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The Jonathan Dolhenty Archive |
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Kabul in Winter: Life without Peace in Afghanistan by Ann Jones Metropolitan Books - March 2006
Reviewed by Dr. Jonathan Dolhenty This book about contemporary life in Afghanistan after the American-led bombing and alleged "defeat" of the Taliban may delight some readers, especially those highly critical of the Bush administration and its adventures into "regime-change," while it may incense other readers who are supportive of the President in his drive to combat international terrorism. I say this because there is little doubt about where author Ann Jones, an award-winning journalist and women's rights activist, stands regarding George Bush's presidency, programs, policies, and politics. She is decisively negative. One doesn't get past the first page without realizing this. A New Yorker herself, she saw the President come to that city shortly after the attack on the World Trade Center. In her own words, "I'd seen George W. Bush come to town to strut and bluster among the ruins, and as I watched him lug the stunned country into violence, my sorrow turned to anger and a bone-deep disappointment that hasn't left me yet." I do appreciate a writer who puts his or her personal bias right upfront because it makes it easier for me to evaluate what the writer has to say from that point forward. The reader of Kabul in Winter immediately has some insight into the author's perspective and that's important, especially so since Jones is mostly relating personal experiences within the context of her journey in Afghanistan. And, like all personal experiences, there is always an idiosyncratic component which is subject to interpretation. Readers should be aware that Jones is on the "Left" side of the political spectrum and views the situations and events in the world today through a pair of "modern liberal" spectacles. This does not mean she should be ignored by those with more conservative leanings or who are on the "Right" side of the political spectrum. Indeed, I think it's important for those who may disagree with her political leanings to read what she has to say. The modern world is a very complex place -- socially, politically, economically -- contrary to those who tend to think in terms of only "black or white," "right or wrong," or some other such dichotomous category. In my opinion, both the Left and the Right on the political spectrum are too often guilty of framing everything as if one side or the other possessed a morally superior position. Jones does, I think, maintain a judicious attitude toward what she experienced in Afghanistan, even though some readers might find fault with her criticism of how things are actually working out in that country as a result of the "aid" which it is getting from the United States and other countries. The one reviewer who claims she has "a nostalgia for the old Soviet occupation of Afghanistan" is being unfair, I think, because all she did say was that some things were better under the Soviet occupation "compared" to a previous situation. This may be indicative of that "black or white" sort of thinking we often see from ideological partisans. Kabul in Winter does provide an interesting short history of the past conflicts in Afghanistan, much of which I had not known and I'm sure most American readers will find enlightening. One of the problems which American leaders seem to always suffer from when it comes to international affairs is ignorance of the sociopolitical and cultural-religious context of the countries which they decide to "help," or bring about "regime change" in, or, please excuse me here, "invade." Such is the case with Afghanistan and, unfortunately, also with Iraq, where obviously American troops were not met with flowers and songs of thanks for liberation and where we are now entrenched in a sectarian conflict with no end in sight. Similarly in Afghanistan; any sort of "democratic" government in that nation is, I'm afraid, far off in the future -- if at all. Sorry to say, there is no such thing as "instant-democracy," although American political leaders would wish otherwise. "Rose-colored" spectacles seem to be passed out to everyone in any American presidential administration, Republican or Democrat. As I said above, and now particularly in reference to Afghanistan, the modern world is a very complex place. As most American readers of this book will soon realize, the stories that the author details within the three venues she concentrates on (the streets, the prisons, the schools) are anything but simple revelations of ordinary and normal life-experiences. It is important for American readers to realize that most of them have never experienced situations such as Jones narrates. For instance, the attitude toward and treatment of women in Afghanistan (and in the Islamic religion in general) would not be tolerated in the United States, even though our country's record in the past regarding this matter has not been exactly exemplary. The final word on Afghanistan -- or Iraq, for that matter -- is not yet in. In fact, it will probably be years before anyone can adequately evaluate the success of either situation. Ann Jones, however, does provide us with some insights into the current situation in Afghanistan, as she experienced it, and, even though some of us may take issue with some of her analyses and criticisms, she deserves to be heard. This is not a scholarly work but a personal reflection, although Jones does provide some detailed documentation in the notes at the end of her book. Furthermore, I think it is important to keep in mind that even those with whom we may disagree about specific political programs and policies may be right some of the time. What Jones experienced in her Afghanistan adventure are her "facts" and I am not prepared to deny them to her. The "interpretation" of those facts within the larger context of our current war on terrorism is another thing. But we would be doing a disservice to ourselves if we did not listen to what Jones has to say. 
Order at Amazon.com Kabul in Winter: Life without Peace in Afghanistan, by Ann Jones |
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Enrich your life with a book about politics and current events... Enrich your political & social life with a politics or news magazine... |
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