Brilliant cartoon from 2010…
August 23, 2021
Jeffrey Sachs is professor and director of the Center for Sustainable Development at Columbia University. He’s a leading intellectual on global economic affairs in general and sustainable development in particular.
Here he chooses the unusual way of communicating: Instead of going into a lot of “academic” issues and dimensions of the US-led war on Afghanistan since 2001, he characterises the underlying mentality, decision quality and level of knowledge by using the word “stupidity” a number of times.
And that’s what this US policy has been: stupid. Repeatedly stupid.
We find it important that people proven excellent intellectuals do not feel that they have to separate the personal and academia and feel free to express themselves in plain language – indicating also, of course, a sense of frustration and anger over that very ignorance . . . stupidity and its tragic human consequences.
Perhaps that style of communication stands a better chance to make people wake up?
Jeffrey Sachs on the stupidity of the US war on Afghanistan added by JO on
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Very important that he stresses the US involvement starting 40 years ago. Much of the Western reporting acts as though the history of Afghanistan started on 9/11. I don’t agree that the critical question is investment in civil infrastructure alone. What is really required is knowledge about and respect for other peoples traditions and national pride. The US only understands its own exceptionalist mythology.
Many thanks, Andreas – you are right that this is such an important time perspective. I’ve emphasised the same in my recent writing – because 9/11 was only a pretext and not a cause. Of course!
It is so sad that instead of learning a lesson from 40 years of failure in wars & confrontations and reversing this catastrophic policy, Biden officials stress that the withdrawal from Afghanistan was part of a “much broader, carefully considered strategic shift,” to the Asia-Pacific. From frying pan into fire!
Many many thanks, dear Farhang! We must move on and not lose hope. There will be a fundamental change soon.
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