Is anybody else bothered by the way our president's suggestion that Afghans actively resist the Taliban? I mean, again, we're talking about a man who, a short year ago, thought the Taliban was a rock band. Forgive me if I question the complexity of his thinking. By urging Afghans to go against this regime, Bush is showing what may be (I hope not) an underestimation of the Taliban's capability for brutality upon the people of Afghanistan. These people are punished, tortured, killed for far less than an uprising.
I have neither sympathy nor empathy for the Taliban. I never have. The naïve girl me within hopes that the United States will give some long-overdue attention and aid to the women and children of Afghanistan. Alas, U.S. involvement beyond ousting the Taliban doesn't look probable, as The New York Times snarkily reports: While calling on Afghans to cooperate against the Taliban, [Bush] said he was not interested in creating a government to replace the Taliban should it fall as a result of American military strikes or internal unrest.
"We're not into nation building," he said. "We're focused on justice." How it would be possible in practice for the United States to engage in military action that might lead to the downfall of a government without taking any interest in its successor was not immediately clear.
And now I'll step off the soapbox, with one more thing: please consider donating to the Red Cross if you haven't done so already, and to the Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan.
Today at work, I had to send Matty A. a list of images to pull from the show. Our former Secretary of State was one of the guests, and so in my e-mail, I requested an image of Madeleine (the kids are) Albright. Haw haw haw.
Hello, stranger; goodbye.
I have neither sympathy nor empathy for the Taliban. I never have. The naïve girl me within hopes that the United States will give some long-overdue attention and aid to the women and children of Afghanistan. Alas, U.S. involvement beyond ousting the Taliban doesn't look probable, as The New York Times snarkily reports: While calling on Afghans to cooperate against the Taliban, [Bush] said he was not interested in creating a government to replace the Taliban should it fall as a result of American military strikes or internal unrest.
"We're not into nation building," he said. "We're focused on justice." How it would be possible in practice for the United States to engage in military action that might lead to the downfall of a government without taking any interest in its successor was not immediately clear.
And now I'll step off the soapbox, with one more thing: please consider donating to the Red Cross if you haven't done so already, and to the Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan.
Today at work, I had to send Matty A. a list of images to pull from the show. Our former Secretary of State was one of the guests, and so in my e-mail, I requested an image of Madeleine (the kids are) Albright. Haw haw haw.
Hello, stranger; goodbye.
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