Four Positions on Afghanistan

• Position 1: Send more troops for a counterinsurgency strategy

-By David Kilcullen, and Australian counterinsurgency expert
-The Taliban and Al Qaeda pose too large of threat to be allowed to gain control of Afghanistan, so we must send more US and NATO troops to carry out a counterinsurgency strategy.

•  This involves putting a focus on helping the Afghans develop their own security forces and improving their standards of living while protecting them from Taliban intimidation. US forces should interact more with the population, the final goal being to make the population capable of defending themselves against the Taliban. 
• There is no purely military solution, and for this plan to be successful the problem of the Pakistani tribal areas must also be addressed through diplomacy and strengthening Pakistan against the internal. 
• The author, David Kilcullen, summed it up as "Prevent [a Taliban takeover], Protect, Build, and ultimately hand-off to the Afghans."

Position 2: Shift the focus to Pakistan
- Written by Michael A. Cohen and Parag Khanna
-The real fight is not in Afghanistan but rather Pakistan, more specifically the tribal areas. The US should focus its efforts there instead of Afghanistan.

• The authors believe that the Taliban will not be able to gain control of Afghanistan because of the lack of popular support. 
• The military effort in Pakistan has been far more successful that in Afghanistan and most of the Taliban and Al Qaeda leadership are located in PAkistan. Afghanistan is not worth the money and lives being poured into it.
• The US must strengthen the Pakistani government and military so that it becomes capable of clearing the Taliban out of the tribal areas. Drone strikes are the most effective way to eliminate Taliban and Al Qaeda leaders.

Position 3: Focus on regional negotiations instead of military solutions
-Written by Tariq Ali
-Afghanistan has always resisted foreign occupation, so the US has no chance of completing its goal as  stabilizing force. We should focus on creating regional peace initiatives.

• The Taliban continues to grow because people see it as the only way to rid the country of yet another occupation.
•  Instead of military efforts, the focus should be on developing regional pacts that guarantee support for the Afghan government from regional powers such as Russia, Pakistan, India and Iran. Additionally, the US should withdraw all forces and organize a regional pact to ensure Afghan stability for the next ten years. 
• The people of Afghanistan have been exhausted by constant war and would welcome a peace agreement in this form.

Position 4: Withdrawal of US and NATO troops
- Written by George Will
- Afghanistan is not a war that can be won. The US and NATO should withdraw troops and focus on small attacks and raids agains the Taliban and Al Qaeda.

• The US objective are impossible to achieve, and attempting to implement a counterinsurgency strategy would result in engaging hundreds of thousands more troops for a decade or longer. 
• Afghanistan never has had an effective central government and the current administration is littered with corruption. It will never be possible to drive out the Taliban completely and set up a legitimate and strong enough government. 
• The US should base all its operations "offshore" and focus on intelligence, drone attacks along the border with Pakistan,  cruise missiles and small Special Forces operations.

Children of the Taliban

1. Children join the Taliban for several reasons. The first is that from a young age, in their homes and schools or madrassas, they are indoctrinated to support the Taliban. Because Pakistan's public education system has fallen apart, madrassas have filled the void. However these schools only teach religion and the only "textbook" is the Koran. Also, children join the Taliban because they blame the US for the deaths of family members (like the boy whose cousin died in an airstrike) and the Taliban offers an effective means to execute their revenge.

2.The war in Pakistan has caused many children, especially girls, not to be able to attend schools and gain an education. Many children have been displaced due to fighting near their homes and many have also been separated from their parents or orphaned. Most of the children of this generation will enter their adulthood with an education that was limited at best and non-existant in many cases.

3. The offensive by the Pakistani army and US drones has resulted in the deaths of many Taliban, but it has also created much resentment among the general population and therefore increased support for the Taliban in some cases. For example, the video showed a village that had been completely destroyed by the Pakistani army in an attempt to eliminate the Taliban from the area. Currently there is no Taliban there, but families lost their homes, children cannot attend school and many civilians are angry at the army for having destroyed their village. In another part of the video, a teenage boy described how he planned to join the Taliban as a result of his cousins death. His cousin died as a result of a US drone airstrike which succeeded in it's goal of killing a Taliban official, but has also resulted in the Taliban being able to recruit more fighters.

4.The Taliban continues to grow by recruiting and indoctrinating children at a very young age (5, 6, 7 years old) to support the Taliban at any cost and to sacrifice themselves for the cause. The Taliban also use US air strikes as an opportunity to recruit new fighters and fear to keep those who have not joined them under control. Older people join the Taliban because it seems like their best option, and it is an opportunity to die as a martyr. Due to the clash of Islam and western civilizations, the Taliban has become an outlet for people who feel mistreated by the policies of other countries, especially the US.

