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Comment by impossiblefork | Hacker News Reader

No. Obviously you regard Afghan culture as something valuable and good, since you're from there, but I see culture as tree, and if it has bad outcomes, I regard the branch that produced the poisoned tree as a poison tree. Then it's a matter of how far one wants to backtrack, and I suppose that's how much one cares about other aspects of the fruit.

I think much of the problem is Islam + Central Asia/Mongols/steppe conquests, and I think either is bad enough on its own.

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Which culture has 100% good outcomes? Which culture never produced what you call poison trees?

Protip: none of them

the outcomes of that branch were much better and worlds more secular before the country was invaded twice. Matter of fact, by that measure, how does a branch that just got over their eugenic fantasies[0] talking about "poisoned branches" fare?

I’ll refrain from judging your viewpoint, but I don’t think it’s controversial to interpret this as trying to judge cultures objectively, no? That inherently includes a lot of trust in one’s viewpoint and knowledge to judge off of. Just the snippet you posted here does not inspire a lot of confidence.

Being unable to discern between the product of a society and the situation after an exogenous power funded and armed the outer most fringe of deplorable religious extremism, under the delusion they would be fighting the commies and noone else, is not the good look you think it is.

But hey, I’m sure you regard your own opinion as something valuable and positive, it’s your own after all ;)

[0] https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compulsory_sterilisation_in_...

> after an exogenous power funded and armed the outer most fringe of deplorable religious extremism

How much time should pass before it's no longer seen as America's fault ? Assuming you're referring to the arming of the mujaheddin.

things take longer to repair than to crush. There have been countless waves of anyone with the ability and means to leave leaving, the drug trade is engrained in a way it was, undeniably so, not before the Soviet invasion. The mismanagement and purposeful acceptance of disastrous consequences for Afghanistan did not end with the funding of the mujahedeen. It continued up to, and including, the US pull out. Which is by no means a long time ago. Leaving behind unthinkable amounts of arms in a situation as explosive as left behind isn’t much better in terms of stability.

Instead of talking about what ifs, why don’t you have a look at what has been. Pre-Soviet Afghanistan is truely worlds apart from anything you’d now connect with living in Afghanistan. If you so desperately want the afghans to be at fault for their demise, how did that happen?

Close relatives of mine try to reform and expand Kandahar university clinic and med school, they all have built a comfortable living abroad, they owe that to no one. Of course, there are more than enough elements in Afghanistan that have contributed to their collective fate, profited and now hinder progress. I’m not here to defend them, i despise them. But that’s nothing different to any other country, they just have wayyy more destruction and suffering to foster and grow. Germany just needed a few decades of, in comparison laughable, economic mismanagement, for new politicians talking about gas chambers[0] to emerge. Let’s not act like that’s a uniquely afghan reaction to misery of any sort. Still horrible from all perspectives, no denying that.

[0] https://www.welt.de/politik/deutschland/article206589067/AfD...

Thanks for your valuable insight!

my pleasure! I should apologize for my answer being a little apprehensive around the edges, i misinterpreted the tone of your question, thank you for taking the time.

No no my bad, it was easily misinterpret-able

Well it's been like 2 years since the US left, so idk? How much time until the Jews can't talk about the Holocaust? That's how asinine that question is

I would really love to hear your theory on how the Mongol conquests made Afghani culture bad.

I'm being sarcastic. It terrifies me, but now I need to hear it.

Though to be honest, I expect it will be run-of-the-mill cultural chauvinism and I'll be disappointed.

quite the mental gymnastics, isn’t it ^^

Obviously Islam and most other religions are super dumb, but this is the worst argument for it I’ve ever seen

In addition to https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=40812316 I need to let you know that religious flamewar is also not allowed on HN, so please don't post like this either.

And if you'd please not post in the flamewar style generally, we'd appreciate it.

https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html

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