In the waning days of his Presidency, President Trump has made withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan a priority — even against the advice of senior Pentagon officials. But the President’s renewed efforts to make good on his campaign promise of bringing the troops home masks how much deadlier the Afghanistan War — the longest […]
Afghanistan and the Global History of Drugs and Diplomacy
It is estimated that Afghanistan produces up to 85% of the world’s opium and heroin. With that in mind, today we take a close look at the global drug trade, its connections to Afghan state formation, and the role of the United States’ military presence and imperial project. Our guest is James Tharin Bradford, author […]
Opposition to increasing presence in Afghanistan
President Trump recently announced that he be increasing the U.S. military presence in Afghanistan, currently the longest war in U.S. history. Brian Terrell from “Voices for Creative Nonviolence” talks about his experiences in that country, and how the U.S. is affecting it.
Split Show: Sociocracy, Afghanistan, and Attack on Social Security
We’ve got another packed show today. First up, Greg Rouillard discusses sociocracy. Rouillard studies and practices the Sociocratic Circle-Organization Method. He is also the Executive Director of Family HEART Camp, a community of summer camps for all ages based in the principles and practices of Compassionate Communication. Next, Kathy Kelly, a co-coordinator of Voices for […]
Afghanistan: Allegations of Widespread Abuse in Boys’ Schools
A February Institute for War and Peace Reporting (IWPR) investigation revealed widespread sexual abuse of schoolboys by teachers in Afghanistan’s Ghazni province. IWPR said it discovered an alarming rate of alleged abuse by teachers in conversations with more than 50 students and with education and government officials. Students said they were offered good grades for […]
Anthropologist David Price
How have anthropologists and other social scientists been used by the Pentagon and the CIA on the ground in places like Afghanistan as part of broader “counter-insurgency” programs? What are contracted civilians, embedded academics doing in the field as part of “human terrain teams?” Host Allen Ruff talks with anthropologist David Price to explore this.
