Acknowledging perspectives

It is always important to analyze situations from different perspectives so that you can get the truest sense of what’s going on and then be able to address a situation accordingly. Especially when dealing with historical events, in which we cannot really ever say what actually happened with one hundred percent certainty, examining alternative perspectives allows us to put the pieces together and come to the most accurate story possible.  Since current world affairs are much a result of everything that’s ever happened in the past, the way in which we view history is relevant when analyzing global politics. We need to look at the past from different angles to understand how states were formed, how relationships between states were created, how culture, traditions, and beliefs of a people developed, etc. It is also important to listen to the voices of the marginalized and understand their intentions before making an assumption.

Most of the news we hear about Afghanistan, for example, revolves around the Taliban and other terrorist regimes. Yes, it is true that many Afghan boys join the Taliban, but is it because they want to? Is it because they have a desire to kill? Or could it be because of social pressures… or for a lack of any future in any other sector of the “career world”…or ignorance and lack of education? Also, there is a whole population of people living in Afghanistan outside of the Taliban, people with human needs and desires much like our own. There are also people who are willing to work with Americans for a common purpose. Do we consider these people when analyzing world politics? Or do we just focus on our national security and the threat of terrorism as if it were coming from the country as a whole? I was reading an article the other day and a quote from a shura left an impression on me:  “God does not like terrorists. Terrorism is not promoted in the Koran. They are not only the enemy of America; they are our enemy. All of us have to work together to stop them.” When we view the situation from this perspective, we realize that the Afghan people are just as determined to fight terrorism as we are. They see it as something they need to unite with America against, but do we analyze it that way? If we were to view terrorism from their perspective then we might change our “We are the almighty global police force and will win this war with military superiority” view to one grounded on understanding and cooperation. Who says we can’t have strength in numbers without military force? The Afghan people want to work with us and they need our support. Maybe if we listened to these marginalized voices we would be able to work together with them to reach a common goal.

I acknowledge that it’s hard to listen to all voices and all perspectives all the time but sometimes it’s worth putting aside the guns and weapons to listen to the civilians of a war-inflicted country. Analyzing the situation from their perspective will help eliminate mistrust and encourage cooperation.   

Addressing the root cause

So I didn’t answer the blog question about whether or not having troops in Afghanistan made me feel secure but in reading through other people’s responses I decided that there is something I want to say about our current deployment of troops in Afghanistan. While I’m not going to discuss the issue of security, I am going to explore the reasons why I don’t think we are gaining anything by having troops deployed there.  

While I do not deny that an immediate military response was necessary after 9/11 when the welfare of our nation was threatened, military presence in Afghanistan 9 years later is unnecessary and counterproductive.  

To deal with the Taliban most effectively, we need to address the root of the problem. The cause of religious extremism and distortion of the Koran is ignorance, illiteracy, and joblessness. Many teenage boys join the Taliban because there is no other job for them to do. Providing educational opportunities will address all of these issues and for the cost of an American soldier stationed in Afghanistan for one year, you can build 20 schools.  Most people think that education and development are impossible in areas of Afghanistan where there is a dominant presence of Taliban. That view is wrong. Greg Mortenson, along with many other humanitarians, have proven that it is quite possible to build schools even in the most insecure parts of Afghanistan. The key to the sustainability of the schools is engaging individuals and communities. Many times the schools that are built by governmental organizations are burnt down or attacked by the Taliban. This is because they are seen as alien institutions built by outsiders. Once you involve the people of the community, once they begin to feel ownership for what they are doing, then support and trust will grow and schools will be able to withstand Taliban opposition. Insurgents are less likely to oppose projects backed by  large groups of people. But in order to gain the respect of the village it is imperative that the locals are the ones directly involved in the process.  When ineffective institutions interfere with the Afghan way of life it creates a dispiriting lack of progress and locals will be reluctant to risk a relationship with foreigners. Education is possible and is the most effective way to address the current situation. This war cannot be won with superior military equipment or manpower; the root issues needs to be addressed first in order to build mutual respect and understanding. 

Military force is limited in what it can achieve, but education yields invaluable results.

Reflection 11—

So yesterday I was watching this comedy skit by John Oliver, who is Jon Stewart’s senior correspondent on “The Daily Show.” Oliver is British, so his material is mostly concerned with how ludicrous people in America are, and how ridiculous our government is. At one point in the routine he tells a story about when he was watching TV one day he saw an advertisement for an inflatable barbeque. The idea of this marvelous invention is that you can cook while you swim. Oliver pointed out that only in America would you find this toy. He talked about how the Chinese could certainly make it and for cheap, but no Chinese family could ever “pull off” an inflatable barbeque.

This joke taken lightly is hilarious, but when one really considers the fact that American companies are investing even a cent in the production of inflatable barbeques you have to be a little worried. As we go into the next couple weeks discussing poverty, the disgusting material whorishness of Americans should certainly be on our minds. This last week we talked about an income gap in America. The global income gap and rift in standard of living is far more pronounced and far direr. It may be worth exploring alternatives to inflatable barbeques in the interest of promoting some semblance of balance across the globe.

