I'd think after ten years in Afghanistan, more of our troops would have developed some fluency in the language, and that most of us who support them would have a deeper understanding of the day-to-day lives of the people, the culture and history of the country. Not to romanticize it, but it does seem the knowledge of the vox populi is one largely gleaned for either the worst, or assumptions.I think it's easy to write off, in fact marginalize anyone or anything you don't understand by calling them "dumb as hammers," as exhibited in the comments of one very well known blog. While 30 years of war might make people fearful, wily, unable to act on their deepest desires, it does not make them stupid. Assumptions like this are regrettable; they get everyone in trouble --especially those in the fight.
Here's a blog called Dust n Roses, an account of a Californian who lives in Kabul. They write a great post with photos about women behind the burqa. The writer hasn't updated it in five weeks, but I hope they will continue.
Dust n Roses now joins another blog that I really like, but rarely writes, Captain Cat's Diaries.
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3 comments:
In regards to learning language and culture. A person (soldiers) will only learn what they want to learn or what they are ordered to learn.
the languages of our 2 wars, Farsi and Arabic are 2 of the most difficult to learn.
The cultures are easy, but in my case, a lot of the stuff we were trained on before deployment was totally wrong!
And, even though we've been at war for almost 10 years, each soldier who's there now has not been there that long. keep in mind, most units rotate out after a year or so, so they have a lot to learn in that year.
When I was in Bosnia, we were the 14th rotation (SFOR 14), but "WE" had not been there that long. It was more like SFOR 1, repeated 14 times...each time a totally new unit comes in, it takes months to learn what you need to know. But by the time you've got it figure out, you're thinking of going home.
So little gets passed on to the next unit.
Kanani, most of the time I am at a loss for words when I come here. Even being able to form questions escapes me most often (save for the occasional cat humor) because I'm only on the fringe. Tonight is no exception, but I would like to say, I am truly bothered that there was cause for you to post this. I cannot fathom a human being anywhere that is as "dumb as a hammer". Though I suppose that I could understand how stress, concern and a heavy heart can weigh a person down and cause them to loose compassion and express themselves so. Hopefully it was said in haste and heaviness and isn't a growing trend. I'm not sure that it is necessary for a person to be fluent or trained to have compassion and understanding with people.
Yeah, I've read loads of comments about the Afghans describing them a such. I can understand that some who have had experience with them might feel about the ones they came into contact with, but it it difficult and dangerous to judge everyone.
Thanks for writing this. I do appreciate this very much.
XO K
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