

Once Upon a Time in Afghanistan - splat
http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2010/05/27/once_upon_a_time_in_afghanistan?page=full

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pope52
Along these lines:

 _Two pictures of the same location in Kabul, Afghanistan. The first one was
taken 40 years ago:_

<http://kuvaton.com/kuvei/kabul_1970_then_now_2010.jpg>

Also: [http://kabulaus.files.wordpress.com/2009/06/darulaman-
then-a...](http://kabulaus.files.wordpress.com/2009/06/darulaman-then-and-
now.jpg)

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brc
When I see stories and images like this, 2 things cross my mind: 1) How much
human potential has been lost? Did a mortar kill a future Einstein, did a
small kid who had the potential to cure cancer end up in the Taliban forces
and radicalised? 2) How fine the line is that most societies tread between
being functional and dysfunctional. We all think it could never happen to us,
when the last 60 years has seen many societies reduced to rubble and ruined.
Total society loss is not a rare event by any means.

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tlack
How could Afghanistan fall so far in only 20 years? It must be a razors edge
between cosmopolitan society and chaos. What a disturbing topic to ponder.

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mathewgj
several of my pakistani friends say that their parents used to go to kabul in
the 70's for a break because it was much more cosmopolitan and progressive
than pakistan. it's important to remember that the more recent troubles are
modern, not a contiguous thread from the middle ages.

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shrikant
_The Kite Runner_ by Khaled Hosseini gives a great look into the 'then-and-
now' of Afghanistan. An excellent read as well.

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nfnaaron
Condolences.

