Blog-o-signment: Afghanistan Strategy Positions

Position 1:

Trudy Rubin and David Kilcullen

The U.S. military must help the people of Afghanistan and must address the tribal areas, in order to defeat the Taliban, as sheer military force will not defeat them.

• After the invasion of Afghanistan in 2001, the lack of troops caused by the war in Iraq allowed the Taliban to make a comeback, gaining control over much of Afghanistan.
• The Americans have to reconstruct Afghanistan to get the people on their side. A troop increase would help, but alone, it will not solve everything.
• Afghans need a better standard of living, so that they won’t turn to the Taliban. Protect, Prevent a Taliban takeover, Build, and Hand Off to the Afghans.

Position 2:

Michael A. Cohen and Parag Khanna

The real issue is Pakistan, not Afghanistan, and the U.S. needs to focus their military attention on Pakistan.

• The people in Afghanistan do not support the Taliban, and Al Qaeda can’t ever make a support base there; they have all crossed over into Pakistan.
• Drone strikes, when collaboration with the Pakistanis is achieved, can be very effective in taking out Taliban and Al Qaeda leadership.
• The strategy in Afghanistan should be merely rooting out the leaders of the Taliban that still remain in Afghanistan, through persuading them to join the legitimate government, and to try to get leaders to come over from Pakistan.

Position 3:

Tariq Ali

The military campaigns must end, and a peaceful, political campaign to repair Afghanistan must begin.

• “Afghans do not like being occupied.” The Taliban is fueled by people who want to retain independence, and will turn to anyone who is willing to fight the invading U.S. military.
• Most Taliban recruits are from people who are victims of the fighting by the American military, which cannot help the underlying problem: extreme poverty.
• A social and economic plan can help the Afghans and eliminate the need to turn to a terrorist power for help, and if neighboring nations like China, Pakistan, Iran, India, and Russia could help, the plan would work.

Position 4:

George Will

The American troops simply cannot do what they came to Afghanistan to do, and future operations should be focused around offshore missiles and air strikes.

• The military is far too few to ever hope to eradicate the Taliban from the country, as they control more than two thirds of the country and can dissolve and come back when under pressure.
• The idea of rebuilding Afghanistan is ridiculous, as the entire country is essentially an infrastructure vacuum. Solving poverty in the Bronx, a tiny area compared to Afghanistan, took years, and the United States cannot hope to simply rebuild this area of extreme poverty.
• Air strikes to eliminate major problem areas and attacking the Tribal Areas, where the Taliban of Pakistan are located, are the only problem. More investment in the country is simply a waste of money, when the real problems are the Taliban of Pakistan, which has a chance of taking over the country and gaining access to nuclear weapons.

Blog-o-signment: Afghanistan Stuff Part 2

II.

1) Why do children join the Taliban? Give specific examples.

2) How has the war in Pakistan impacted children?

3) Had the military offensive by Pakistani army / US military drones been effective? Cite specific examples.

4) How and why does the Taliban continue to grow?

1.

In Pakistan, children join the Taliban largely because they are the only option. The Taliban’s aggressive campaign to indoctrinate the young children of the countryside and the areas that are under their control prevents them from having any other option. Most non-Taliban schools are bombed, and no girls’ school is allowed to remain standing.

The indoctrination from a very young age in madrassas gives the children the beliefs of the Taliban. For example, the 14-year old boy who wanted to become a suicide bomber, if his father consented, had been in the extremist madrassa since he was a young child. The director of recruiting children stated that he “had” children from the ages of five to seven. These young children are easy to indoctrinate, and will become loyal Taliban soldiers.

In addition, children may join the Taliban because they dislike the Americans or the Pakistani army. Constant bombings and attacks like the one that destroyed an entire village turn the people’s opinion against the attackers. Children resentful of the killings of their family may turn to the Taliban for revenge.

2.

