g'day,
There is a lot of ignorant Afghan bashing going on here at the moment (as opposed to informed Afghan bashing) and when we read the papers and see the television pictures it's little wonder why. The world news media is on a feeding frenzy whipping up so called 'anti-terrorist'* retoric to silly levels. (*one mans terrorist is another mans freedom fighter .. Nelson Mandela? Che Grevara? Bob Marley?)
Let me make this perfectly clear - I am not against every callous terrorist on earth being hunted down and excecuted like the worthless dogs they are.
If I ruled the world every single child molester and every single wife beating piece of shit that walks the earth, every helicopter pilot that cluster bombed women and children or napalmed vietnamese villagers, every mad scientist, every remote killing coward would be immediately and without the slightest twinge of remorse or pity be lined up against a wall and shot. I'm no rampant pacifist and carry a proud fighting heritage dating back to the days of ending slavery in England to my more recent ANZAC forebears.
I know emotions are running hot at the moment and when my good pal logical dared post something about the insanity that we as a species are he gets silly shallow minded pricks like TR heaping abuse on him (duh...) (sorry TR but someone's gotta tell ya ;)
As I posted to our US marine friend Yeru .. all the chest puffing and militeriistic peacock strutting is fine (if you get off on that .. 'scuse me while I puke) .. but the the shallow hollow bullshit ignorantly directed at the good people of Aghanistan is getting right up my clacker .. all the ignorant crap and dumb jokes about Afghan TV just play into the hands of those who'd have us believe Americans are hiding so far up their own arses they don't reconise anything but their own excrement.
Come on you yanks .. you're a whole lot better than this .. how about some reasoned debate and acknowledgement that an Afghan life is just as precious as anyone elses. Sure we should track down and kill terrorists without emotion or mercy but don't slander a whole people without knowing a thing about thier culture. (like America did with the beautiful, ancient and intricate 3,000+year old culture of Vietnam)
Where I was born and raised (S.Aust) the Afghans are revered to almost godlike status. You see when my decendants left England for the free state of South Australia (the only free colony in Aust .. no convicts for us thankyou very much) in the early 1800's, with hardy pioneer spirit they ventured into one of the harshest environments for farmers on earth. It was drummed into us as kids that water was extremely precious there ... "the driest state on the driest continent on earth" schoolteaches impressed on us (mmm they forgot about Antartica) .. anyhow many faiiled and some including my relations survived and prospered there thanks largely to the Afghan camel men who kept them supplied and markets open .. those tough bastards survived for weeks where an Englishman 'd be dead in a few hours.
It's a bit weird at the moment for South Australians because just now when Afghan celebrations are at thier peak there .. all hell is again breaking loose in that crazy country.
The Afghans have the undiing unashamed support of every South Australian (all 1.5 million of us ;) We cherish the memory of those outstanding bushman and the roll they and their beasts played in our settlement. We named our favorite desert train after them. "The Ghan" still chugs the rail but it's a lot quicker now .. it used to go so slow you could often jump off, pick a few wildflowers and jump back on at the rear .. and if a washout occurred you could be stuck for days or even a week or two while the line was fixed.
The Ghan is Australias most famous train journey (from Adelaide to Alice Springs) and the decendants of those desert camels have bred up to be one of the purest most sort after camels in the world .. (if you need one i'll do you a good price .. let's haggle)
unclebruce, an Australian with Afghan friends who believes in killing in cold blood (stick yer media hype where no light shines!)
PS: I am no expert on Afghan culture but i've seen precious little evidence that anyone else here is either .. especially the loud mouthed "let's bomb the bejesus outta 'em" brigade .. "DUH! Let's break someth'n" .. typical little boy, limp pathetic male ego responce to a crisis .. trouble in fammily beat the wife and kids .. (the previous analagy doesn't really work but it felt good so i typed it) anyway .. give me coolheaded, coldblooded killers as friends anyday (fight fire with fire and keep the sabre rattling and whirling duh-vicous to the fanatics running amok in Islamabad.)
PSS: There are several recently released books out describing in detail the pivotal Afghani roll in Australian pioneer history. (I might go get me one)