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.
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.
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.
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...