So, there seems to be a problem involving a bunch of baby rapers running loose in Afghanistan.
What's the problem over there? Asinine ROE? Are we short of ammo? I mean, I've got a case or two of M855 ball sitting around gathering dust at the moment, and I'll gladly donate it to a cause like that. Is having steel in your leg still a disqualifier? 'Cause I'll go answer phones at Fort Bragg if it'll free up some young healthy dude to go shoot some baby rapers.
Effing vile, that. And I have no steel in my legs (yet). Couldn't I just volunteer for the specific task of knocking these lowlifes off?
ReplyDeleteFortunately, Radhika Coomaraswamy of the U.N. is there to perform the ever-heroic task of planning "to release a report in October on the state of Afghan children." That'll teach those rapists! Nothing like the icy cold scorn of a U.N. report to turn a rapist to righteous!
I am angry. I'm sick of our boys and girls being in The Sandbox, but this...
tweaker
Whore! Adulteress! Stone her!
ReplyDeleteAnd, why doesn't anyone ever do anything good with impunity? We need sensible impunity laws!
And, icy cold scorn? I think you meant the "measured, nuanced understanding" of a U. N. report.
Kill some sense into 'em, that's what I say...
ReplyDeleteIf the fedgov is to take a significant portion of my income, and it does, then I wish it to be spent on shooting baby rapists in the face.
ReplyDeleteSo, the problem here is kind of nuanced, actually. It's not that you couldn't find a bunch of Marines or Rangers who are more than willing to saddle up and shoot some baby rapers in the face, and it's not really the ROE (which suck, btw). It's more that when given the choice between going after badguys with RPGs and mortars or trying to track down guys who rape little girls in a society that protects guys who rape little girls, the US Military would rather go after the badguys that are easier to identify.
ReplyDeleteIt gets double complicated when the babyrapers are our alleged "allies" in the fight against the insurgency, because then we have to trust Afghani Justice (hahahahahaha) to make sure that they get what they have coming.
12 years old? Hell, that's an old maid here in the States. I suggest their mommas take their five year olds, hang some earrings on 'em, slather 'em in six pounds of make-up, put 'em in a bikini and parade 'em around a public pool...err...poppy field, just like they do in The Land of the Free. It's empowering, after all.
ReplyDeleteI find myself against torture....normally. Damned if I can talk myself out of thinking these evil sons of bitches deserve any less, though.
There's the steel match tonight. We could practice.
ReplyDeleteYou still want to go? Need a ride?
What time?
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteIt's cultural, unfortunately. I'm not saying that to excuse the behaviour, certainly, because there isn't really any excuse for it. I mention it only to pose the question: How do you solve the problem, if the problem is with (basically) the entire society? How do you take an entire country full of barbaric, tribal war oriented, "raiding the neighbors and stealing horses and women is cool, and the horses are more important", neolithic goat herders, and turn them into individual rights respectin' adherents of Locke?
ReplyDeleteCome to think of it, if you can solve that problem, I've got some plans for fixing things here at home, first. American society could use a good stiff dose of Locke, too.
perlhagr (12:55 PM, August 08, 2008) - It's cultural, unfortunately. I'm not saying that to excuse the behaviour, certainly, because there isn't really any excuse for it. I mention it only to pose the question: How do you solve the problem, if the problem is with (basically) the entire society? How do you take an entire country full of barbaric, tribal war oriented, "raiding the neighbors and stealing horses and women is cool, and the horses are more important", neolithic goat herders, and turn them into individual rights respectin' adherents of Locke?
ReplyDeleteBingo. It's just a more extreme form of the attitude that puts women in burlap sacks from head to toe, sees them stoned for being out without their husband or a male relative, marries them to old men when they are still prepubescent, and in general treats them like not very valuable cattle.
However...
"You say that it is your custom to burn widows. Very well. We also have a custom: when men burn a woman alive, we tie a rope around their necks and we hang them. Build your funeral pyre; beside it, my carpenters will build a gallows. You may follow your custom. And then we will follow ours." Gen. Sir Charles Napier (attributed)
And let's not get the UN involved. If A-stan already has a problem with a rape epidemic, the last thing we need is to bring in a bunch of scum from the UN who will simply join in and perhaps expand things to include small boys.
Finally, it's "rapist". "Raper" is the name of a (more or less) respectable Tennessee family.
DocJim (505? A fellow New Mexican?): I understand what you're saying, but only rarely can force actually change culture.
ReplyDeleteAnd doing so always requires a lot of effort. As in, we'd need to colonize the place, and take over every aspect of their legal system, and it still might not be enough.
docjim505 said,
ReplyDelete"And let's not get the UN involved. If A-stan already has a problem with a rape epidemic, the last thing we need is to bring in a bunch of scum from the UN who will simply join in and perhaps expand things to include small boys."
Well said. As I read the article, I could only think to myself that maybe the French had sent peacekeepers to Afghanistan.
Still and all, this is an Afghani civil problem, and not something that the coalition forces should intercede in unless asked to help by the government.
I also have to wonder if the fine hand of Al Qaeda or the Taliban are involved in this. Which of course WOULD make it the business of the military.
"expand things to include small boys"
ReplyDeleteWhat? You obviously didn't read all of the article. Raping boys is common, and I wouldn't be surprised if it's actually much more common than raping girls.
This is my quickest answer, when people ask me what Afghanistan was like: They rape little boys, and I don't even think it's against the law.
perlhaqr,
ReplyDeleteNo. Tennessee, but living in No. Carolina.
I agree that we can't change the culture, but I think that an serious application of the Napier Plan would at least give some of the rapists a moment of pause.
j.r. shirley,
Not... against... the law. (shakes head and walks away, mumbling something about "are they actually even human beings")
What are you all talking about? We've changed entire societies before. It's simple. Severely brutal, but simple. Very hard, but simple.
ReplyDeleteWe changed the emperor worshiping willing to die to the last man Japanese into people who make electronics, cars, really kawaii manga shit, fun game shows, and Ramin noodles. From kamikaze to Hello Kitty.
We changed the human sacrificing Mayans into Mexicans.
It's time to Hope we can effect another Change.
"Not... against... the law. (shakes head and walks away, mumbling something about 'are they actually even human beings')"
ReplyDeleteReavers.
What I learned about Afghani sexuality during my vacation to Kandahar:
ReplyDeleteWomen are for procreation, young boys are for recreation.