I remember back in the early 80's reading an article in Smithsonian about what Russian soldiers do with their day off in Afghanistan. The opening line was something like this; What do you do on your day off in a country where the most popular sport is batting around a goat's head from horseback and you are despised for the evil influences of blue jeans and rock n roll you bring with you?
I remember thinking at the time, the war is over. Not the Afghan War, the Cold War. Russian soldiers. Blue Jeans. Rock. At that point in time, those things just didn't equate. Consumerism wins. You lose. It took about another decade to formalize it.
And, here we are, three decades later. This video sums it up perfectly in 21 seconds. http://lens.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/07/23/must-48/?src=sch&pagewanted=all
Hate the music---fine, detest the blue jeans---great. Use buses and donkeys---wonderful.
ReplyDeleteBut quit stealing our money, quit producing poppies as your largest cash crop and more importantly seal your borders so them that want nothing more than a world without any of the above to have one less place to hide in.
The Afghans have had 2000 years of continuous war, it is their way of life. They allowed a few maniacs to make a few of our own maniacs drag us there. What are we supposed to do? Blow them back 10,000 years with a 100megaton nuclear winter?
Perhaps I should have said, Capitalism wins, you lose when referring to the Russians. As to the Afghans, the video says it all. Time keeps on slipping into the future. Like it or not.
ReplyDeleteBTW... up until recently, and maybe still, poppy growing in Afghanistan was subsidized by the U.S. government. That's US, you and me.
Actually that was 630 pictures. Let's make a movie in Amish country and show it to the world. Only instead of the bus let's use a Ferrari Enzo. Yeah Buddy, modes of transportaion.
ReplyDelete"Capitalism wins"
ReplyDeleteIt surprises my fellow liberals but I have no issue with a person making a buck off their invention or idea. But capitalism has gone beyond a simple tool to unleash creativity, its a religion all itself now and its acolytes have even less tolerance for heretics than any Dark Age pope. Ideas about "social justice" and "fairness" will get you called a nasty socialist out to redistribute wealth to lazy, out of work bums.
Punch... but still 21 seconds. Better than the last video, right? Love the idea about the Enzo... speaking of which, gotta run, the race is starting.
ReplyDeleteCatch up with you on your thoughts later Beach Bum but think I agree completely.
Mr Charleston
ReplyDeleteI have snippets of thoughts I want to share, and yet all I can really release is a sigh.
That was short and sweet and it said a mouthful.
ReplyDeleteYou are absolutely right about the poppy fields. Production of opium was at an all time low until the war, it has gone up steadily since then. Our soldiers guard the poppy fields for the growers. Then we wonder why there is so much heroin on the streets of the U.S. and why the purity is up so much and wonder why overdoses are up.