Taliban offensive of 2021 and collapse of Afghan government.

9/11 was the moment the world began to end.
Yeah, history seems like a never ending loop at this point, we always end up back at the same place. I’m sure someone could sperg an explanation about late modernity or something but it seems that everything now is frozen glass.
 
That's one of the things the modern west is utterly divorced from. The reality of death, the Taliban are not. They don't fear dying, and consider it an honor and a blessing to die for Allah.

Modern westerners cling to life until the last possible second, lives which are as empty as their souls, yet as bloated as their stomachs.
 
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Ok, I think I have a great solution. We cede Afghanistan San Fransisco in exchange for Kabul. Since the count of US civilians in Afghanistan was around 10,000 that means there are probably more US citizens there than in San Fransico. Also everyone shits on the street, meaning the Taliban will not have to do too much to adapt. They will feel right at home with all the gay bathhouses, and they are conveniently located near LA, meaning they can count on hollywood pedophile dollars to help boost their economy. It also provides a comfortable place for the Chinese and the Taliban to negotiate the fire sale of their resources to the chicoms and since chinese nationals own half the city anyway, they will feel right at home.
 
That's one of the things the modern west is utterly divorced from. The reality of death, the Taliban are not. They don't fear dying, and consider it an honor and a blessing to die for Allah.

Modern westerners cling to life until the last possible second, lives which are as empty as their souls, yet as bloated as their stomachs.
I think you have this entirely the wrong way around. The real reason Islamist groups like the Taliban don't fear death is because they treat life with indifference, whereas Westerners view life as something which ought to be enjoyed and valued for it's own sake, and thus something to be preserved and respected.

I've seen many displays of Western masochism in light of the recent events in Afghanistan, but this particular trope is completely tired and backwards. Islamists and their sympathizers have long sought to paint the West as decadent and devoid of purpose, and themselves as noble and courageous by contrast, but the truth is the opposite: the reason Western powers ever made a point of upholding concepts such as human rights, democracy, free expression, and pluralism (despite the cynical objections from naysayers), is precisely because we believe in something noble: we believe that life is worth living, and that we have a constructive purpose in this life.

The Islamists, by contrast, subscribe to a nihilistic ideology of destruction and decay: they long for a world which is stagnant and cultureless; completely devoid of art, philosophy, music, entertainment, love, humor, or sympathy. In other words, groups like the Taliban long for a world where life is not worth living, which may go some way to explain their casual indifference to it.
 
I think you have this entirely the wrong way around. The real reason Islamist groups like the Taliban don't fear death is because they treat life with indifference, whereas Westerners view life as something which ought to be enjoyed and valued for it's own sake, and thus something to be preserved and respected.

I've seen many displays of Western masochism in light of the recent events in Afghanistan, but this particular trope is completely tired and backwards. Islamists and their sympathizers have long sought to paint the West as decadent and devoid of purpose, and themselves as noble and courageous by contrast, but the truth is the opposite: the reason Western powers ever made a point of upholding concepts such as human rights, democracy, free expression, and pluralism (despite the cynical objections from naysayers), is precisely because we believe in something noble: we believe that life is worth living, and that we have a constructive purpose in this life.

The Islamists, by contrast, subscribe to a nihilistic ideology of destruction and decay: they long for a world which is stagnant and cultureless; completely devoid of art, philosophy, music, entertainment, love, humor, or sympathy. In other words, groups like the Taliban long for a world where life is not worth living, which may go some way to explain their casual indifference to it.
Okay I gotta disagree here. And not because I’m just stanning the Taliban.

Western society values life, but only in the sense of life as opposed to being a corpse. It doesn’t value a meaningful life, a spiritual life, or even a fulfilling life. Just base hedonism and empty promises of self actualization(that never materialize).

The Taliban can tell their followers why they ought to get out of bed in the morning, why they ought not commit suicide or OD. The west can’t. All it can say is “uh you do you, just uh don’t you know uh like uh break unspoken norms and don’t like hurt anybody else without a safe word, wait that isn’t enough? Well sure yeah totally end your life, that’s your call fam”

So yes the modern West places a premium on life, but the life it values is devoid of content, only being alive, not truly living,
 
Makes me think of the lost Chinese tourist who got processed as a refugee in Germany.




I hate people losing their shit over a bad flu. ("But muh respirators!" you know what kills people with the flu? DEhydration. You know what killer #2 is? Pneumonia. Fuck modern spineless bubble people.)
But to play devils advocate:
1) Olds are the primary group dying from COVID, there aren't many olds in Afghanistan.
2) much lower population density
3) Much higher population isolation - that is the local population pockets don't interact or intermingle very much.
4) Higer elevation, more UV exposure. Slightly higher rates of virus destruction in the natural environment.

Basically while healthcare is almost nonexistent, they have nearly everything in their favor to slow the spread.

You forgot the most important parts;

1. Obesity = 3%
2. Diabetes = lol whats that
 
The Islamists, by contrast, subscribe to a nihilistic ideology of destruction and decay: they long for a world which is stagnant and cultureless; completely devoid of art, philosophy, music, entertainment, love, humor, or sympathy.
Sounds like the West is hurtling toward s gay and retarded version of that. Lockdowns where it's illegal to see loved ones even if they are catching their last breaths, the destruction of culture and history not sanctioned by the global corporations, the demand that you do not think for yourself and instead let the "experts" do all the thinking, censorship abound of not just internet posts but of art as well if you use streaming services. On top of that, all of these things have encouraged people, particularly young people who have potential, to kill themselves more often now, because they see living in this society as worse than dying.
 
It seems like the Taliban has various helicopters functional and are teaching themselves how to pilot them at Kandahar Airport.
View attachment 2480591

Getting them up in the air is the easy bit. Landing them back on the ground, not so much.

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Kabul 2021





 
Okay I gotta disagree here. And not because I’m just stanning the Taliban.

Western society values life, but only in the sense of life as opposed to being a corpse. It doesn’t value a meaningful life, a spiritual life, or even a fulfilling life. Just base hedonism and empty promises of self actualization(that never materialize).

The Taliban can tell their followers why they ought to get out of bed in the morning, why they ought not commit suicide or OD. The west can’t. All it can say is “uh you do you, just uh don’t you know uh like uh break unspoken norms and don’t like hurt anybody else without a safe word, wait that isn’t enough? Well sure yeah totally end your life, that’s your call fam”

So yes the modern West places a premium on life, but the life it values is devoid of content, only being alive, not truly living,
I think the point is that life is what you make of it. The fact remains that Western society provides a far better opportunity for a meaningful and constructive life than the illusory substitute promised by the Taliban, and the results speak for themselves: which society would you rather live in?

There are far more people in the West who are happy to be alive, who have jobs and careers, who start families, and who would take offence at the suggestion that their life is meaningless, than there are those who would rather choose to give up and commit suicide.
 
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