VIDEO BLOG
Episode 5: “How to Win in Afghanistan”
History’s lessons point to a radical method of war-fighting and peace-making, quite different from what the U.S. currently has in play. As Rod Serling used to say, “submitted for your approval.”
View the credits and transcript for Episode 5.
Steve,
Your insight has helped me to understand the situation in Afghanistan so much better. Interesting points, but I would like to add:
There is no such thing as negociating with someone who wants to kill you–this diplomacy America uses with hostile countries never gets the right results. Remember what Frederick the Great once said, “Diplomacy without arms, is like music without instruments”.
And true, the U.S. Forces are powerful, have better technology, but they lack the WILL to use it effectively. Perhaps Vietnam is still in the back of many Americans’ heads. You see, the enemy does not fear death–unlike the mentality in the West. I believe the Media has helped to change people’s view of war–before it was seen as something necessary to protect everyone’s rights and liberty, yet today it is looked at with shame.
With this new administration I do not see how America will accomplish its goals.
There must be a mind change to get these tribes to embrace freedom. And even in the West there must be a mind change to embrace this same freedom.
The main reason why the rest of the world hates America is because of their way of life–America’s #1 business is pornography! It is not so difficult to see how they see the U.S. as hypocrites who proclaim virtues and yet make millions out of something so foul.
Pozdrav,
Anna.
Hello,
I found your website after reading Jim Gant’s “One Tribe at a Time”. I may be going to AFG soon as a PRT civilian. Your films are brilliant.
Thanks for the clear explanations. Despite any disagreements from others, your ideas are certainly good to use as a working hypothesis until we can find out for ourselves, firsthand, what is going on there. Thanks much.
I spent time in the Marines and Foreign Service in Somalia, Angola, Bosnia, Liberia and Iraq – 20 years plus. I was in Kabul earlier this month. I am now designing and sending portable electronically controlled solar powered light bulbs (look like flashlights – but much more complex) to the developing world. Our guys need something to pass out and lighting makes a difference. Hearts and minds on a personal basis. The men and women in Afghanistan need every tool we have.
Semper Fi,
Mark
Agreed, Steve. Afghanistan is perhaps the nearest thing our world has left to a Biblical era culture. One can’t modernise such a culture by introducing social institutions that are neither understood nor valued. Such a culture will modernise itself when it sees fit — and it may not do so according to Western ideals. But that shouldn’t be the primary concern of the West…
The West’s primary concern is its own security, and in that regard it should be sufficient to establish trust, mutual respect, and mutual accommodation. And you’re right — it’s not glamorous and doesn’t win votes, but it’s not supremacist either, and it will help avoid getting people killed.
I agree with these views, but I think that he is missing the point that the U.S. as well as other western powers have in the past defeated tribes such as those present in Iraq and Afghanistan today. The method is simple, but unpalatable. It is total warfare. The U.S. Army relentlessly pursued the plains indians until they had no means to resist. They were unable to rest during the winter and their food source was removed through commercial hunting of the buffalo. In Afghanistan the same could be done by destroying the poppie fields and if necessary the ones who tend them. By waging this war as an effort to eradicate the source of 93% of the worlds herion supply, the citizens of the western world might by into this drastic way as a mean to victory. The question now is what would the fall out be with the rest of the world and is this way to “victory” worth using.
I concur with Pressfield and go on to say that both in the past and presently we have ongoing tribal communities in the US and they never were nor can be defeated – but a deal even with enemies is acceptable.
PS. Look at solar cookers. They are cheap, easy to make out of common materils, very effective and very useful.
SteveB:
That’s certainly one way of doing things. Like you said, it’s unpalatable and sure does leaves unresolved grudges that later become social problems.
As in Star Wars, there are two ways to master the force: the quickest is through the Dark Side, the other way is the Jedi way.
Let’s make the right choice.
One resource for understanding the different thinking of tribes is Don Beck’s “Spiral Dynamics.” Because different levels of consciousness exist across cultures, understanding SD allows better communications with people everywhere. Beck used this to help South Africa peacefully redesign their society by teaching them how to communicate across levels – the tribes, the Boers and others. With 8 or so levels of consciousness existing in the world today, each with its own set of values and language, it’s no wonder we have trouble communicating.
I like some of these ideas.
For Steve B., if you think the prairie clearances defeated the tribes, you haven’t been to a Montana reservation lately. They’re doing quite a lot better than the surrounding white towns and they are still distinctly themselves. Anyone who thinks “Dances with Wolves” is anything but a Hollywood invention had probably better schedule a visit as well.
As for sending some “Alpha Dogs’ of ours to negotiate with tribal chiefs, may I suggest Donald Trump and Dick Cheney? And leave them there.
Mary Scriver