Afghanistan is not a Nation-state. It’s a collection of tribes. The area of Central Asia we call “Afghanistan” is a construct of 19th century politics between the British and Russian empires. If Western Civilization has one flaw, it’s our obsession with drawing national boundaries around every square inch of real estate on Planet Earth. We even draw boundaries around water. Go find a world atlas and look for Micronesia in the South Pacific, if you’re skeptical.
But Borders Are So Tidy.
Around 1880, British diplomats looked at the 250,000 square mile region between Tibet and Persia and figured, ‘well, we have to call it something.’ The obvious choice was to name it after the ethnic Pashtos, or Afghans since they were the largest ethnicity comprising just a little over 40% of the population. Pashtos are further divided into numerous tribes: Ghilzali and Durrani being the largest, followed by the Jaji, Safi, Wardak, Shinwari, Tani, Mohmand, Jardan, Khungiani, and Mangal, to name a few more.
Aside from the Pasho/Afghans, there are the Tajiks/Farsi of Persian origin, the Hazara, descended from the Mongols, the Uzbeks of Turkic origin, and the Turkmen, also of Turkic origin. There are the Aimaq and Balochi tribes who also lay claim to a Persian heritage. There are several smaller tribes making up about 5% of the population, all of whom have unique customs and dialects.
Afghanistan isn’t a country. It’s a stone age Brigadoon of quarreling tribes, ethnic groups, Islamic denominations, and warlords manned by young men with old Russian and American rifles. Unlike the fiction of a democratic Afghanistan, that is something they will die for. Greenfield, Front Page Magazine
Daniel Greenfield, Frontpage Magazine
All this adds up to no common heritage, leading to a distinct absence of a national identity. One might think that adherence to Islam might have been a unifying factor. That is not the case, any more than Christianity kept Prussians and Franks from each other’s throats for most of Europe’s history.
Everyone Yearns To Breathe Free, Right? Right?
No. Some are quite comfortable in servitude.
We tend to project our values on others. A wishful naïve notion wrapped in good intentions. Because in spite of all the efforts of the toxic Left to separate us, most Americans still accept and observe the unifying factors which makes us unique in the world.
Tamyra Mensah-Stock, has likely had a very different background than me. Yet when I observe her, when I reflect on her tremendous achievements, I feel kinship with her. Upon what do I base this kinship? A love of country. And a hat-tip to the founders, the founding documents of this nation, and the spirits of the militia and pioneers. We adhere to a system which accounts for human nature and strives for self-improvement. Mensha-Stock’s overt recognition of the greatness of this nation reminds me why I put the uniform on for 28 years.
Afghanistan has no such system or heritage in place. That’s why 300,000 Western-trained troops threw down their arms. Tajik won’t fight for Hazara, and Hazara will shed no blood for Aimaq. Why would they?
In Part III, I’ll bring up a couple of anecdotes which illustrate the enormous cultural divide.
Selah.
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