Yes. the appeal of being armed to the teeth, and the mental attitude of believing it is necessary or desirable is the same.
Only the clothes and some of the facial is different, and not always the latter.
Well, that and the American version is usually more overweight and distinctly older. Not as many Afghans get to a ripe old age, unlike our gun zombies.
Don't forget the macho attitude that comes with owning and shooting guns. Where I grew up, in the rural South, in many areas you aren't considered a "man" until you know how to shoot or go hunting. Very comparable, I believe, to the attitude in Afghani tribes.
“How can they control this area? People won’t turn in their weapons, and if the government tries to take them, the people will fight back,” Israr warns. “If they try to go house-to-house, it’ll be civil war. The weapon, for a Pathan tribesman, is part of his cultural heritage, and he doesn’t feel safe without one.”
For the former army man who now heads the Interior Ministry in Pakistan’s military government, that tradition poses a major obstacle to de-weaponization. “We are telling people that in civilized societies, carrying weapons is not essential,” Haider says.
Having been to both countries and interacted with the people there--
An emphatic YES.
The US is beginning to show the same lack of respect for human life that the Afghans do. They also show the same disdain for the legal process.
Although, had the armed guest shown up in Afghanistan, I'm sure his host's reception would have been quite different.
Unlike in the US, the Pashtun culture encourages open carry of weapons--concealing you weapon leads to suspicion. He would have been a participant in buzkashi.
These days, they use a dead goat, originally it was a dead enemy's head.
The U.S. is by far more heavily armed than any other advanced nation. If that makes us a more polite society, than why is it we have far more shootings and homicides than any of those other nations. More, even, than most third world nations, including many at war?
The statement that "an armed society is a polite society" is from a work of fiction by Heinlein, and is itself just as fictional of a philosophy.
Not comparable ones FWM, not similarly industrialized, developed societies.
Countries where there is a serious problem with crime might hsve more shootings; Mexico and the problems with drug cartels, along with a few other nations that have similar drug cartel problems, maybe.
But is that who you want to compare us to? THAT is what we will become, a country with uncontrolled shootings - we already have that with the dramatic increase in shootings in states with shoot first laws - rampant vigilanteism.
We have more child shootings than ALL other similar nations COMBINED. More guns Equal More gun deaths, injuries, and gun-related crimes and more gun accidents. Fewer guns equal greater safety.
As Laci and Dog Gone said, we don't want to have to compare ourselves to those nations. Sadly, we beat many of those, too, such as Somalia and Yemen. See here: http://newtrajectory.blogspot.com/2012/06/you-are-more-likely-to-be-shot-to-death.html
You really equate those filthy dirtbags to legal U.S. gun owners?
ReplyDeleteYes. the appeal of being armed to the teeth, and the mental attitude of believing it is necessary or desirable is the same.
DeleteOnly the clothes and some of the facial is different, and not always the latter.
Well, that and the American version is usually more overweight and distinctly older. Not as many Afghans get to a ripe old age, unlike our gun zombies.
OOops - that should have read 'facial HAIR'!
DeleteThe misogyny is similar in type if not degree, as well.
Don't forget the macho attitude that comes with owning and shooting guns. Where I grew up, in the rural South, in many areas you aren't considered a "man" until you know how to shoot or go hunting. Very comparable, I believe, to the attitude in Afghani tribes.
DeleteI pointed that out when I mentioned the Toronto Star Article Kalashnikov Culture about Pashtun Society
Delete“How can they control this area? People won’t turn in their weapons, and if the government tries to take them, the people will fight back,” Israr warns. “If they try to go house-to-house, it’ll be civil war. The weapon, for a Pathan tribesman, is part of his cultural heritage, and he doesn’t feel safe without one.”
For the former army man who now heads the Interior Ministry in Pakistan’s military government, that tradition poses a major obstacle to de-weaponization. “We are telling people that in civilized societies, carrying weapons is not essential,” Haider says.
Sound familiar?
Having been to both countries and interacted with the people there--
ReplyDeleteAn emphatic YES.
The US is beginning to show the same lack of respect for human life that the Afghans do. They also show the same disdain for the legal process.
Although, had the armed guest shown up in Afghanistan, I'm sure his host's reception would have been quite different.
Unlike in the US, the Pashtun culture encourages open carry of weapons--concealing you weapon leads to suspicion. He would have been a participant in buzkashi.
These days, they use a dead goat, originally it was a dead enemy's head.
Not as many Afghans get to a ripe old age, unlike our gun zombies.
ReplyDeleteWhile they Afghans can survive a protracted wars of invasion, it does cost heavily on the civilian population.
The U.S. is by far more heavily armed than any other advanced nation. If that makes us a more polite society, than why is it we have far more shootings and homicides than any of those other nations. More, even, than most third world nations, including many at war?
ReplyDeleteThe statement that "an armed society is a polite society" is from a work of fiction by Heinlein, and is itself just as fictional of a philosophy.
"If that makes us a more polite society, than why is it we have far more shootings and homicides than any of those other nations."
ReplyDeleteWe don't. Many nations have far more homicides than the U.S.
Not comparable ones FWM, not similarly industrialized, developed societies.
DeleteCountries where there is a serious problem with crime might hsve more shootings; Mexico and the problems with drug cartels, along with a few other nations that have similar drug cartel problems, maybe.
But is that who you want to compare us to? THAT is what we will become, a country with uncontrolled shootings - we already have that with the dramatic increase in shootings in states with shoot first laws - rampant vigilanteism.
We have more child shootings than ALL other similar nations COMBINED. More guns Equal More gun deaths, injuries, and gun-related crimes and more gun accidents. Fewer guns equal greater safety.
Simple as that.
Many nations have far more homicides than the U.S.
DeleteAre you tossing the US in with REAL Third World Countries (the US is sort of one, but it is too affluent--at this point)?
The US has very good medical technology which keeps the death rate lower than it would be if it were truly a third world country.
If it didn't have the medical care, then all bets are off, FWM.
Too many guns resulting in too much death from firearms.
As Laci and Dog Gone said, we don't want to have to compare ourselves to those nations. Sadly, we beat many of those, too, such as Somalia and Yemen. See here:
Deletehttp://newtrajectory.blogspot.com/2012/06/you-are-more-likely-to-be-shot-to-death.html
better link newtrajectory.blogspot.com/2012/06/you-are-more-likely-to-be-shot-to-death.html
Delete