Picture this:
You are a peaceful inhabitant of an Afghan village. You have never been any threat to anyone, particularly to the U.S., situated almost as far as physically possible from you, in your life. Now imagine that, as you are going about your perpetual struggle to survive, you hear the roar of a U.S. fighter jet flying over your village, and a bomb is dropped killing several other peaceful people that you knew and loved. The explanation- the United States of America, having no just right or reason for their continued occupation of your homeland, suspected that there may be terrorists living within your village.
Now picture this. Four days later, as the bodies still lay strewn across the streets as the people have yet to be able to properly bury their dead, a group of other Afghans come into the village with pamphlets. They claim to be fighting to drive the American murderers, who had so recently unjustly slain their families, from Afghanistan, and return Afghan tradition. These men are recruiters for the Taliban's forces. They offer you a fighting chance against the Americans- the alternative being but to wait to be the next killed by the bombs. They hate the Americans, as do you after your village's recent encounter with them. Would you not be tempted to join them?
Let me make this clear- I do NOT support the Taliban. Its ideology is that of authoritarian religious extremism, sexist oppression, and homophobia. However, to these people, so desperate to be rid of intruders in their country- I can feel no anger. If a nation had attacked my hometown, killing those I loved, I would be happy to join the first group that was organized against them- regardless of clashes of ideology. While I do not generally prescribe to the thought that the enemy of my enemy is to be my friend, in such a case of absolute desperation- I would put aside my usual aversion to the theory.
So, my question to the Escapist is this- if you were an Afghani citizen who's neighbors, friends and families had just been slaughtered by U.S. forces- can you honestly say that you wouldn't join the insurgency?
You are a peaceful inhabitant of an Afghan village. You have never been any threat to anyone, particularly to the U.S., situated almost as far as physically possible from you, in your life. Now imagine that, as you are going about your perpetual struggle to survive, you hear the roar of a U.S. fighter jet flying over your village, and a bomb is dropped killing several other peaceful people that you knew and loved. The explanation- the United States of America, having no just right or reason for their continued occupation of your homeland, suspected that there may be terrorists living within your village.
Now picture this. Four days later, as the bodies still lay strewn across the streets as the people have yet to be able to properly bury their dead, a group of other Afghans come into the village with pamphlets. They claim to be fighting to drive the American murderers, who had so recently unjustly slain their families, from Afghanistan, and return Afghan tradition. These men are recruiters for the Taliban's forces. They offer you a fighting chance against the Americans- the alternative being but to wait to be the next killed by the bombs. They hate the Americans, as do you after your village's recent encounter with them. Would you not be tempted to join them?
Let me make this clear- I do NOT support the Taliban. Its ideology is that of authoritarian religious extremism, sexist oppression, and homophobia. However, to these people, so desperate to be rid of intruders in their country- I can feel no anger. If a nation had attacked my hometown, killing those I loved, I would be happy to join the first group that was organized against them- regardless of clashes of ideology. While I do not generally prescribe to the thought that the enemy of my enemy is to be my friend, in such a case of absolute desperation- I would put aside my usual aversion to the theory.
So, my question to the Escapist is this- if you were an Afghani citizen who's neighbors, friends and families had just been slaughtered by U.S. forces- can you honestly say that you wouldn't join the insurgency?
