by Henry Case

Created on: October 23, 2010

Afghanistan is a country with next to no infrastructure, economy or prospects for the future. The populace is largely illiterate and uneducated. The country has been in one war or another for more than 30 years. The war against the Soviet Union led to a weak central government in Afghanistan and it was eventually routed by the Taliban, a homegrown movement of religious extremists who wanted to rule the country according to religious law.

All of these events, played out over the last 30 years, have turned Afghanistan into nothing more than a pile of rocks occupied by angry men with AK-47s. The future of the country will be decided by the coming generations of youth, who will hopefully grow up in a more prosperous, peaceful and democratic country. But in order for those generations to put a dent into Afghanistan's poverty, they have to receive a proper education.

Education is the best weapon against religious extremism, poverty and economic malaise. The Taliban have fought hard to make the people of Afghanistan as uneducated as possible. As is the case with most religious extremists, science and technology tend to take a backseat to the awesomeness of god. This thinking have left the country with few skilled and capable people need for reconstruction.

Scientists, engineers, bureaucrats, lawyers, business people; all of these are necessary ingredients for recovery and stabilization of Afghanistan. Without them, the power moves from the thought leaders to the war lords. The ideal situation for the Taliban is one in which the poor and uneducated farmers and peasants of Afghanistan have to rely on money and protection from the Taliban. If the situation were to change, and people could send their children to school to become doctors and engineers and have successful careers, reliance and support of the Taliban would decrease sharply.

So, those are the stakes for the future of Afghanistan. If the Taliban are successful in bullying and intimidating schools to close and children to stay away from schools, especially young women, then the future of Afghanistan looks bleak. The coalition forces and political leaders around the world have realized that there is no strictly military victory to be had in Afghanistan. The nearly decade old war has turned into just another case of nation building. If the schools of Afghanistan are given a chance to graduate enough students who can take the country into a new direction, success may yet be possible.

Learn more about this author, Henry Case.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.