D'vorahDavida
Yetzirah

Sorry, I've been reading you lately and can stay silent no longer.

If you somehow are connecting the Talibans ban on kite-flying with the War on Terror, then it is MY mental faculties that are stretched, failing to grasp this nonsense.

What of the child sex rings and trafficing that happen throughout Southeast Asia, or perhaps even within the United States? What of the female genital mutilations that happens as a matter of course in any number of African nations? What of the some 90% civilian casuality rate in Iraq?

Is none of this terror? Are these things not worthy of notice, while the ban on kite-flying can be used as a ready answer?

Two more points to be made here. 1: There are countless laws and practicises that happen worldwide that are in opposition to what some Americans believe. The idea that it is our business to right the wrongs of these countries is the very policy that gets people hateful enough of our righteousness to do some of the incredulous acts of atrocity we read about daily. Ask yourself if you'd want some other foreign power coming into your neighborhood and exercising its will to right some perceived wrong that it feels YOU may have. In short, don't you think you'd be more than a little mad?

2. Iraq and Afghanistan do indeed have something in common: A very large cash crop. In Afghanistan, it is the largest poppy production in the world, poppies that are turned into Opium and Heroin. Did you know that the output of Afghanistans poppy fields have more than doubled this year, topping last years all-time high? Ask yourself why, if we are so concerned with Drugs, do we allow this? We aren't even trying to stem the tide. Where do you think all the money for the Opium production goes?

A side note to that point is this: The first year the Taliban took control of Afghnaistan, they cut Poppy production down to basically nothing. Our response that next year, coincidentally or not, was to invade and remove them from power. So, now that we occupy part of Afghanistan, somehow Poppy productions are at an all-time high.

And you're sitting here telling me that a ban on kite-flying is a just answer for the war on terror. I would hope that you would reconsider your opinion on these matters. That book you referenced a few days back is full of more holes than swiss cheese, and certainly does not begin to address the much larger game that is being played worldwide. Our righteousness as a nation is transparent and fickle, and given the state of affairs in both of the countries I mentioned above, we certainly have no claim to any righteousness whatsoever.

Forgive the rant, but its been long overdue.

Unbelievable.

Who would want to live that way?

Shalom

Good lord. A ban on kite flying? Hmmmm. I fail to see the evil in that myself. I'm too shocked to say any more.

They used to have kite flying and chasing tournaments before the soviet invasion and then when the taliban took over the people were actually glad and hopping things would be better again.. but not.... I read the book the kite Runner and it is excellent book about this..
And other things about the Afghanistan history the past thirty years.. Very great read.. by Khaled Hosseini.. if you are interested..