"War Briefing" and Obama's Speech

Major problems faced by the US in Afghanistan:

1) Lack of soldiers and resources. Troops often have to operate from small and isolated outposts with limited air support. They do not have the manpower to gain and maintain control of large areas, especially in the mountains, so troops stay based in small areas and take enemy fire regularly, and whenever they are on patrol. This situation is mostly caused by the lack of troops.

2) The Taliban regularly cross the border into Pakistan's tribal areas to escape from American troops. The US does not have permission to extend it's military operations into Pakistan, so the tribal areas have become a safe haven for Taliban fighters. Adding to this problem, Pakistan's effort to gain control of the tribal areas and eliminate the Taliban has been half-hearted at best through most of the war. Although Pakistan is now mounting the pressure on the Taliban, they have entrenched themselves very firmly into the tribal areas.

3) The Taliban has used fear to keep the people of Afghanistan from lending their full support to American troops. The Taliban tell the people that if they help the Americans, they will be killed and they follow through on these threats. The US does not have the capability to instill this kind of fear because the troops try to avoid killing civilians and do not hold public executions and acts meant solely to inspire fear in the population. The people of Afghanistan are then caught between helping the Americans and suffering through torture or being killed, or not telling American troops anything and only suffering frustration and anger from American troops. It is very understandable that in this case they choose not help American troops.

4) American forces also face difficulty in establishing a government capable of running the country after American troops leave. Hamid Karzai's government has been accused of fraud and rigging elections, which makes it difficult to convince the people of Afghanistan to give the government the support it needs. Additionally, these accusations make it more difficult for Afghanistan to attract the foreign investors it needs to begin to rebuild the economy.

The US plan in Afghanistan:
1) The strategy outlined by President Obama is as follows: 30,000 additional troops will be sent to Afghanistan, the first of which will arrive shortly after Christmas. The plan is to have all 30,000 in Afghanistan by June 2010. In 18 months, American troops will begin to withdraw, however, the 18 month mark will only signal the beginning of a withdrawal. Mr. Obama did not set out a specific timetable for the withdrawal. The additional troops will be used to secure and protect large population centers so that it we can train the Afghan army to the point that they are capable of taking over from American and coalition troops to maintain control of the country and combat the Taliban. Beyond increasing troop levels, the American government will put increased pressure on the Afghani government to combat corruption as well as the drug trade. Pressure will also be put on Pakistan to combat the Taliban and Al Quaeda that are based in Pakistan.

2) I believe that the plan laid out is the best plan considering the current situation. This war has gone on long enough, and I am skeptical that it is a war that can be "won". However, pulling out of Afghanistan now would only further destabilize the region. 30,000 additional troops will help to stabilize the country. Also, putting a priority on training Afghan troops will help in the goal of creating a stable enough nation that the US can pull out entirely with confidence. Pressuring the Afghan and Pakistani governments to step up their efforts is a very necessary step, because corruption and the drug trade are a huge issue in Afghanistan that will most likely take years to fully get under control, this means that the Afghan government needs to learn how to deal with them. Putting pressure on Pakistan to deal with the Taliban on their side of the border is essential to stabilizing both countries and defeating the Taliban.

Religions Quizzes

1. On the Spiritual Type Quiz I scored a 46, so I am an "Active Spiritual Seeker" which means that I am spiritual but turned off by organized religion

2. Here are my top 10 religions according to the Belief-O-Matic Quiz.

1. Unitarian Universalism (100%)
2. Neo-Pagan (96%)
3. Liberal Quakers (86%)
4. New Age (83%)
5. Secular Humanism (83%)
6. Mahayana Buddhism (75%)
7.Theravada Buddhism (68%)
8. Mainline to Liberal Christian Protestants (68%)
9. Taoism (64%)
10. Reform Judaism (61%)

Part 3. On the Spiritual Type Quiz I scored a 46, so I am an "Active Spiritual Seeker" which means that I am spiritual but turned off by organized religion. This is pretty accurate. I don't think much about religion, and when I do, it is more in a very general sense than about the particulars. I don't like being told what to think about something, especially something that no one really knows the answer to. After the discussion in class today, I think that I am a person who wants to find the answers I believe in for myself, instead of being pigeon-holed into a set of rigid "truths". That being said, I do believe that there is some kind of force larger than life. I don't think this force ever intervenes in our lives, it is just there. I would maybe describe it as the essence of life - it exists in everything and encompasses everything. I don't have a very clear and defined idea of what I believe, but I do have a very strong feeling of right and wrong, of what I think is moral behavior.


