. was not Muslim. The military brass thought that “hearts and minds” initiatives would show the Afghans that the Americans weren’t as bad as jihad propaganda claimed and were ready to be helpful, generous friends. This effort was predicated on the assumption that goodwill gestures would be appreciated and reciprocated.
There is more. Read the rest here.
gravenimage says
Afghan Interpreter Explains Why U.S. Failed in Afghanistan, and He’s Almost Right
………………
This is all about Islam. And now more and more of these pious Muslims are here in the west…
Mike says
and lets just hope that Washington doesn’t make special laws for Muslims like some fact similarly of blasphemy laws
Del says
Trudeau wants to do that in Canada by concentrating on the mythical “Islamophobia”. He wants to make any mention of Islam or Muslims, as well as any perceived negative interaction, a violation of the Criminal Code of Canada. Failing to grovel to a Muslim or even make a statement or even a gesture that might offend any Muslim could result in criminal charges and even jail.
The first thing we could expect is that Muslims would demand employment at any company or business they choose, and if not hired, the owner or manager could face criminal charges. No Muslim could ever be fired, for any reason, as they would instantly scream Islamophobia, Trudeau would lay charges, the Muzzie or Muslima would keep their job and would get a huge financial settlement. Society and the economy would quickly collapse.
Clifford Fodor says
Just separate the Muslim men from the Muslim girls–so they won’t breed.
mortimer says
The hearts and minds” initiatives fail because Muslims will never trust a kafir. All the same, they mistrust other Muslims as well, because they know Muslims follow the TAQIYYA doctrine.
Muslims are paranoid that contact with kafirs will take away their intensity of faith, and so they are encouraged to avoid such contact.
Islam has its own version of APARTHEID. Muslims unconsciously practice it and they don’t even realize they are doing it. When Muslims see the gap between them and the kafir, they always blame the kafir and not themselves.
Islam creates PARANOID IDEATION and cultural isolation.
gravenimage says
Spot on, Mortimer.
ab says
And, you are talking about paranoid?
Your biggest problem is that you are totally ignorant, your only meme is hatred.
You don’t even know what you believe in. I grew up in the west I studied in private christian school and high school. What saddened me most at the time there, was not that I was in the middle of so called christians, it was their lack of faith.
I know exactly why I don’t want your atheist religion.
gravenimage says
Note that ab here doesn’t say anything that Mortimer has supposedly gotten wrong about Islam. No surprise there…
And what he says about Christians is hogwash. Pious Muslims are just as apt to persecute and murder devout Christians as lax ones.
And note his lack of gratitude for having received a good education–this is extremely common.
Nor is Mortimer Atheist. But Muslims like ab care nothing for the truth.
ab says
Lol you are so prompt to unleash your hatred.
The only Note you should be making is “look how he has a broader culture (you don’t even know you neighbors), look how the apartheid is actually your way not ours”.
Regarding atheism, as I said you don’t even know what you believe in. Yes the leading religion in the west is atheism.
gravenimage says
Nothing I said is hatred–nor is it inaccurate. Note that ab here is unable to adress anything I said.
Then he does not say how freedom and democracy are “apartheid”.
And ab says that I shoud not be able to note what he says. This does not surprise–under Shari’ah law no Infidel is allowed to criticize any Muslim. I’m being a bad dhimmi as he sees it. Sorry, no Shari’ah law here.
Then, he has no idea whether I am atheist or not–and clearly does not care. As pious Muslims see it, no one is devout unless they are slaughtering others in the name of their faith–of course, only Islam teaches this savagery.
The idea that those who oppose the horrors of Jihad and Shari’ah don’t know what they believe in is ludicrous. All ab means is that this is forbidden under Islam.
Walter Sieruk says
Many of the American politicians and even most ofthe”top brass” of the United States military along with America’s allies did “miss the point” in that they didn’t fully understand the the “culture” of the Afghans was also their religion , both fused into one.
Likewise the Western concept of “winning their hearts minds” fell totally short of also winning their souls which is something that secular Western government cannot and never will be able to do.
Therefore all the generous “goodwill gestures” funded by the American taxpayer as the construction of roads and buildings ,if they be for hospitals of schools or other good things , the Imam has to totally brainwashed people of Afghanistan would, actually view as “an attempt to entice the Afghans away from their religion.”
To put this Western terms the Muslims who live in Afghanistan had taken to attitude to America’s
generously to them as in “No I can’t be bought.”
