Tars
07-29-2010, 07:44 AM
Excellent NY Times (https://www.nytimes.com/) OpEd by Nicholas D. Kristoff. It's encouraging to see at least one major opinionator going after the U.S. mis-guided military policy:
1 Soldier or 20 Schools? (https://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/29/opinion/29kristof.html?_r=1&ref=opinion)
Excerpt:
"For the cost of just one soldier (https://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/29/opinion/29kristof.html) in Afghanistan for one year, we could start about 20 schools there. Hawks retort that it’s impossible to run schools in Afghanistan unless there are American troops to protect them. But that’s incorrect.
CARE, a humanitarian organization, operates 300 schools in Afghanistan, and not one has been burned by the Taliban. Greg Mortenson, of “Three Cups of Tea” fame, has overseen the building of 145 schools in Afghanistan and Pakistan and operates dozens more in tents or rented buildings — and he says that not one has been destroyed by the Taliban either.
Aid groups show that it is quite possible to run schools so long as there is respectful consultation with tribal elders and buy-in from them. And my hunch is that CARE and Mr. Mortenson (https://www.gregmortenson.com/) are doing more to bring peace to Afghanistan than Mr. Obama’s surge of troops"
1 Soldier or 20 Schools? (https://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/29/opinion/29kristof.html?_r=1&ref=opinion)
Excerpt:
"For the cost of just one soldier (https://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/29/opinion/29kristof.html) in Afghanistan for one year, we could start about 20 schools there. Hawks retort that it’s impossible to run schools in Afghanistan unless there are American troops to protect them. But that’s incorrect.
CARE, a humanitarian organization, operates 300 schools in Afghanistan, and not one has been burned by the Taliban. Greg Mortenson, of “Three Cups of Tea” fame, has overseen the building of 145 schools in Afghanistan and Pakistan and operates dozens more in tents or rented buildings — and he says that not one has been destroyed by the Taliban either.
Aid groups show that it is quite possible to run schools so long as there is respectful consultation with tribal elders and buy-in from them. And my hunch is that CARE and Mr. Mortenson (https://www.gregmortenson.com/) are doing more to bring peace to Afghanistan than Mr. Obama’s surge of troops"