Reflection 11

Since we have been talking about Security and Insecurity all this week, I would like to take some time to point out the slightly alarming things I found when we went to the pentagon on Wednesday. First of all, I may just be over reacting, but I feel a little uncomfortable at the fact that the Pentagon has its own metro stop. Sure, it is the pentagon, and it is, to some extent, a tourist site. But it is also the center for security of the entire Nation, and I just can't help but worry how easy it would be to just run out of the subway station and cause major damage to the tourists and the guards on duty. I also found it even more alarming to learn that the escalators leading out from the subway station came right up inside the pentagon. First of all, whose smart subway planning was that? Second of all, it is unbelievably easy for a very dangerous person to walk right into the Pentagon and detonate something (this might be an exageration, but it's not completely impossible.) Last of all, what? just, what? I'm going to stop thinking about it now because I'm hoping there was some form of SUPER STATE OF THE ART security technology to prevent things like that from happening.
I also found it unbelievably ironic to find that they actually sold Pentagon shot glasses. I spent a good half hour cracking up at the idea in my head.

Security?

Having troops deployed to Afghanistan was a great way to make people feel secure back in 2001, when people were scared and they knew that the organizer of the attack was in Afghanistan. Not only did it help people feel secure, but it also had a clear purpose. Troops were sent in to help break up Al-Qaeda and find Osama Bin Laden.

But that was nine years ago, and it is questionable wether there is still as much use to the US being in Afghanistan as there was back then. The US has lost track of Osama Bin Laden, Al-Qaeda insurgents are now being trained and sheltered in Pakistan and it is also believed that Osama Bin Laden is hiding in Pakistan. If the US really wanted to make headway in the fight against Al- Qaeda they would force Pakistan, a supposed ally to the US, to give up all known Al-Qaeda leaders and insurgents in Pakistan, or at least have them do a thorough search for those leaders and insurgents. But I myself no longer see how we can make headway in Afghanistan.

Not only that, but the war in Afghanistan is the last thing on people's minds anymore. It is no longer heavily covered in the news and people are more concerned with the Economy as well as other domestic interests. The US's campaign in Afghanistan no longer effects people's sence of security because it has been going on for so long that people have simply gotten used to their current security status. No one can survive being scared for nine whole years, so everyone just goes on with their lives as normal.

Blog 9—

In terms of our perception of our own security, there is something inherently comforting about knowing that our troops are off somewhere fighting a bad guy. This is our natural reaction to foreign intervention before we logically assess the impact of waging a war in a country halfway across the globe. Another way to conceptualize the affect of the war in Afghanistan on our security is that it really has no impact. The Taliban isn’t about to invade the United States, they don’t have a stockpile of nuclear weapons for the sole purpose of destroying western ideals and democracy. So why do we care?

In the Krebs article he makes the case that the War on Terror is a rhetorically formulated idea that allows the U.S. to intervene in places like Iraq and Afghanistan under the guise of subverting terrorist operations that are threatening America. In reality, Afghanistan may be harboring Osama bin Laden, but how important is that to our security? Not very. Having thousands of troops deployed in the Middle East does very little to prevent a terrorist attack on the United States, and is hard pressed to have any sizable impact on stemming the growth of existing terrorist organizations.

The primary result of indefinite engagement in the Middle East is the utter waste of American capital and resources. When Mayor Giuliani spoke during parents weekend he attempted to make the point that war was stimulating to the economy. Well welcome to the 21^st century Mayor, because war no longer creates millions of jobs in weapon production because it doesn’t take 10,000 tanks to fight Al Qaeda; one might even be too many. War simply saps the strength of our nation, as illustrated beautifully in Diplomatic Risk when armies were removed for active wars. If there were any way to categorize the war in Afghanistan as it relates to our security, it would be dangerous. It is harmful to our economy, which according to our President is an integral factor to our stability and security as a nation. The former administration got us all wrapped up in warfare, which ended up threatening our sovereignty rather than strengthening it as was hopefully intended.

Reflection: Rally!

The rally on Saturday was definitely one of my most memorable college experiences thus far. Not only was it an absolutely beautiful day outside, it was so exciting to be on the National Mall with thousands of other equally excited and energetic people. Getting to the rally was part of the adventure. Elana, Dayna, and I decided not to go with the super early group but we still left campus fairly early. We got to the Metro Center stop just as the train was about to close its doors. It was packed with people, and there was already a crowd in front of us waiting for the platform. The doors closed but then opened again. After a few times of opening and closing, the conductor asked all passengers to check if an article of clothing or something else was in the way. About five minutes and a few more unsuccessful tries later, the conductor announced that the train was shut down for service. A swarm of people bolted out of the train joining the crowd on the platform as they started rushing up the stairs. At first I thought the walk would be too long but since it was such glorious weather and since we were walking with a purpose, I didn’t mind at all. (Coming back on the metro was even worse, but that’s a whole other story). 

As we drew closer I could feel the energy. We made our way towards the front, stopping to read signs and take pictures, and found a spot somewhere in the crowd. Minutes before the rally started, one brave soul decided to climb a nearby tree. He kept going further and further until the crowd’s worry stopped him. A few friends followed him up the same tree and then people started climbing up other trees around us. They probably had the best seat in the house and to be honest, they looked pretty comfortable.

It was exhilarating to be in the presence of Jon Stewart, and so many other great performers, even if we weren’t very close to them. Putting Stewart and Colbert together was bound to create a laugh and I definitely enjoyed hearing the two of them. During the rally I kept thinking about how incredibly lucky I am to be going to school in the nation’s capital which has so much to offer. Just two weeks ago I spent the day engrossed in the National Gallery of Art, followed by a trip to the National Zoo that same day. I’ve been here two months and already I’ve had so many extraordinary opportunities and rewarding experiences, more than I would in high school and more than I would have had at a college outside of a big city. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed going to the rally and am grateful for the opportunity to have done so.