[Deleted. Completely off-topic and the next person to do this on this thread will be suspended.]

It seems to me that we have not yet learned the lesson presented by Greg Mortenson, and until we do then the war in Afghanistan will continue. The continual killing of both active combatants who in another context would be regarded as partisans, and innocent women and children, by what can only be described as an invading army, must come to an end. The billions of American dollars are doing nothing for the Afghan population, the money is just going into the pockets of the warlords who in turn are passing a lot of it over to the Taliban in protection money.

We should get our army out of the place and let the natives go back to their tribal form of government and forget about trying to turn the country into a democracy.

As a final note, if anything real comes out of Canberra this week I will be very surprised, in view of the fact that both sides of parliament seem intent on cosying up to the Yanks.

David

I agree with the author in that I believe education is one of the most effective ways forward for places like Afghanistan.

Education will lead to better employment and a higher standard of living.

If the women and girls in this country were given a proper education, they will want the same for their children.

Maybe then there would be no need for disaffected young men looking for answers at the feet of violent, radical Muslim clerics and their like.

I more or less agree with AIR, and vaguely with the author, my reasons for this differing POV is my experience in South Pacific Nations.

It's terrific and we all feel good educating people and wanting this to lift their lives out of the primitive state they are in. However, if all this does is frustrate them because they cannot then join the modern society and partake of it, but now know so much more, then is it gift or a curse?

In PNG the Christian missions all went out into the jungles, established schools and educated people, great for them, not so great for those receiving it in the long run. This education gave the villagers a false sense of hope that they could all be teachers, doctors, engineers etc. The reality is they could not do these things.

Many of the young villagers all want a piece of the action they have all learned about, so gravitate tot he big cities, where there is no opportunity, no welfare, no system at all to support them. The big towns are full of young people who have turned to crime as the only way to survive because they all wanted a "better life".

It's the same in the rest of the world where the do gooders go to do what they think is a wonderful thing, but for the recipients, only a fraction of them can take it up, for the rest it is just a wasted exercise.

In PNG, the missionaries have done so much damage to the society, and I can only surmise the same will happen in other primitive societies.

How are these girls going to benefit from an education? If the education teaches them to question their faith or their menfolk, then it could even be deadly.

Sometimes it's better to just leave people to their primitive state, they are still happy, not knowing more than they need to.

We should not be determining what is good or bad for them, they are stuck in a primitive cycle and will be held there by their beliefs.

I have a much better idea.

Let's not do any harm and let's also not try to do any good. The former is by definition bad. The latter usually ends in tears for all. The road to hell really is paved with good intentions.

What we should do is GET OUT of Afghanistan and Pakistan and STAY OUT.

No soldiers and NO officially sanctioned DO-GOODERY either.

The only problem is Pakistan's nukes. If Pakistan implodes who gets them?

I assume that the Americans and Indians have a joint contingency plan to seize the nukes with the help of corrupt Pakistani officials who doubltess have received large sums for their assistance. That's the only intervention we should contemplate.

Dear lentaub

You said:

"In PNG, the missionaries have done so much damage to the society, and I can only surmise the same will happen in other primitive societies"

I know LOTS about PNG and the amazing mission school scene there.
I also know the deep appreciation felt by PNG indigenous people.
I guess there might be schools run by non evangelical missions which are a big dodgy..so I'll not make a blanket statement that they are all good.
Please note...this is not a 'bash missionaries' thread :) You can have one more go (the other cheek) then..it's curtains for you (grin)

Now.. back to the issue/topic.
Most of you who seem to promote the idea of us 'helping' them (Muslim world) by giving them "education" might ask yourselves 'education in....what'? Presumably you think Western secular Humanistic based education is what they need ? ROFL.

I wish all of you who seem to think that way would actually GO and live among tribal people for a few years.. it would change your outlook dramatically.
Add the "Muslim" factor to the tribal factor and it's further complicated. The education you wish to supply would not be received unless it also included an 'Islamic' theme/focus...and I'm not sure we really want or need that.