The war in Pakistan has impacted children possibly more than any other group. The children are the ideal soldiers for the Taliban, as they are easily indoctrinated, and can carry out attacks just as effectively as an adult. In addition, the indiscriminate killings of civilians by the Pakistani army greatly impacts children, who may be killed, orphaned, or separated from their family.

On top of this, the removal of a public education system by the Taliban prevents children from getting education to become members of a modern society, forcing them to join the Taliban, who provide a social structure in place of the one they have taken away.

3.

The American/NATO offensive by predator drones in Pakistan has not helped them. While they may succeed in attacking and killing some Taliban leaders, these leaders will be replaced, like Baitullah Mehsud replacing Nek Mohammad. In addition, the indiscriminate bombings make the local population resentful towards the faceless drones, which represent American aggression.

When families are killed, the children or neighbors can begin to dislike the United States, because of the bombings. The children of a bombed village are far more likely to join the Taliban, because they have reason to hate America, and because they are now homeless and friendless. The Taliban can take them in easily, provide education in a madrassa, and have a new suicide bomber, like Wasifullah, a victim of an air strike who is eager to join the Taliban.

4.

The Taliban continues to grow for a few reasons. The first, most obvious reason, is their aggressive campaign to conquer areas and begin indoctrinating the local youth. This creates a new generation of Taliban, who can continue the process. The madrassas are extremely effective, and are generally free or even pay the families of students. Even the poorest of children can attend one.

There is also the dislike of the people of this region of the invading Americans. There is a strong sense that the American troops are occupiers, and that the local people, to maintain freedom, must fight against them. The Taliban is currently the largest organization that does this, and so people join them.

The American strategy of somewhat indiscriminate bombing, on top of the Pakistani army’s lack of efficiency (Wiping out a village, for example, is not effective), make the local people dislike the United States forces. These attacks are not sufficient to protect the local people from the Taliban, and the number of forces is not sufficient, so locals will join the Taliban, even if they may not want to do so.

Blog-o-signment: Afghanistan Stuff Part 1

After watching the film: The War Briefing describe four major problems faced by the US/NATO forces in Afghanistan. Post your responses on the blog.

There are four major issues that the United States faces when attempting to fight the Taliban:

1.

The Taliban hold sway over too much of the population. Simply put, the Taliban can use fear far more effectively than the United States can use diplomacy. If the choice is to not help the American troops build a new road to your village or be beheaded and your body displayed in public, most people will choose the latter. The Taliban’s ruthlessness helps them prevent villages and the people from assisting the United States.

In addition, the local villagers oftentimes do not feel particularly amiable towards the United States, because their villages have been bombed, or because of a strong tribal identity. The American bombings do not help public sentiment, and persuade many youths to voluntarily join the Taliban to fight the United States. In addition, the sense that the United States are invaders is extremely hard to dispel among the population. The identities with tribes and the village are simply too strong to overcome easily.

2.

The Taliban have an easy safe haven. The tribal areas across the border in Pakistan are not only lawless, but the Pakistani government forbids American troops from crossing the border. So, when the Taliban are pressured, they can escape into Pakistan, and the Pakistanis and Americans are helpless to follow them. This forces the United States to use predator drone aircraft for air strikes, which feeds into the first problem: these bombings result in martyrs when they succeed. The sense of resentment towards the United States caused by faceless drones bombing civilians by accident only helps the Taliban’s case.

3.

The Taliban has a huge supply of funds in the form of opium farms. Local farmers produce the opium, sell it to the Taliban, and the Taliban refines it and sells it for far more than they received it for. This benefits the local farmers, who get more money than they would if they farmed, say, wheat, and the Taliban has an endless source of money to buy supplies. This means that to end the Taliban’s funding, America must turn the Afghanis against us by reducing their income. Thus, to solve one problem is to ignore or exacerbate another.

4.

The number of troops is insufficient to truly help the people and fight the Taliban. Counterinsurgency requires a large amount of resources, which can be used to help the local people and to fight the insurgency. In addition, it also requires that a large number of troops be inserted into the region to maintain a constant presence in the area. This constant presence would solidify American control over the region and help with the first problem, and would enable more effective combat.

