Why do we desire to win?

[marct]

Truly excellent question -- but, no derogation intended -- one couched in western terms. I believe the Afghan perception of root problems is extremely transitory and imminently fungible, that it will vary not only from week to week but also from district to district. More importantly, from tribe or clan to clan or tribe and is based on perceived need at the time. There are some exceptions, obviously -- security of a sort (not the western norm but a lesser variant the west is loth to accept, a separate problem within itself... That's really sort of important...) being one that's fairly obvious and certain -- but broadly it's a dynamic. That it is a dynamic is a factor that makes Afghanistan a tremendously complicated conundrum for the west.

You know, Ken, I really have to get you up here to do a guest lecture on the real meaning of "cultural relativity" . All I can say now, is spot on!

This very problem lies at the heart of most of my criticism of "state building". Besides the pretty obvious perception of "state building" as extremely paternalistic and smacking of 19th century justifications for civilizing the savages, it also highlights the problem that all sides are speaking radically different languages (actually, using radically different epistemologies and conceptual languages that hardly map onto each other at all).

I was chatting with an old friend who is Afghan about this last week, and she make the observation that being given handouts, in this case being told how to govern themselves, was a major infuriation. The analogy she used was like having some moralist someone living down the street kick in your front door during a family disagreement, beat the snot out of a couple of people and then stick around with a good squad while the moralized and the kids misbehaved and were alternately rewarded or smacked based on how well the sucked up to the party line.

[Ken White]

said "You're all alike" and walked out. Been married too long to fall into that trap so I waited until this morning and said, "Oh, BTW..."

Turns out she'd been watching a program filmed recently in Pakistan in the NWF area. Female reporter, a Muslim and a Pakistani, pointed out to a crowd of male village leaders that she had read the Koran and it nowhere called for the hijab or any other head covering. The Elders', plural, response was emphatic, loud and instant: "It's in there, you missed it." They then resumed eating and thus closed that issue. Men can be intransigent I think was the message. I thought it best not to pursue that...

Pertinence here is "Do not bother me with facts" seems to be feature, not a bug...

As does "MOTH-ER, I'd rather do it myself..."

[William F. Owen]

Female reporter, a Muslim and a Pakistani, pointed out to a crowd of male village leaders that she had read the Koran and it nowhere called for the hijab or any other head covering. The Elders', plural, response was emphatic, loud and instant: "It's in there, you missed it." They then resumed eating and thus closed that issue.

So the Holy book and my wife's shopping lists have something in common!