Mamdani Decoded: Myths and Realities

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The victory of Zohran Mamdani as the New York City Mayor created more cheers as well as concerns. It has also polarised not only the US political landscape but also the global political opinion. This is because the US is a very important country, and we live in a very interconnected and globalised world. There are two big ways that people are divided. Firstly, based on his background- a young South Asian Muslim Mayor, and secondly, his ideology and policies- a Democratic Socialist.  He won the mayorship by contesting from both the Democratic Party and the Working Families Party. He will command the $115B budget of the city. In this article, let us closely look at various claims and separate myths from realities.  Link to the News Capsule of the Month 100 Days Plan Mamdani has kept 100 days to bring in structural changes in the city governance. As of now, it has been 40-45 days, and we have yet to see what exactly is going to be a big change. Just like any leader, his first fe...
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Afghanistan, Taliban, the US and some questions to ponder

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 Everything happened in less than a week. It was unfortunate!

Afghanistan is a Religious Conservative country, the support for the Taliban and hatred for the US is overwhelming in Rural areas especially among the Pashtuns. That's why the Taliban took the country sooner than expected. Most regions saw grant welcome from the locals. Both these locals and the Taliban reject democracy. The situation in cities is exactly the opposite, they want to oust the Taliban and want a free society. They're angry with the local govt as they abandoned them. 
Both have a feeling that the local govt was a US puppet. 


US withdrawal
  • The US wanted to take revenge against Al Qaeda for 9/11 (Accomplished). 
  • It already killed Osama Bin Laden.
  • Gave moral and financial support to local government. 
  • Trained and funded the Afghan military, modernised it. 
  • Tried to install a democratically elected govt despite not everyone in the country accepted it.
  • Believes that Nation-building of Afghanistan and taking decisions on behalf of its people was never on the table. 
Afghanistan military vs Taliban 
  • 300,000 vs 80,000
  • Modern army vs Archaic terrorist militia
  • Trained and fully funded by the US vs Was hiding in the mountains (Past two decades)
  • Has airforce vs No air power

Then why did the military fall so low in less than a week. Where did all the US funds and weapons go? Where is the might and willpower of the military in protecting its people?

Questions to Ponder
  • What else could the US have done?
  • Should the US continue to stay here sine die?
  • How many US lives are needed for this failed mission? 
  • If not the US, then who?
  • Who gave the US the first right to do everything? 
  • Why didn't other countries step up?
  • Why should the US fight for a war which even the govt and Afghan forces should themselves don't want? (- Pres. Biden )
Lessons and Implications
  • Democracy imposed by force is bound to fail. It takes time and effort. Democracy is built by institutions that balance power. 
  • The importance of liberalism is more important than ever. 
  • Importance of education, democracy, political awareness and human rights.
  • West lost its balance in understanding the East is different.
  • Failure of US and NATO intelligence in understanding the onground situation.
  • Overstatement and overestimation of the ability of the Afghanistan Military.
  • Even the local government and military showed a lack of coordination and lack of enthusiasm. in fighting the terrorists and protecting its people.
  • China and Russia will have a bigger share of the pie. 
  • Puts more pressure on India and democratic countries in the region.
  • The condition of Journalists and officials on the ground will be in danger. 
  • What can the International Community do in this regard needs to be thought of. 
  • Failing to understand the history, politics and geography of Afghanistan. 
Here is a book that you can check on amazon and buy if you are more interested in the topic. Just click on the same to get redirected to the same. 



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Comments

  1. Unknown23 September 2021 at 19:47

    reading this felt like watching a season of homeland

    ReplyDelete

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