Part II:

Obama’s new strategy centers around changing the way that the war is fought. He stated multiple times that the problems lie in both Afghanistan and Pakistan, and the United States will focus on both of these countries, albeit in different ways. In Afghanistan, new troops will be sent into the country, both to train Afghan forces, and to help increase the United States’ presence in Afghanistan. The training of Afghan police and military is vital, as after American forces leave, the remaining troops must be able to maintain a solid country that can stand up to the Taliban.

With regards to Pakistan, Obama stated that the United States knew that Pakistan was as much a problem area as Afghanistan as far as the Taliban was concerned, and pledged that the United States would help the Pakistanis in any way that we could.

Obama’s plan is reasonable. More troops will solve the above fourth problem, and will assist in the first problem, if his plans to help the local population succeed. Perhaps more emphasis on the military aspect would be necessary, as the Taliban is a significant military threat, and at least some parts of it would need to be dealt with militarily. Overall, though, his view seems to be similar to one that has seen the above four problems and has thought about how, specifically, to deal with them.

Blog-o-signment #2: This Time, It's Spiritual

(Ooh, not funny. Oh, well.)

Part I: My spirituality level.

On the Spirituality Level test, I scored a 79, placing me at the very top of Questioning Believer (70 - 79). The caption for Questioning Believer is:

"You have doubts about the particulars but not the Big Stuff."

If I had received one more point, I would have been classified as a Confident Believer (80 - 89).

Part II: What Is My Faith?

I'm choosing to write out the top 15, as I don't get an Eastern religion until #7, and the second semi-Eastern religion (Islam, an Abrahamic religion, isn't an Eastern faith proper, but many people view it as Eastern, as it is prevalent in the Middle East particularly).

On to the results!

1. Eastern Orthodox (100%)
2. Roman Catholic (100%)
3. Mainline to Liberal Christian Protestants (85%)
4. Orthodox Quaker (84%)
5. Seventh Day Adventist (83%)
6. Mainline to Conservative Christian/Protestant (83%)
7. Hinduism (65%)
8. Orthodox Judaism (65%)
9. Baha'i Faith (64%)
10. Liberal Quakers (61%)
11. Sikhism (60%)
12. Reform Judaism (56%)
13. Unitarian Universalism (53%)
14. Islam (52%)
15. Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Mormons) (42%)

Hinduism:

My top Eastern Religion was Hinduism, the basics of which are outlined below.

Belief in Deity Diverse beliefs. Many Hindus believe in Brahman (God) as the impersonal ultimate reality/world soul. Many believe God is both impersonal force and personal savior. There are many, or countless, gods and goddesses (devas) representative of various aspects of the One Supreme God. The Hindu trinity of Brahman is the creator (Brahma), the preserver (Vishnu), and destroyer (Shiva) of the universe.

Incarnations There are many if not countless incarnations and manifestations (avatars) of God also worshipped as Gods.

Origin of Universe and Life Diverse beliefs. Many believe the universe recreates itself cyclically after karma is extinguished from all individuals. Many believe in a Creator God.

After Death Through laws of karma, one's soul is reborn until enlightened and liberated from rebirth, at which time you enter a state of ultimate bliss (moksha) and become one with the ultimate truth and reality, God, Brahman. One may be reborn into a number of heavens and hells, or as lower life forms, depending on one's karma.

Why Evil? Diverse beliefs. Some believe in gods who have powers to do some evil, a small price to pay to have the gods on our side with their powers to provide great benefits. Many believe evil, sin, and death are illusions, as only the Ultimate Reality (or God) truly exists. Most believe people have free will to commit wrongs, and evil results as cravings, attachments and ignorance accumulate through perpetual rebirths, resulting in greed, hatred, violence. The illusion of evil is extinguished with egoism through enlightenment.

