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<div class="entry-date">October 04, 2012<br>
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<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://www.counterpunch.org/2012/10/04/the-humiliation-of-can-do-american-boys/">http://www.counterpunch.org/2012/10/04/the-humiliation-of-can-do-american-boys/</a><br>
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<div class="subheadlinestyle">Turning the Tables in Afghanistan</div>
<h1 class="article-title">The Humiliation of Can-Do American Boys</h1>
<div class="mainauthorstyle">by WILLIAM BLUM</div>
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<p>In Afghanistan, the US military has tried training sessions,
embedded cultural advisers, recommended reading lists, and even a video
game designed to school American troops in local custom. But 11 years
into the war, NATO troops and Afghan soldiers are still beset by a
dangerous lack of cultural awareness, officials say, contributing to a
string of attacks by Afghan police and soldiers against their military
partners. Fifty-one coalition troops have been killed this year by
their Afghan counterparts. While some insider attacks have been
attributed to Taliban infiltrators, military officials say the majority
stem from personal disputes and misunderstandings.</p>
<p>So the Afghan army is trying something new, most likely with
American input: a guide to the strange ways of the American soldier.
The goal is to convince Afghan troops that when their Western
counterparts do something deeply insulting, it’s likely a product of
cultural ignorance and not worthy of revenge. The pamphlet they’ve
produced includes the following advice:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>“Please do not get offended if you see a NATO member blowing
his/her nose in front of you.”</p>
<p>“When Coalition members get excited, they may show their
excitement by patting one another on the back or the behind. They may
even do this to you if they are proud of the job you’ve done. Once
again, they don’t mean to offend you.”</p>
<p>“When someone feels comfortable in your presence, they may even
put their feet on their own desk while speaking with you. They are by
no means trying to offend you. They simply don’t know or have forgotten
the Afghan custom.” (Pointing the soles of one’s shoes at someone is
considered a grievous insult in Afghanistan.)</p>
<p>The guide also warns Afghan soldiers that Western troops might
wink at them or inquire about their female relatives or expose their
private parts while showering — all inappropriate actions by Afghan
standards.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Hmmm. I wonder if the manual advises telling Afghan soldiers that
urinating on dead Afghan bodies, cutting off fingers, and burning the
Koran are all nothing more than good ol’ Yankee customs, meaning no
offense of course.</p>
<p>And does it point out that no Afghan should be insulted by being
tortured in an American military prison since the same is done at home
to American prisoners.</p>
<p>Most importantly, the Afghan people must be made to understand that
bombing them, invading them, and occupying them for 11 years are all
for their own good. It’s called “freedom and democracy”.</p>
<p>I almost feel sorry for the American military in Afghanistan.
They’re “can-do” Americans, accustomed to getting their way, habituated
to thinking of themselves as the best, expecting the world to share
that sentiment, and they’re frustrated as hell, unable to figure out
“why they hate us”, why we can’t win them over, why we can’t at least
wipe them out. Don’t they want freedom and democracy? … They’re can-do
Americans, using good ol’ American know-how and Madison Avenue savvy,
sales campaigns, public relations, advertising, selling the US brand,
just like they do it back home; employing media experts, psychologists,
even anthropologists … and nothing helps. And how can it if the product
you’re selling is toxic, inherently, from birth, if you’re ruining your
customers’ lives, with no regard for any kind of law or morality,
health or environment. They’re can-do Americans, used to playing by the
rules — theirs; and they’re frustrated as hell.</p>
<p><em><strong>William Blum</strong> is the author of <a
href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1567512526/counterpunchmaga"
onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','http://www.amazon.com']);">Killing
Hope: U.S. Military and CIA Interventions Since World War II</a>, <a
href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1567511945/counterpunchmaga"
onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','http://www.amazon.com']);">Rogue
State: a guide to the World’s Only Super Power</a> and <a
href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1887128727/counterpunchmaga"
onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','http://www.amazon.com']);">West-Bloc
Dissident: a Cold War Political Memoir</a>. He can be reached at: <a
href="mailto:%20BBlum6@aol.com">BBlum6@aol.com</a></em></p>
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