It’s all a literally crying shame of the terrible futility of it all. That’s the outcome of the false religion that is Islam being to thoroughly ingrained in the hearts , minds and souls of the people of Afghanistan.
Keys says
Good points, Walter.
Many, if not most, faithful Muslims across the world see all the roads, bridges, millions in cash, buildings, military hardware for an entire army, billions of dollars spent, etc. as the blessings of Allah bestowed upon the “best of peoples”.
Allah used the unworthy, filthy-kafir Americans to do his will by gifting his faithful with all these things. He especially, and spectacularly, had the foolish Joe Biden elected so that the Taliban could retake this Muslim land in a matter of weeks. A great page in the History of Islam ! Allah Akbar !
gravenimage says
Yep.
ab says
No actually we see you as a destructive calamity. Which you actually are.
You are not building roads you are trying to impose atheism.
You supremacists are indeed retards.
gravenimage says
The idea that giving Afghans a chance at democracy and giving girls an education is “imposing atheism” really says it all–this is orthodox Islam. Of course, this civilization is completely un-Islamic.
Of course, Afghanistan is still statistically 100% Muslim. No imposition of atheism there.
Note also that ab took advantage of a good Christian education in the west, but has no gratitude at all for it (see his post above). He just uses it to try to spread his own vicious creed, and to finally destroy the very people who aided him.
James Lincoln says
ab,
Highly recommend that you do not try to “match wits” with gravenimage.
She is highly intelligent expert on islam – and can spot a muslim / muslim apologist troll 100 miles away.
There are some very, very smart commenters on this website – and you are not one of them.
You are way, way out of your league…
gravenimage says
Thank you so much, James.
Walter Sieruk says
Concerning that Taliban’s jihad to takeover Afghanistan during the almost twenty year conflict of this war it was reported that the Taliban braged to the US Pentagon “You have the watches , we have the time.”
The demonically fanatic drive and continued endurance of the jihadists of the Taliban proved ,for once , to that they had spoken the truth.
Especially since they have their despicable, treasonous anti-American friend , Joe Biden , sitting in the Oval Office ofthe White House masquerading as a real, genuine US President.
Tradirous creepy old Joe has done all his is able do to bring them victory , arm them and even support them with money.
To say the “Biden is a totally detestable villain and and wicked SOB’ is too much of a mild way to describe him.
ab says
Lol ?
You totally lost your mind. For those who don’t just stick to the boring supremacists propaganda, there was a many years old article that was explaining that the biggest challenge for the defeated USA in Afghanistan was actually to retreat out with minimum loss because it would be a piece of cake for the Taliban to shoot them down along the way.
Considering the facts you should realize that your leaders did quite well ensuring minimum loss while you were fleeing away. Of course, you still have to be judged for your crimes and this will come sooner or later.
gravenimage says
Yes–educating girls, preventing the genocide of minorities, and temporarily scotching the stoning of women are “crimes” as pious Muslim ab sees it. That this vicious Muslim surpemacist has infiltrated the west–along with many others like him–is *deeply* disturbing.
Chrissie01 says
Gandhi, when getting rid of the Brits, once said that there is no people on earth that would not prefer its own bad government over the good government of occupiers and invaders.
Being member of an occupied nation (Germany, and Obama confirmed it should stay that way), I totally agree. BTW: Supposedly, Germany is an ally of the US, but was not even informed about the sudden American withdrawal, putting our young fellows deliberately at a very high risk. Great ally, that!
‘What’s the point in bringing democracy to a people who never asked for it?
(or is that hypocrisy & this humanitarian aspect was a side effect of geopolitical strategy..)
Besides: Afghanistan was pretty western-oriented, when the US chose to support and strengthen thei mujaheddin rebellion against the soviets. The orthodox element was strengthened by the US by aid to Pakistan, for example. Before then, women in Afghanistan looked like this:
https://blogs.dw.com/womentalkonline/index.html%3Fp=19205.html
Fully westernized and entitled to any academic education
And now, the US wanted to bring democracy? and build roads and schools? the ones the bombed to shreds before? And the Afghans were not grateful at all? WOW! How come? Sorry if I laugh.
Allegedly there even was no Afghan army, just a huge corrupt money collecing and money aundering machine, among others to support poppy production.Assange revealed most facts about it and is jailed as a traitor for telling the truth.He should be freed immediately and listened to, in support of truth.
