Quote Originally Posted by TheCurmudgeon View Post
Maybe we should be asking "What does the Taliban offer to these remote towns and villages that the government does not? What is their appeal to the people?"

I doubt it is the Taliban’s liberal mindset or their equal rights for women. I also believe that, if the remote villages were so inclined, they could remove the Taliban themselves or at least would accept and support our efforts to rid the Taliban from A'Stan.
Fear trumps popularity. Moreover, religion, customs, and social norms trump external intervention creating a rather wicked problem. I think that we can destroy/neutralize the Taliban military capacity if we want to make that investment; however, trying to change the mindset and bring them into modernity will take many generations. Education is probably the deciding factor.

v/r

Mike