Right-Wing Crank Denies That Afghans Are Human Beings

To say that tribal Afghans have a vastly different culture than ours is, quite simply, true. Their norms are unlike anything that you will have likely encountered living in the West at all. Tribalism in the extreme, with conflicts lasting longer than the Hatfields and McCoys (and over similar or lesser disagreements) are not uncommon. In southern tribal areas, sexual practices are hypocritical (though, in all honesty, not that much more than most of ours) and certainly different than ours.

However, the language used by Peters was chosen for a very specific reason–to denigrate the Afghans. His intent was clear–to dehumanize them. They are not irreconcilably different from us, but much about what happens in that context is very different than what we expect. We are failing because we are trying to get them to act the way we want them to by going about it the way would another Westerner. It won't work. And that is a genuine policy failure on our part.

Again, his writing is done specifically to dehumanize them, which detracts considerably from the one salient point in his screed: that we are dealing with a vastly different culture, and we are trying to use our societal and social norms to influence their behavior.

Ralph forgets to put the “Sieg Heil” and “White Power” shouts in his printed matter, or else his editors discredit him by their removal.

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Oh, Spencer, Spencer….

Please get a little yellow stick-it note and scribble on it “sleep on it before posting” and stick it on your monitor. This post is absurd even by your standards, and if you have any sense you'll realize that it will only be used against you.

Spencer, you do not have, and most likely never will have, the knowledge, insight, or acumen of Peters. I ask any of your readers to simply look up some of Peters' articles from Parameters in order to investigate for themselves. Start with something simple like “The Plague of Ideas” and compare it to Spencer's incoherent slop.

Well, then there's this moronic post of yours. Where you claim to be so outraged by Peters' claim that Afghans come from a radically different culture, and you find this to be racist. Where you go so far as to claim that Peters is of a different species. Who is the dehumanizing one here?

Oh, and I love the LOLs in your post. Always the sign of a keen, analytical mind.

You have no expertise or knowledge in foreign affairs, military matters, or even history, Spencer. You're merely a simpleton who is to journalism what a small-town DJ of a bad AM oldies station is to “entertainment.” Have read your attempts to talk about places you've never been, I've only become convinced you're so ignorant that you can't even begin to slightly fathom how ignorant you really are.

God help the people that turn to you for information.

Oh, Spencer, Spencer….

Please get a little yellow stick-it note and scribble on it “sleep on it before posting” and stick it on your monitor. This post is absurd even by your standards, and if you have any sense you'll realize that it will only be used against you.

Spencer, you do not have, and most likely never will have, the knowledge, insight, or acumen of Peters. I ask any of your readers to simply look up some of Peters' articles from Parameters in order to investigate for themselves. Start with something simple like “The Plague of Ideas” and compare it to Spencer's incoherent slop.

Well, then there's this moronic post of yours. Where you claim to be so outraged by Peters' claim that Afghans come from a radically different culture, and you find this to be racist. Where you go so far as to claim that Peters is of a different species. Who is the dehumanizing one here?

Oh, and I love the LOLs in your post. Always the sign of a keen, analytical mind.

You have no expertise or knowledge in foreign affairs, military matters, or even history, Spencer. You're merely a simpleton who is to journalism what a small-town DJ of a bad AM oldies station is to “entertainment.” Have read your attempts to talk about places you've never been, I've only become convinced you're so ignorant that you can't even begin to slightly fathom how ignorant you really are.

God help the people that turn to you for information.