This is not the doing of the American people, this is the doing of a deep state that sells all these criminal acts to the disinformed and gullible public as patriotic acts.
Chrissie01 says
Meaning: The only possible Western response against this rreligious cult is a ban. It was able to ban National Socialism, so why not an equally evil ideology?
Billy Corr says
Frances Fitzgerald, who wrote *Fire in the Lake* was informed that the Republic of Vietnam had an army of a million men.
She retorted that there were, indeed, a million men under arms but that they could in no real sense be called an army.
In 1975, the PAV simply pushed hard and the ARVN crumbled.
Billy Corr says
Rizal, one of the heroes of Philippine independence, said that he’d prefer a *hell* government run by Filipinos to a *heaven* government run by Americans.
In practice, this is not quite the reality; the standing joke is that the #1 political slogan in the Philippines is “Yankee go home . . . and take me with you.”
Chrissie01 says
yep, that sums it up well!
Strange how all the people who fight the west prefer to live there…
ab says
Democracy? In every Muslim country where people voted to be ruled as Muslims it ended up in a bloodshed managed by the west and each time the west put in place and financed a dictatorship: Algeria, Egypt, Syria, Iraq, Palestine, …
You don’t want people to vote, you want to impose atheism.
The Taliban wouldn’t have last long if the population wasn’t with them. Indeed they were the population!
gravenimage says
Note that ab doesn’t consider genocide and slaughter of girls to be bloodshed–he is just fine with that.
And no–democracy is not atheism–save as pious Muslims see it. For them, the only valid form of rule is violent conquest. This is actually confirmed by both Islamic texts and history. The “Prophet” engaged in violent conquest, as does the Taliban..
Note that he doesn’t consider the Taliban to be a dictatorship–even though they are nothing else.
ab is right about one thing, though–save for some tribal and religious minorities and even fewer actual lovers of freedom, most pious Muslims actually do embrace the vicious Taliban. 99% of Afghans want to see the imposition of brutal Shari’ah law.
That ab and other Muslims like him have infiltrated the free west does not bode well.
gravenimage says
Chrissie01 wrote:
Gandhi, when getting rid of the Brits, once said that there is no people on earth that would not prefer its own bad government over the good government of occupiers and invaders.
Being member of an occupied nation (Germany, and Obama confirmed it should stay that way), I totally agree.
…………..
Chrissie, does this mean that you would have prefered to stay with Hitler? Is that *really* preferable?
OLD GUY says
Culture is also the reason that Muslim/Islamic migrants won’t become part of the American society and will remain a danger to the rest of our citizens.
Donovan Nuera says
The fanatical suicidal shintoist soldiers we fought against 80 years ago were only pacified through the use of nukes. The sad thing is that although 80 years have passed from the cataclysmic destruction and death from a war that killed 60,000,000, we still tolerate a belief system that has a main tenet that commands its followers to murder innocent people so at least the males can enter a fairy-tale “paradise” promising unlimited rape of virgins and young boys. Islam must be undermined and weakened from within through all means necessary. Imagine if the Greatest Generation was in control of the gigantic US media machine after 9/11 (and not the moral relativism-obsessed milquetoast leftist boomers whose only life-goal is to not be called a “raaaaycist”) and produced the same effective morale-boosting and mocking films and cartoons (like 1943 Oscar-Winning “Der Furher’s Face” by Disney) against Islam, Islam would have finally crashed from the floods of Apostates. Plan B would be nuking Mecca and Medina.
Hank says
Unfortunately, it is not only “cultural illiteracy” that the West is suffering from but also “Islam illiteracy” (despite the passing of 1400 years of experience with the nature of Islamic doctrine, Mr. Mohammad, and Arab conquest).
jule says
It is not hatred but observation. its too easy to see and there is nothing hateful about rejected a dangerous cult oriented movement meant only for control of members and conquering for Warlords. In fact, if you do not reject it, you are as naive of the culture as what the article said OR worse, think it should be established everywhere.
btw: it is so much worse than Evangelicals or anything we have ever seen before. take a closer look at it. Even you will see.
tgusa says
Western leftists will tell us that all cultures are equal. That type of thinking applied in the form of the co-mingling of cultures eventually leads to cultural erosion, cultural division, and in the end, internal war.
If we had stayed there for 100 years the structure we sought to create would have lasted two and a half months instead of two weeks. Well done military brass and politicians, well done indeed.