Horror in Afghanistan

[hester_prynne]

I'm so glad to see this forum! Hello to Tilly and thank you for reporting as you do, like LRod, I so appreciate your accounts of what is really happening, we get such editorialized news here, makes my head spin. They did do a story about this stoning on NPR, I listened to it yesterday, it was sketchy, but I sure didn't see it anywhere else in the media here. I bet NPR would love to do an interview with you...I'd be glad to try and set that up if you wanted....I program a Jazz show for our local community Public radio and could very well get something going.

Cec, I wasn't directing my post at you at all, because I know you are well aware of what is. Hell, you certainly improve my awareness most of the time. I appreciated what you said.

I plan on forwarding these reports to our local women's resource center, I forwarded the last ones to their office and they wanted me to send anything more that came through, I hope that is still alright.....

Thanks again to Tilly for sharing with us, and to lrod and Doreen for this fabulous, and I mean fabulous, website.
H

[Tilly]

Greetings Hester - when, on occasion, I watch the news I cannot put what is on the screen together with the reality. Everything so sterilized, cleaned up and made ... what? Acceptable? Politically correct? Vote grabbing? Religiously proper? Dunno - but it ain't right, whatever the reason. Can’t clean up blood or put back missing limbs, but that is only the visible - how about the destroyed souls, the vacant eyes the sheer desperation? How much longer will the great cover up go on? But, what's worse is how much longer will people believe this shit and allow the cover up? They must like it, for we only do what we like, else we wouldn’t do it, right?

Helicopters flying low - in Kabul it is said that the Americans are the worst at pointing their big guns at people and yelling for them to get out of the way. I hear tell that the Dutch and the Italian forces hide their guns and do community service work - go out in to the community rather than sitting on their big hummers playing with their big toys. But look at their leader ... rumsfeld himself a destroyer of humanity and humanness. This is no way to start a morning, a fresh day.

And now I hear that “the Afghan government is ‘begging’ the US to have a permanent presence”. But when I talk to Afghans they say “yes, just like we begged the Russians to come in and take over our government”. All bla, bla, bla …we are so fine tuned to the bla bla and the government (media) are so good at tuning our lives with b.s.

Please do share with the women’s center and anyone else that is interested. Perhaps the sharing of information will end the ambivalence. So separated out all beings are – One is lost in the separation. Until we realize that we are not separate, but One, the horrors will continue. What is done to others is done to ourselves. Is there no brain functioning out there at all? Helllllllloooooooo?

Let me think about the interview with NPR - I have to balance the dragons over here in order to be able to do the work I want to do. Not sure if I can control my tongue ... or fine tune it to the point that it is no longer real and therefore acceptable.

I add my thanks to L-Rd and Dor too for this great website.

t

[judih]

That's my question, Tilly. Are you in any danger by putting your observations in print?
It's probably tolerable that you're 'wealthy' because you're distributing your wealth by hiring afghanis and dining in the local eateries, but posting your words?

Do you need to disguise some of the basics? Or are you already?

Sending you strength,

judih

[Guest]

Hi Judih - I have not felt in danger since arriving, although the evening I was being driven home and came upon a white soldier with a big gun squatting by the road side pointing his big gun right at me was a bit disquieting. I am referring more to keeping my job so that I can truly promote afghan civil society than to physical danger. I don't think talking straight would be taken lightly - but when all of this is over I am writing a book.

How are things in Israel? I am sure you have seen horrors that I cannot begin to imagine.

All love and peace,

t

[judih]

i wouldn't say 'horrors' because, after all, we're a democracy and we're 'jewish' and we have memories of being the worm squished by the bootheel of the enemy. (What i'm saying is that we are a pluralistic society but we have definitely stopped stoning women)

But still, life is real enough. i might just join up in the eye-witness location to report.

judih

[hester_prynne]

Tilly, I understand what you mean by promoting civil society rather than danger...good point, I mean, it's sad, but very true.

The work will make the real difference.

I still tend to overestimate America, sort of a reflex action. Heh. The clarity of the past few years is overwhelming at times for me, like a hammer rudely destroying a good dream I wholeheartedly thought was real. Very confusing at times. Today i'm wondering, how fucking strong do I have to be? or can I be?

I realize I don't even think in "we" much anymore.....

I certainly relish being able to read your posts Tilly, they give me sanity believe it or not. Funny how the truth does that.....

Judih, I hope you do join in with some on-site reporting, I for one would be very interested in reading them.

I admire you both, very much.
I really do.
H