Eddie Crist and Obama's Afghanistan Policy

Saturday, October 17, 2009

This morning's Washington Post features an article and Post editorial that seem unrelated but have the common theme of "wanting to do the right thing but can't get it right". The first is about a child criminal Eddie Crist. The second is still another prescription for an Obama Afghanistan policy that works.

Eddie Crist, following a crime of drugs, assault, and other anti-social behavior is caught up in the juvenile justice system in our Nation's Capital. He is sent for drug rehab which he does not complete. Then, later, to a foster home, only to escape to eventual commit murder. What would have prevented this chain of events?

Probably nothing much. And why? Because the boy's ties to a highly criminal peer group and the values of a criminal life were so ingrained that no amount of better solutions could have successful, even assuming the best care he could have received had the District government been committed to it. By the time Eddie reached his teen years, his very strong commitment to his peers was firmly ingrained. He knew no other way of life, which he viewed with suspicion and rebelled against.

The lead editorial, "Second Chance", lays the blame for current political unrest following the corrupt reelection of Karzai on Obama. His second chance is to influence Karzai to drop his corrupt ties to the drug trade and warlords and then follow with a commitment to more troups to turn the Taliban away. The first suggestion to strengthen ties with Mr. Karzaii to lead him to govern more democratically is very similar to how little influencce the DC government had to change Eddie Crist's life. Too ingrained cultural and political practices make Karzaii unmovable. More troops will accomplish the goal of convincing Afghanistis and Karzaii of the US commitment to making a better world for them. But both Karzaii and "them" have no understanding of democracy, substituting opium poppy growing for a similar profit crop.

While supplying Eddie Crist with better and well monitored treatment and rehab may have resulted in a less recidivist experience, no country can impose a set of cultural values and political behavior on another country. For at least a thousand years, Afghanistan has been invaded and occupied by many countries and we have today to reflect on whether any of those influences have reversed behaviors that continue corruption and further resistance to still another invader/occupier, the US.

I have not mentioned the very negative actions that Pakistan has taken to stop the flow of Taliban and arms that have kept unrest in Afghanistan. It's just more of the same, one weak nation state interfering with another weak not nearly nation state.

Aghanistan is a bad investment. If there is a need for US presence there, it should be to train troups, who also very anti-western allegiances, and to influence the growth of a legitamite economy

 

Comments

[vibram five fingers]

More troops will accomplish the goal of convincing Afghanistis and Karzaii of the US commitment to making a better world for them.

[vibram five fingers]

Too ingrained cultural and political practices make Karzaii unmovable.

[epm]

If i were them, i would never going back. I'll choose a better and simpler life.

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