The Streets Of An Afghan City
Old Blue | Wednesday, March 14th, 2012 | 12 Comments »This was shot days after the Quran burning at Bagram. For us, it was a normal day of commuting to work with our Afghan counterparts. I’ve been trying to upload this video for about a week, and I finally got it to go. It’s over 5 minutes long, so there is lots to look at. It was originally shot in 720p high definition, but I think perhaps some of the hi went out of the def when I uploaded it.
This is just a part of the experience. Happy I could share it.
Thanks Blue. Much appreciated. Any idae why there are so many yellow and white cars on the road? Stay as safe as you can.
The yellow and white cars are taxis. While there are a lot of cars, most families don’t own one. A thriving taxi business exists as a result. Many of the three-wheeled carts are taxis as well. Great to hear from you, Membrain! Thanks for reading!
This video was fantastic. Thank you for all of your posts. They provide precious insight as to the day to day over there. Be Well and be safe.
Felix
It looks like they are building a sewer/ wastewater system all along the street.
Absolutely amazing considering the variety of vehicles on the road. To a certain extent some of the areas reminded me of run down parts of any major city in the US. Be safe over there!
Fantastic clip. For those of us stateside, this is as close we’ll ever come to feel how the city of MeS is.
Are the yellow and white cars cabs?
Not many trees or bushes but lots of dust. And no traffic lights. Women in burka look so ghostly. I hope things change for the better there esp for women.
thank you for the clip.
please stay safe.
There are actually a few traffic lights. Where they exist, they have timers so that you can see how much longer until the light changes. I wish we had those at home!
It’s very interesting about there being a thriving Taxi business. And as for the street light that count down the time, we’ve had those on Toronto for the past 7 years. On of the few things city councli got right. But I digress: Your post just very effectively illustrates the multi-facted nature of Afghanistan today.
Are US soldiers terrified by The Taliban?Are the recent Afghan civilian´s carnages a sign of US Army´s broken morale and desperation?
Good questions. I would not say that American soldiers are terrified of the Taliban. I would say that some soldiers are more worried than others, though. That is always the case in harm’s way. I don’t think that the massacre of civilians by one soldier is a sign of broken morale. First, a caveat; I don’t know the whole story, and so I am just hypothesizing. I have heard that alcohol was involved, which is entirely possible. If that is the case, and the soldier claims no recollection, then it is possible that he is a “blackout drinker.” People can do incredible things during a blackout. They can also appear to be aware and alert, if intoxicated. It is also not an excuse for any behavior. The soldier who committed these acts is not in any way representative of Army soldiers as a whole, nor of their state of mind. PTS should also not be exculpatory, and using it as a defense does a disservice to those who do truly suffer from mental and emotional wounds. People should never be given a free pass due to an issue which does not equate to a total inability to tell right from wrong.
As for morale, I do not sense desperation here at all. I do sense that morale is low due to the lack of national commitment to the job we are doing and the obvious political factors taking primacy over accomplishing something of enduring meaning. Our leadership at the highest levels has clearly lost its way with this, and that does not raise morale. I would not term the Army’s morale as, “broken,” however.
Is the infrastructure funded with American aid? Wonderful video. We only see the country side and villages in news reports. Thanks!
I cannot even imagine driving one of those huge behemoths through a congested city with people running out in front and cars darting about. The drivers are definitely the best of the best!