Afghanistan is getting MUCH more attention lately. This is as it should be--I still hold the opinion that the worst part of the Iraq war was that it distracted us from the one place where we KNEW our "enemies" had a stronghold--Afghanistan. Now, 8 years since 9/11, we are scrambling to make up for lost time. It's again on the daily news, and I only hope it's not too little too late. Here's a bit more on the "new strategy."
Now, many of us never gave Afghanistan any thought before 9/11, and for the vast majority of Americans (and non-Americans), the details of Afghanistan's past are very vague. The truth is, the Afghani story is a tragic one of successive take overs, violence, and poverty. I reccomend books like The Kite Runner for an easy-read overview of life in Afghanistan. Also, i HIGHLY recommend that EVERYONE watch Charlie Wilson's War--it's an EXCELLENT (and entertaining) story of what good we did in Afghanistan and how, in the end, we let it all unravel. Trailer below. WATCH THIS MOVIE!!
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About Me
- The Half Breed
- I’ll admit it, I’m unusual. I was born in the USA, but when my father took work overseas, my family began a life a world-wide travel, with our homebase in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. This lifestyle brought me from the Vatican to Mecca, from the pyramids of Egypt to the streams of Venice, from the Taj Mahal to the plains of Kenya, from the beaches of Malaysia to the cafés of Paris. My father is a native-born Palestinian Muslim, while my mother is an American Lutheran. Yes, my life really has been as bizarre and contradictory as it sounds. Somehow, though, I’ve managed to reach age 18 without major psychological difficulties; actually, I’ve learned to celebrate the cultures that have shaped me over the years. I now reside in the US, but I still travel often. I'm majoring in Modern Middle Eastern Studies and International Relations, planning for a career in journalism. This world is rapidly shrinking, but I am greatly concerned that many people, including Americans, still lack the basic understanding and open-mindedness needed to sustain a peaceful coexistence. As someone who believes in the power of communication, I hope to use my simple words to enlighten—and enliven.
1 comment:
Thanks for all the videos--fascinating!
And Charlie Wilson's War is a really great movie, I agree.
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