I was reading "Revenge of Geography" by Robert Kaplan today. He's one of my favorite writers and this is his new book. This part jumped out at me today in the India chapter.
"As for Afghanistan itself--so central, as we have seen, to India's geopolitical fortunes over the course of history--let us consider it for a moment. It is a country with a life expectancy of forty-four year, with a literacy rate of 28 percent (and far lower than that for women), with only a 9 percent of females attending secondary schools, and with only a fifth of the population enjoying access to potable water. Out of 182 countries Afghanistan ranks next to last on the United Nations' Human Development Index. Iraq, on the eve of the US invasion in 2003, was ranked 130, and its literacy rate is a reasonable 77 percent, so that reducing violence in Greater Baghdad during the troop surge of 2007 had a calming effect on the entire country, in Afghanistan urbanization stands at only 30 percent: meaning that counterinsurgency efforts in one village or region may have no effect on another."
Nothing like a challenge to keep you motivated right?....
I thought it was interesting how this came in the chapter about the Indian subcontinent. I think a lot of people tie AFG more to the Middle East but really it's the blending ground between the Middle East and Hindu Kush cultures. And while Afghanistan struggles with severe underdevelopment and war its place in geography is undeniably important. Regardless of your thoughts on the US "pulling out," some form of engagement will always be necessary in this particular crossroads.
The Revenge of Geography: What the Map Tells Us About Coming Conflicts and the Battle Against Fate
"As for Afghanistan itself--so central, as we have seen, to India's geopolitical fortunes over the course of history--let us consider it for a moment. It is a country with a life expectancy of forty-four year, with a literacy rate of 28 percent (and far lower than that for women), with only a 9 percent of females attending secondary schools, and with only a fifth of the population enjoying access to potable water. Out of 182 countries Afghanistan ranks next to last on the United Nations' Human Development Index. Iraq, on the eve of the US invasion in 2003, was ranked 130, and its literacy rate is a reasonable 77 percent, so that reducing violence in Greater Baghdad during the troop surge of 2007 had a calming effect on the entire country, in Afghanistan urbanization stands at only 30 percent: meaning that counterinsurgency efforts in one village or region may have no effect on another."
Nothing like a challenge to keep you motivated right?....
I thought it was interesting how this came in the chapter about the Indian subcontinent. I think a lot of people tie AFG more to the Middle East but really it's the blending ground between the Middle East and Hindu Kush cultures. And while Afghanistan struggles with severe underdevelopment and war its place in geography is undeniably important. Regardless of your thoughts on the US "pulling out," some form of engagement will always be necessary in this particular crossroads.
The Revenge of Geography: What the Map Tells Us About Coming Conflicts and the Battle Against Fate
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