Monday, December 20, 2010

Afghanistan - Spreading Democracy or Corruption

Many of the problems that plagued the War in Iraq are cropping up with vengeance in Afghanistan. Like Iraq, Afghanistan is a quagmire (probably more so in the case of Afghanistan given that country's hilly terrain and tenacious guerilla fighters). Also like Iraq, there are serious problems with corrupt and abusive private contractors in Afghanistan.

This story in the Huffington Post highlights the problems with private contractors in Afghanistan, including appalling and immoral behaviour such as a company party where an Afghan teenage boy was hired to dance. Overall, drunken, naked dancing, use of prostitutes, and rude behaviour by employees is disrespectful to Afghan values and Afghan people - thus further increasing resenment towards the NATO forces.

Also, among the private contractors in Afghanistan is Xe Services, formerly the infamous Blackwater company that was responsible for egregious abuses in Iraq.

Why are the same mistakes being repeated? Why are these people in Afghanistan? Maybe it's time to give a rest to "nation-building" that does nothing more than create resentment and antagonism and spread corruption.

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