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Before and After

Before! Kabul had an InterContinental. Sweet hotel chain. Looks pretty damn dope in the postcard. But alas, there was a Cold War and the two adversaries felt compelled to fuck with other countries instead of each other directly. Afghanistan, for one.
Kabul, 1970 on the left. Sometime recently on the right.  After 3 decades of war launched on Afghanistan by the USSR and the USA and in the vacuum created, Pakistan, there's not much left. But behold this wonder:
The graduating class of 1966 at Kabul University. Amazing. Take a good look, and then consider what has happened to that society. Gone. Obliterated in years of war and religious fundamentalism. Fundamentalism so perverse they burn women with acid and blow up ancient and epic historical treasures.
After! But still, there is hope.

Don't think it can't happen here though - a "modern" society degressing back to stone age religious shit hole. I ask you to consider this: The rise of religious fundamentalism in the Islamic world is concurrent with the rise of American Christian fundamentalism.

Make NO mistakes: There are Christian Talibani here in in America right now who'd burn girls for their wickedness and behead scores of men for impiety. Who'd destroy this country in order to "save" it. Some of these Wingnuts might be on your local school board, as a matter of fact. Or in your State senate. Most certainly in Congress.

The only way to save ourselves from their "paradise" is to stop them at every legislative turn, since "We" - reason and common sense - have the numbers. But do we have the will? Make no further mistake - they do. They're fucking nuts!

2 comments:

JoyfulA said...

And the ultraorthodox Jewish fundamentalists in New York and in Israel, as well as Hindu fundamentalists.

I have some ashtrays showing Lebanon as a resort and as the Switzerland of the Middle East; that's gone, just like happy Kabul.

Redshirt said...

Lebanon's a great example. It used to be an awesome place. No war torn religious wasteland, like so many places in the Middle East.

It's depressing. I feel like "progress" is continual, and everything should be getting better, everywhere. But it ain't the case.