Posts by Rich Lock
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I was talking to an Afghan friend the other day (yes, Afghan, a bit like Spanish people having the audacity to call themselves Español) who told me that when he was there, earlier this year, he was walking down the street with his cousin chewing on a stick of sugarcane, his cousin told him not to throw the end of his cane in the street as the US troops would assume it was a weapon and shoot them both. He also told me that it was not uncommon for American troops to shoot children so as to be sent home for counselling or "punishment" he wasn't sure which but suspected it was more to do with PR.
I was talking to an Afghan friend of my own a while ago, who noted that when the Taliban were in control, they would, with total impunity, steal what they wanted, kill who they wanted, and rape who they wanted (dressing it up as a 'marriage' if they needed to). He seemed to think things were (very marginally) better since 2001, and were slowly improving.
So who wins? My friend or yours?
I was a very, very reluctant supporter of the initial military action back in 2001, because if any country deserved the label 'failed state', it was Afghanistan. And the people who were nominally in control were allowing the country to be used as a base for training terrorists to attack western targets. That needed to be dealt with.
I was, and am, utterly furious at the goons in charge in the US and the UK, who seemed to think* that a stable, fully functioning democracy would magically leap out of the ground once a few rotten apples at the top were removed. It was, and is, clear that building a country takes decades of intensive work and resource. Part of the reason I was (and am) so angry about the Iraq FUBAR is that it diverted valuable resource away from Afghanistan.
A long time ago, when I was young and stupid, I expressed the opinion (in relation to what was then the civil war in the former Yugoslavia) that we should get out and leave them all to it. I was wrong.
None of the options currently on the table are in any way paletable, but like it or not, we do have a tiger by the tail. The bloodbath that would eventuate as a result of letting go is too unpleasant to contemplate.
*Or, yes, they sold us a turkey so that they could build a pipeline and/or other semi-hidden agenda items. I'm furious either way.
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We went to Afghanistan to destroy Osama Bin Laden's ability to plan and execute another 9/11. This act of self defense was achieved by the end of 2001.
That was when our involvement in Afghanistan should also have come to an end.
Was it?
What exactly would have happened if we had withdrawn and left the country to it's own devices?
Seems to me that it might have turned back into one big terrorist training camp. Again.
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From memory, my UK TS clearance didn't take all that long at all. Couple of months, maybe? But that was a few years ago now.
I could tell you more, but you know how it is. I'd have to kill you afterwards.
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So one weekend at about 8, when they'd been particularly loud and prolonged, I hooked up the flat stereo in my bedroom (which I think was above one of theirs), laid the speakers down flat on the floor, and played Dead Kennedys, UK Subs, GBH and Violent Femmes at them for an hour or so.
I had some neighbours like that once. Enjoyed (more than) a bit of 'doof doof doof' back at theirs for the after party, at an hour that some killjoys in the fun police might consider unreasonable.
Well, I thought I'd try the friendly and down-with-the-kidz approach. No sense in making enemies if you don't have to, right?
If you can't beat them, join them, I thought to myself. And matching thought to deed I put my speakers on the floor and set Frankie Knuckles 'Your Love' on repeat play.
After a couple of repeats I suddenly remembered I had a few urgent things to do in town. So urgent, in fact, that I totally forgot to turn off the stereo before heading out for the next six hours or so. Imagine my embarrasment when I came back and realised!
Funnily enough, relations were somewhat muted (see what I did there?) after that.
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That was weird: Craig and Russell appear to have Freaky Friday'd themselves.
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And why not -- big fat lie that the Devil has all the best tunes. :)
Oh indeed.
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I like ScottY's take on it
This attempt to fly the New Zealand flag has not been the first attempt by terrorists to challenge the One-China policy. Foreign forces are thought to be behind the incident, because New Zealand has always been a part of China, and because its people are peaceful and content under China's benevolent rule.
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Found the Keanu link at girlwithaonetrackmind. Scroll down to the second entry dated Saturday, August 25, 2007.
Probably not safe for work.
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And let's not start on the insane anti-Lake Road cycle lane campaign which has been playing out in my 'hood over the last year or so.
Turn your hysteria dial up to 11, and start writing those letters to the local press!
The 'anti'-hyteria has got so bad that there a petition to keep the lane.
Here, if you're interested.
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Oh, and Tuhoe Isaac's book is worth a read if you're interested in getting a glimpse of the details of the inner workings of NZ gangs and gang psychology.
Clearly someone for whom a conversion to christianity was the lifeline they needed to pull themselves out of a death spiral and avoid self-destructing in a manner that would have taken down not only themsleves but probably many others.
And who could begrudge that? Certainly not this atheist.