Salvation To become liberated from cycles of rebirth and merge with the Universal Spirit, Brahman, one must worship God or gods, do good works, and live correctly according to the dharma (based on one’s caste and phase of life), go on pilgrimages to the holy places in India, and learn through meditation, yoga, and, with the help of a master, the truth of one's true nature as one with the Universal Spirit. An ascetic lifestyle is recommended in the last phase of life. Some Hindus believe salvation is granted by the grace of a forgiving God.

Undeserved Suffering Many believe that suffering is a result of past-life greed, hatred, and spiritual ignorance, which returns as suffering (karma). Coping with suffering is sometimes viewed as valuable in furthering spiritual growth. Suffering is also seen as illusory, in that it results from attachment to bodily pleasure and pain, and only the Absolute, or God, truly exists.

Contemporary Issues Abortion is considered an abomination, as the fetus deserves protection. Views on homosexuality range from neutral to strong opposition, in part because sexual activity itself is generally regarded as contrary to enlightenment and, as such, is only acceptable within marriage for procreation. Divorce and remarriage is traditionally and culturally unacceptable, although not prohibited by the scriptures. Divorce and remarriage of widows is becoming more common, however, among Hindus.

My response to the Spirituality Quiz:

I thought this fit me pretty well. Religion and spirituality are an important part of my upbringing, and this reflects that. I agree that I have some issues with the particulars of, say Catholicism, or Protestantism, but the general parts of religion I'm content with. A future member of the priesthood I am not, but faith is a pretty important part of my life. If I had advanced one more point, I might not have agreed that I've definitely found my faith, and the option from (60 - 69), Old-Fashioned Seeker, doesn't describe me as well as my result.

I'll be surprised if there are any results in the class that are as high as the one I got, simply because of the extremely skeptical/liberal environment of Riverstone, and of our society in general. I'm not entirely certain whether to be proud of that or not.

Response to the Belief-O-Matic:

This quiz held almost no surprises. A Catholic preschool, parents, and six years of religious education both in my church and at Sacred Heart (My former school), have made me a good little Catholic. The fact that I got 100% Roman Catholic was slightly surprising, though, as I know I answered a few of the more extreme questions in a non-Catholic way (Which is, I suppose, yet more evidence of my knowledge of Catholicism). Eastern Orthodox being at 100% was a small surprise, but the Catholic and Eastern Orthodox faiths are very similar, and there weren't many questions where distinctly Catholic and Eastern Orthodox answers existed.

Of course, answering in so Roman Catholic a manner resulted in the most conservative faiths being placed after my top two. Seventh Day Adventists are frightening to me, because of their extreme beliefs and origins, but their belief in the Trinity is probably what resulted in my result. Orthodox Quaker is another somewhat fundamentalist faith, but they, too, share some common beliefs with Catholicism. Protestantism was no surprise.

Hinduism was my first Eastern faith, and indeed my only one in the top 20. That was not a surprise, either, as it is the only Eastern faith I have ever really studied. I am more familiar with and believe more in the Vedic beliefs. 33 groups, to me, is better than 33 sets of 10 million, e.g. 330,000,000, Devas, for one example of this. The Hindu beliefs regarding Brahman are very interesting, as they closely mirror most Christian beliefs about God. I wasn't surprised by that particular result at all.

Amateur Summary of Hinduism

Hinduism is one of the world's three largest religions, along with Islam and Christianity. Its origins are thought to be sometime around 3000 B.C. The central goal of Hinduism is to achieve Enlightenment, the point where the Atman, the eternal, undying Self, becomes one with Brahman, the Supreme Being. This is achieved through millenia of rebirths, as the Atman does not die, but instead goes into another body, which, though it does not remember past lives, the essential attributes of the Atman are not changed. For instance, if one lives a life of devotion and good works to others, then in the next life, one's character will be better than if the previous life had been spent living a life of worship of material goods.

