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scot47
Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343
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Sashadroogie
Joined: 17 Apr 2007 Posts: 11061 Location: Moskva, The Workers' Paradise
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Posted: Sat Jan 26, 2013 8:51 pm Post subject: |
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Dalrymple - a cracking writer. His 'From the Holy Mountain' is a wonderful read. Thanks for bring this title to my attention, Scott. |
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Sashadroogie
Joined: 17 Apr 2007 Posts: 11061 Location: Moskva, The Workers' Paradise
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Posted: Sat Jan 26, 2013 8:54 pm Post subject: |
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Pity it's too late for the Pentagon boys... |
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Qaaolchoura
Joined: 10 Oct 2008 Posts: 539 Location: 21 miles from the Syrian border
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Posted: Sat Jan 26, 2013 9:21 pm Post subject: |
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You know, history teaches us that it is in fact possible to conquer Afghanistan. Now Genghis Khan and Tamerlane did it by building mounds of skulls, which isn't all that acceptable in this modern day and age. Alexander did it by full-scale nation-building and incorporating the country into his empire, and I don't think we have the time or patience for that. That leaves the Arabs. Looking at the Wikipedia article on the Islamic conquest of Afghanistan, it seems that the Arabs had the same problems we had, what with the Hindu/Buddhist inhabitants not all that fond of being forcibly converted to Islam. But they played the long game, and look what the wrought: the most staunchly orthodox Islamist country outside of Saudi Arabia.
Clearly History teaches us Baby Bush's problem with attempting to plant liberal democracy in foreign soil is that he focused on the wrong country (Iraq). Well, that and he backed Mr. Karzai after it became clear that the man was corrupt, incompetent, and only even plausibly the "good guy" when compared to the hand-chopping, woman-hating, Buddha-bombing Taliban.
~Q |
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spiral78
Joined: 05 Apr 2004 Posts: 11534 Location: On a Short Leash
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Posted: Sat Jan 26, 2013 9:23 pm Post subject: |
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What a shrub!! |
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artemisia
Joined: 04 Nov 2008 Posts: 875 Location: the world
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Posted: Sat Jan 26, 2013 9:59 pm Post subject: |
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Qaaolchoura wrote: |
Clearly History teaches us Baby Bush's problem with attempting to plant liberal democracy in foreign soil is that he focused on the wrong country (Iraq). |
I hope you haven�t forgotten all about the Axis. I haven�t:
http://www.ebaumsworld.com/video/watch/320224/
�You mess with Texas and it�s straight to the Axis of Evil. Got it?�
Didn�t Hussein mess with Bush�s daddy? |
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Sashadroogie
Joined: 17 Apr 2007 Posts: 11061 Location: Moskva, The Workers' Paradise
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Posted: Sun Jan 27, 2013 6:21 am Post subject: |
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Alexander the Great subdued the Afghans with as much genocide as the Khans later did.
What does a 'staunchly orthodox Islamic country' mean, anyone know? |
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Cool Teacher
Joined: 18 May 2009 Posts: 930 Location: Here, There and Everywhere! :D
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Posted: Sun Jan 27, 2013 5:52 pm Post subject: |
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Hay! That looks like an interesting book and I think there is some stuff aboutt eh famous explorer Alexnader Brunes!
If you want to read a great book about the same war then I recommend "Flashman" which is a ficitonal book and not a real hisotry but you can learn a lot about the war from reading it.
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scot47
Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343
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Posted: Sun Jan 27, 2013 8:10 pm Post subject: |
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"Flashman" was written by another Scot ! |
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johnslat
Joined: 21 Jan 2003 Posts: 13859 Location: Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA
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Posted: Sun Jan 27, 2013 9:17 pm Post subject: |
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Dear scot47,
Good heavens - you mean that there are TWO of you? Yikes.
Regards,
John |
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scot47
Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343
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Posted: Sun Jan 27, 2013 9:58 pm Post subject: |
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3, and counting. Dalrymple is a Scot too - although an anglisced aristocrat who lives in New Delhi |
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Cool Teacher
Joined: 18 May 2009 Posts: 930 Location: Here, There and Everywhere! :D
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Posted: Mon Jan 28, 2013 6:21 am Post subject: |
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scot47 wrote: |
3, and counting. Dalrymple is a Scot too - although an anglisced aristocrat who lives in New Delhi |
And Burnes was a Scot! OMG! 4 Great Scotts!
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Qaaolchoura
Joined: 10 Oct 2008 Posts: 539 Location: 21 miles from the Syrian border
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Posted: Mon Jan 28, 2013 8:15 pm Post subject: |
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Sashadroogie wrote: |
Alexander the Great subdued the Afghans with as much genocide as the Khans later did. |
Really? I never learned that in any book I read. Have any good recs for that period Sash?
Sashadroogie wrote: |
What does a 'staunchly orthodox Islamic country' mean, anyone know? |
I mean a country where both the bad guys and the "good guys" stick to a pretty strict interpretation of Islamic law (at least where it doesn't interfere with the money-making), and where this seems to reflect underlying popular bias in favor of orthodox Sunni Islam. Well, I suppose the Hazaras are Shia, but then, you know how the rest of the country feels about them.
~Q |
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scot47
Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343
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Posted: Mon Jan 28, 2013 10:16 pm Post subject: |
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Not sure that the words "orthodox" and "Islam" collocate well ! |
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Sashadroogie
Joined: 17 Apr 2007 Posts: 11061 Location: Moskva, The Workers' Paradise
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Posted: Tue Jan 29, 2013 7:32 am Post subject: |
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Yes, Scot, that's my point. Unfortunate associations with totally different belief systems.
Anyway, Qaaolchoura, some books I have read recently about 'Aleksandr the Macadonian', as the Russians call him, are:
Alexander the Great, by Paul Cartledge
Alexander the Great: Death of a God, by Paul Doherty
Alexander the Great, by Norman Cantor
The Legendary Adventures of Alexander the Great, published by Penguin Epics
The first in the list is the most interesting, I thought. However, I cannot recall which of them detailed Alexander's naughty deeds in Afghanistan, or even if it was those books that did. Sadly, very little of the way of primary documentation, so a lot of speculation is to be found in any book about him. But, think about it - how else is a megalomaniac going to deal with unrepentant guerilla fighters? Wipe out a half dozen villages, then the next half dozen may think twice about getting restive.
On a lighter note, the BBC documentary by Michael Wood is hugely enjoyable. Enjoy!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CrTS4O25Jow |
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