The results I got for the Belief-O-Matic quiz actually seem pretty accurate. There were many questions that I struggled to answer because I rarely ever think about them. Religion is not a big part of my life, and so it took me a while to think about them. I am actually glad that the quiz made me really think, because otherwise I wouldn’t even consider some of the things I have been thinking about lately. It’s interesting. I have heard of some, but not all of the religions that came up in my list. I am not really surprised with any of them. That’s not to mean I was expecting what I got, but after looking into each of them, they do fit me, each in a slightly different way.

This is the description of Mahayana Buddhism given by the survey:

Mahayana Buddhism includes diverse beliefs, various sects, schools, and trends. The main Mahayana sects include Pure Land, Zen, and Vajrayana (or Tantric) Buddhism. We focus here on some of the traditional elements of Mahayana Buddhism.

Belief in Deity
Mahayana Buddhism (like Theravada Buddhism) posits no Creator or ruler God. However, deity belief is present in the Mahayana doctrine of The Three Bodies (forms) of Buddha: (1) Body of Essence--the indescribable, impersonal Absolute Reality, or Ultimate Truth that is Nirvana (Infinite Bliss); (2) Body of Bliss or Enjoyment--Buddha as divine, deity, formless, celestial spirit with saving power of grace, omnipotence, omniscience; and (3) Body of Transformation or Emanation--an illusion or emanation in human form provided by the divine Buddha to guide humans to Enlightenment. Any person can potentially achieve Buddhahood, transcending personality and becoming one with the impersonal Ultimate Reality, which is Infinite Bliss (Nirvana). There are countless Buddhas presiding over countless universes. Bodhisattvas--humans and celestial spirits who sacrifice their imminent liberation (Buddhahood) to help all others to become liberated--are revered or worshipped as gods or saints by some.

• Incarnations
The historic Buddha, the person Siddhartha Gautama, is considered by many as an emanation or illusion of the highest power (which is also called Buddha). Many believe there have been countless Buddhas on earth.

• Origin of Universe and Life
No Creator God. All matter is illusion or manifestation of the Ultimate Reality. Generally, Mahayana Buddhist beliefs don't find modern scientific discoveries contradictory to Buddhist thought.

• After Death
There is no transmigration of individual souls, but through the law of karma, one's wholesome or unwholesome intentions become imprinted in the mind. Negative mental states persist through continual rebirth until one's intentions become wholesome. Once fully enlightened, one is liberated from rebirths, reaching a state of absolute selflessness resulting in ultimate bliss called Nirvana--the "Deathless State." One becomes Buddha (or one with Buddha). Some Buddhists, especially modern Western, don't emphasize or believe in literal rebirth.

• Why Evil?
People have free will to commit wrongs. Evil results as cravings, attachments, and ignorance accumulate through perpetual rebirths, thus perpetuating greed, hatred, and violence. 

• Salvation
The goal is enlightenment, leading to Nirvana--liberation from cycles of rebirth and suffering--which is life. All are already endowed with Buddha-nature but need to come to realize fully that only the Ultimate Reality (the great "void" or "emptiness") is real (or nonconditional) and permanent. The Four Noble Truths and Eightfold Path show the way, along with worship of the essential Buddha. One must work to extinguish self: All worldly cravings, desires, and attachments, through loving-kindness, compassion, charity, moral conduct, wisdom, and meditation. Renouncing worldly possessions and goals is not necessary for the laity, if balanced. Buddha taught the middle path, moderation. Human and spirit world Bodhisattvas are sought for help in gaining enlightenment. Pure Land Mahayana Buddhists aim to find a place of eternal Nirvana in a paradisiacal Pure Land, attainable by calling out the name of the Buddha ruler of the Pure Land.

• Undeserved Suffering
Life is suffering. Suffering results from this and past life greed, hatred, and ignorance, which, unless mitigated, returns as suffering (karma). Intense suffering may be viewed as the release of karma, hastening one's liberation. Suffering is illusion or ignorance of one's true nature as Buddha.

• Contemporary Issues
Abortion is considered murder, and all violent acts cause horrific karmic consequence. Homosexuality in itself is not specifically condemned by scripture, but opinions vary, especially among various Buddhist cultures--e.g., American Buddhists are generally very accepting, while Asian Buddhists are generally strongly opposed to homosexuality. It is believed that divorce wouldn't occur if one follows Buddhist precepts, but a couple is not condemned if they separate due to vast personal differences. Gender roles are generally traditional (e.g. women are child caretakers and men are providers), but are growing less rigid as society inflicts more and more contemporary demands (e.g. women working in increasing numbers).