Brahman, the Supreme Being, is the essence of Knowledge, Bliss, Peace, and Infinity. The universe does not contain consciousness, it is consciousness. Because of the impossibility of envisioning this by methods of reason, Brahman is divided into more manageable aspects. The most significant are the Trimurti, which consists of Brahma, Shiva, and Vishnu, which are responsible for Creation, Destruction/Change, and Preservation, respectively. There are also Devas, which are, depending on one's beliefs, deities (Aspects of the Trimurti or of the Supreme Being), demi-gods, or spirits.

Brahma is not generally worshiped, because his role as Creator of the Universe is complete, and he does not affect human lives. Shiva is widely worshiped, as all destruction, change, and the creation of life is his responsibility. Vishnu is also worshiped, as his role is not obsolete, and is responsible for what will happen in the far future, e.g. the fate of a person after death.

There are many ways to achieve Enlightenment, but generally each person finds their own way. It may take millions of years, but eventually all beings will achieve Enlightenment, through their own path.

There are many holy texts of Hinduism, such as the Mahabharata, the Puranas, the Ramayana, the Vedas, and others. They are different, however, from Western religious texts, in that they do not provide rules and directions to achieve Enlightenment. They contain general guidelines, and rules for worship, but the end goal of oneness of the Self with Brahman must be found by each being individually.

My Personal Beliefs Regarding Hinduism

I study other religions to gain a perspective on how my own (Catholicism) relates to and differs from them. In that regard, I'm far more fond of Hinduism than, say, Buddhism, simply because of its beliefs regarding the one God (Elohim in Judaism and most of Christianity, Brahman in Hinduism). The similarities, to me, are striking. The Trinity-like aspects of the Trimurti are clear, and the similarity of Elohim to Brahman is easy to see. "Deluge" tales are common in almost every religion, and there is one in Hinduism, which I find interesting. I feel truly acquainted with a religion when I see a Deluge story involved, such as the one of ancient Mesopotamian religions (Probably the root for almost all other Deluge tales).

I do not, however, think I'll ever convert to Hinduism. I don't believe that religions are something to be "tried" or experimented with. If one's faith does not satisfy them, then by all means, convert, but I am satisfied with what my faith gives me, so I likely will not take that path. It's interesting, and I still study the faith, but actual practice I'll stop short of.

Hinduism, and most faiths, are fascinating, and should be studied if one wants a full understanding of human behavior and culture. Religion is one of the common elements of human society, and it plays a huge role in the actions of people throughout history.

Blogosignment #1: Asian Map Test

Part A.

Results: 82.5%

This score isn't too bad, but it's still bad that I don't know all the countries in the most rapidly advancing area of the world. If I hadn't recently done the map drawing, the score would have been lower, I'm sure.

Most of my missed countries were, fortunately, the smaller, harder-to-find nations, so I didn't miss anything like Iran or China. I knew the "Stan" countries, which seem to be the hardest ones, and those are pretty significant in today's world news.

Overall, I was happily surprised with the results on my Asian Geography test, but I wasn't quite satisfied. I'll have to work on the geography more.

Part B:

The history and geography of different cultures are incredibly important to study, both to gain perspective on one's own culture and identity, and to understand other countries and peoples. History and geography are what define peoples and cultures, and an understanding of them can help in everyday life and in the increasingly international business world.

The history of Asia in particular is both interesting and valuable to learn. The varied interactions between empires, ethnic groups, and countries go back many hundreds, even thousands, of years, and the effects can be seen and used by a shrewd businessman. The perspective on ourselves is valuable, as well. Being able to see oneself through others' eyes is a valuable skill that prevents a narrow worldview.

However, when studying these histories, one must always keep a sharp eye out for personal bias and stereotype. We will, as humans, inevitably have some bias, but minimizing it or realizing it exists will allow us to learn much more than if we closed our minds to other cultures. This narrow view of others can destroy any opportunity to learn from or about them, and should be avoided.

History is a far-reaching topic, and should be studied to allow for a brighter future. A look at other cultures can be particularly enlightening, because it allows us to see ourselves in a different light, and see others differently, as well.