I appear to have been put in my place...

Or not..

For all my efforts to try not to be an asshole on this blog, it appears that I still managed to piss people off. I guess if a pro-Taliban person stumbled onto this blog it would make sense that they wouldn't like me very much - you can see the comment posted on the post below this one or by clicking here.

I'm gonna do better than that though - I'm going to take the time to respond to the post because it was in many ways a personal attack. I'll attempt to be as objective as possible. I'm taking the time to do this because the post was well written and deserves a response....And so it begins...

Forgive me Sir,
I was just wondering, what type of society you grew up in. It appears to me, perhaps, one that was, without an imminent threat to physical life. (Mainly you and your family) Of course it is quite easy for scholarly men to sit and judge third world predicaments, but it seems to be much more difficult for them to live through these things. I have yet to see this recorded.

Ok, here the writer builds credibility and establishes himself (as in other parts of the post) as someone who has lived in an oppressive regime, when I clearly have not. That's all well and good, but credibility written on toilet paper still ends up in the shitter - I don't know who this guy is, so allow me to be skeptical. I'll continue on this note later.

As you may well know, prior to the Taliban “taking office” if you will, we had a very complex and chaotic scheme developing here. There were many tribes claiming to own this particular province, and different tribes claiming to be superior to this and that. However, once the Taliban came to power, it gave people a sense of unity, and as you well know, it created order where there once was not. Another important fact, that is not much quoted, is of the Taliban’s ability to almost demolish the opium production. As everyone knows, thanks to recent news reports, Afghanistan is the world’s largest producer of opium, which subsequently makes it the largest producer of heroin.

[portion omitted for the sake of brevity]

I say thank (who ever) for the Taliban. They came, they saw, they organized. Unfortunately, they were not visionaries, and they did not see the capitalist coming. Of course, I’m sure there are many of them now, wishing they might have supported a different procedure, as they find them selves surrounded by infidels and the likes, coming to bring peace (sex, tobacco, alcohol, Americanism) to their country.

Refer to my post entitled Who the fuck is Mussolini?. Your sense of unity came at a huge price. If indeed you did live in Afghanistan when the Taliban rolled in, you celebrated your new found "order" as you turned your head on public executions, beatings, and gang rapes. If you're OK with that, just say so - don't pretend that it's the lesser evil when compared to Coca-Cola and Americana. They were not "visionaries" because they couldn't see past their own sociopathic ways. They didn't want to be visionaries, because to them murdering women and beating up old men was way more convenient to their own sadisitic values.

Afghans smoke like chimneys and always try to get us to pick them up some booze at the various markets that they are not allowed access to. Most of them do not have huge beards. Is this because of American influence? I think not.

We have to ask ourselves, who are these men that believe so much in their religion, they are willing to sacrifice their life. "Oh, them, they’re just fucking terrorist man, fucking Satan." Really? The man who prays five times a day, the man who covers his wife because he understands human nature is as it is, and in order to prevent another man from being distracted with physical lust, sees this as the best method to protecting a belief.

Oh please. You can look at suicide bombers and the like as revolutionaries and people totally devoted to their cause, but there have been plenty of people devoted to their cause who didn't see fit to blow themselves up along with 50 other people. See them for what they are - people who have been manipulated into the tools of other "influential" people (right here on Earth) to carry out their own personal agendas. People who die for their cause and become "martyrs" are few and far between, and in doing so they totally abandon the people left behind, all because they feel like they're making some sort of statement and some clown tells them how wonderfully they'll be remembered. People who blow themselves and children up for whatever cause don't impress me. People who stick around and try to improve things do.

And until you realize that women can contribute more to society than making babies and cleaning the house, your society will always be at a disadvantage.

I must say, who are you, to tell me, or to praise something I disagree with? You live in a world based on post cold war capitalist brain washing. To buy a house, and have a car, and send your kids to college. To grow up in a society that promotes freedom of expression and self righteousness; Democratic, if you will. And why is this best for us? Why should we follow your path? There is no answer my friend. I have been born into a different world. I see America as one big false hood. "Yes we are Believers in His name, and god damn you, we will strike, and we will win, in the name of freedom. Jenny, turn on that T.V., and may god bless us with his wisdom."

Who am I to tell you or to praise something you don't agree with? I'm no one, man. This is a read-at-your-own-risk blog, and I don't remember forcing anyone to read it. In my regime, I don't strap a car battery to someone's genitalia and demand acquiescence to my opinion.

And yes, of course I love my family and my brothers. I would like to see them study or do what they will. What I do not want to see happen to them is that they become materialistic and begin to feel inferior, because they don’t have this or that. Please, give me an answer, tell me, “oh, well, that’s just part of being free.” I say No! No it’s not. We will not become slaves to a capitalist regime. There is another side of life. Discipline and Devotion. Why is that wrong?

I totally agree with you, and discipline and devotion are not outside the scope of what you refer to as "democracy." I just wonder how people can justify beating, raping, and murdering people who haven't met the same "level" of discipline and devotion that they feel they have. Doesn't that seem a little contradictory to you? Is that how you deal with social problems? Murdering people in soccer stadiums? Where is it written that someone should be hospitalized if they take a sip of water during Ramadan? Or smoke a cigarette?

Remember, "freedom of" is also "freedom from." If someone really wants "freedom from" Ramadan to be naughty and take a sip of water, that's for them as an individual to deal with, and whatever family issues might come of it too, I suppose. But I do not feel that it is society's job to murder/beat people for such infractions. Maybe you feel it is, and if so I invite you to go to Kabul right now as a one man punishing team and beat up people smoking cigarettes. See what happens. Or are you not so strong in your convictions? I guess it's easier when you have a tank behind you.

As for being materialistic, I guess internet access and whatnot is not included in that? Materialism = bad, Internet = OK? As long as if suits your needs and fits into your plan?

Sorry, but, I am not your average ignorant peasant. I don’t agree with extremism, but what I seem to hate more is righteous prosperity. The Russians were mean man, I'll never say they should have been here, but, what the Americans bring is far more dangerous. Yes, thank you for liberating, but, please sir, understand, not every country is fit for your Democracy.

Indeed you aren't a peasant, and at the beginning you mentioned that you have yet to see a record of scholars living through "third world predicaments," which of course is preposterous. Taking into consideration all that you've stated in your post, if I am to assume that you are not a complete phony, I can only assume that you were, in whatever capacity, someone's lapdog. You are a coward and are fine with sitting back and watching people being raped and murdered, while you enjoy whatever tiny piece of "freedom" that brings you, because you are scared and, like all lapdogs, powerless and constantly have your face buried in your master's lap. But to each his own...

I'll give you the benefit of the doubt though - you're probably just someone playing devil's advocate or at best, you were hiding in Pakistan during the Taliban regime, and there's nothing wrong with that. Far better than being a Taliban lackey, but don't use the suffering of others to base your shakey credibility on. That's low.

And for a reminder on what the Russians "brought," you can check out some of their contributions to Afghan society by reading my blog entitled, "Americans Suck, Bring Back the Ruskies." So again, spare me the dimestore idealism.

I'd like to nip some counter arguments you might have in the bud. While you may site my blog entitled "Talibanistan, aka Sweet Home Talibama," I mentioned a disclaimer at the end of it. While I think the loss of human life is tragic in any instance, I am a realist and realize that it will happen. Is loss of life incurred during a War somehow less acceptable than loss of life incurred during an oppressive regime? Can we qualify the loss of life in such simple terms? These are all questions that we all need to ponder, and I don't think there is a simple answer. Furthermore, I urge everyone to beware of the person who blurts out an answer (any answer) without thinking about it.

Thanks as always for reading.