Part 4.

Mahayana Buddhists believe that enlightenment can be reached within a single lifetime, and that people from every walk of life can achieve this. In contrast with Theraveda Buddhism, the goal of Mahayana is the enlightenment of all beings. The best thing one can do is to become a Boddhisattva, someone who puts off reaching nirvana in order to help others find enlightenment. Also, Mahayana Buddhists hope to enable all beings to reach enlightenment together. Striving only for personal enlightenment is selfish. The thinking is that if one is truly selfless, you would not be able to bear the thought of only yourself reaching enlightenment – you would want every other being to reach enlightenment too, so that I what each person should strive for.
Like all other forms of Buddhism, life is regarded as suffering.


There are four main characterizations of Mahayana Buddhism.
a) Universalism – everyone will reach total enlightenment eventually. Everyone will become a Buddha
b) Boddhicitta – striving for personal enlightenment is too narrow a goal. One should instead strive to liberate all beings as well as oneself. There are six virtues of the Boddhisattva: generosity, morality, patience, energy, meditation and wisdom.
c) Compassion – This is the concept that merit that is acquired can be transmitted to others.
d) Transcendental Immanence – the immortal Buddha-Nature is present in every being.

There are three forms of the Bhudda
1) The Dharma-Body - The Inner Nature of the Buddha. This is the absolute reality, the basic consciousness of existence.
2) Body of Bliss – The Bhuddha that can only be experienced spiritually. It has no tangible presence, but is the manifestation of the absolute reality.
3) Physical Body – The physical manifestations of Buddha, such as Guatama Buddha. The purpose of these is to spread Dharma (ultimate truth) into the world.

This religion fits my worldview less than I expected before doing research. Although there are several parts I like, or agree with, there are some I do not like.

I like the ideal that each person should strive for not only their own enlightenment but the enlightenment of all beings. It fits with what I guess would be called my universalistic beliefs. Along with that goes the belief that in the end, everyone will achieve enlightenment. I think each person has a different path, and no two paths are the same, nor is one path (in the end) better than another. It is not for me to decide how others should live.

I also agree with the concept of Transcendental Immanence – that the Buddha-Nature is present in and encompasses all beings. Compassion is crucial to Mahayana Buddhism, and I believe that compassion is one of the most important traits a person can have.

On the other hand, I disagree with the mentality that all life is suffering. It is too pessimistic a worldview for me, and it doesn’t fit with my experiences. I try to find the joy in life, because I have a life to live, and I refuse to spend that time fighting against “illusions” and “suffering”. Suffering is real, yes, and caused by humans (as is evil) but there is far more to life than misery in my opinion. I believe more can be achieved if we see our lives as a way to spread happiness than as suffering that has to be escaped. I do not believe in literal rebirths. My idea of the afterlife is actually that after death, the soul becomes a part of everything, that every piece, every atom of consciousness is spread through the world and lives in everything. Now that I’ve written this, it actually parallels to the Buddha-nature being part of everything. So you could say that I believe that once one reaches enlightenment, the soul become one with Buddha. I have veered slightly off topic, but I find these trains of thought extremely interesting.

All in all these surveys were a very enlightening experience, and they really made me think a lot.

Preconcieved notions

It is important to study history because those who do not know history are bound to repeat it. And history is riddled with mistakes I would not like to see repeated. It's important to study Asia because it is a huge, diverse, complicated and interesting continent. Soon there will be more english speaking people in China than anywhere else. We should at the very least understand their history. Asia is far more diverse than many realize, and its only through studying it that we can better understand it. You cant just stare at a map and learn everything you need to know. Likewise for the stereotypes we are exposed to everyday. An education can't be based on stereotypes and generalizations, it has to debunk them.

We need to be aware of our own biases toward the cultures of other countries, because if we just think of things things as "weird"instead of trying to understand why they are the way they are we are depriving ourselves of a better understanding of their culture. You can't just dismiss the beliefs of millions, even billions of people simply because it doesn't fit with what you believe or what you percive to be normal and acceptable.

Assignment #1

I took the geography quiz. Got 80%. That's not bad considering I've realized how little I actually know about Asia and Asian cultures. Both History and English have brought this fact to the surface. However, I am getting better at remembering where everything is, and drawing the map freehand is really helping.