1. There is no Afghanistan. There is a collection of tribes united by religion and language and nothing else. The Afghans are tribal, with loyalty to tribe first, and no loyalty to any other group. The tribes have been in conflict with one another for several thousand years. Tribes are kinship-based. No external force has ever been able to change this. We are being driven to become a tribal country based on skin color and similar irrelevant attributes.
2. The religion and the government are one and the same. Islam is indeed a religion of peace; just as Christianity was used to promote the KKK, so, too, is Islam used to promote the tribal view of women as property. Putting effort into establishing women's rights is wasted; they can have no sustainable rights until the country becomes a nation, and literacy exceeds 50%.
3. The geography itself supports a tribal culture. We know this happens in Andean countries; why are we surprised that rugged mountainous terrain promotes isolation? In Colombia, I learned that the mountain-enforced isolation led to development of multiple mutually-incomprehensible dialects of Spanish. I'm astounded that standard Pushtu is understandable throughout Afghanistan, although I did discover that use of Castillian Spanish - Spain's version of the Queen's English - let me be understood everywhere. I still couldn't understand many of the responses.
I think the Russians never got this about the Caucasus either. The Durand line between Pakistan and Afghanistan--what a foolish reach. I grew up going to church with a Latin Mass but nobody spoke Latin. Interesting about Columbia & Spanish.
I think I will reread Kim. I wish we could get some of those older books back into the schools so that Americans would not grow up with such an isolated American view of the world. So many of us have no idea about the long history of international relations and how we have to pay attention to the history of places we get involved with. This is a sad day for us.
I read it as a youngster but really didn't understand the geo-political aspects. I think I will re-read it too. At 10 reading about an Indian-Irish boy spying for the Russians or English didn't make all that much sense to me.
Thanks. I will look. I tried to re-watch "Charlie Wilson's War" on Netflix yesterday but guess what? Netflix said, "unavailable in the US." Since it is about the US arming the Mujahideen maybe someone thought censoring it for US audience was a good idea.
Oh no! I saw that...Tom Hanks played Wilson... it was okay, more of a comedy than a serious history,
Dean Stockwell plays Kim in this film. My middle name is Dean, my mom just loved Stockwell. She told me about the Boy with the Green Hair, which he starred in. Kinda a wierd flick actually. He was great in Blue Velvet too..."a candy colored clown they call the sandman, tiptoes to my room every ight"... great song...Lynch has used Orbison songs in a lot of his films...
Try Amazon, they msy have Charlie Wilson's War....
Casting was so different in 1950. But of course we did arm them. And yes! it was funny as well. Here is a link to one of RO's last concerts. Look who is backing him: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_PLq0_7k1jk
I used to sing just like Orbison. I did 'Crying' with my band the Oracle from Lake Clarles LA. We were playing a small club in Missisppi for a week in the mid 60s. One night the waitress came up to us just before the end of our last set and handed me a shot of Grand Marnier. She said it was from the two guys sitting at a table about mid-club. She said that they had requested that we do 'Crying'. I nodded and told the guys to do that song to end the set rather than the one we were going to. They were fine with that and it was one, two, three..."I was alright for awhile I coud smile for a while"...
When we finished the song, I walked up to the table the guys were sitting at.
They asked me to sit down for another drink and a chat.
Turned out these gentlemen were, a talent scout from the Grand Ole Opry, abd a management guy. Someone had called them and told them that they had to get to the club and hear me sing. (probably the waitress??)
So they told me their plan. They wanted me to join up with them and develop a "Roy Orbison Show" to tour with the Grand Ole Opry review, that did gigs all over the US. They saw $$$Dollar$igns...
Hmm...I saw cutting my long hair and dressing in western garb ... and just coulnd see doing this..
So I passed on it. I have often wondered about that decision. During the talk they were adimant that with a voice like mine, that it would be just a start, they said there would be record deals and songs written for me, and all sorts of great promises. I probably should have taken them up on it. They were gonna make me a big star. Lol Probably would have worked. I could mimic almost any voice I heard, and I could sing in my own style too...
But there was this loyalty to my band too. I was an English Rocker at the time, and I liked it. "Goood Eefning this is one from milions and millions of ah years ago..." I practiced the accent so much I just spoke like a Brit for years.
My high school Principal was independently wealthy. Years before I met him he had backed over his only son in his driveway and killed him; he never drove again. One evening he asked me to stop by for a chat. Bottom line, he was going to pay my way through Indiana University with a major in vocal performance, and alter his will to leave me 40% of his fortune, about $30M in 1966. He considered me the son he didn't get to support.
The next day his wife called me. He had died overnight, and was letting me know because she knew we were close. No scholarship, no $30M. I don't regret it. instead, I attended a state school in Maryland, joined a garage band that landed a contract that included nothing for us but paid the owner a hefty sum; we disbanded after about 14-15 months. Most importantly, I met my wife of now fifty years. Priceless.
We got several things badly wrong from day one.
1. There is no Afghanistan. There is a collection of tribes united by religion and language and nothing else. The Afghans are tribal, with loyalty to tribe first, and no loyalty to any other group. The tribes have been in conflict with one another for several thousand years. Tribes are kinship-based. No external force has ever been able to change this. We are being driven to become a tribal country based on skin color and similar irrelevant attributes.
2. The religion and the government are one and the same. Islam is indeed a religion of peace; just as Christianity was used to promote the KKK, so, too, is Islam used to promote the tribal view of women as property. Putting effort into establishing women's rights is wasted; they can have no sustainable rights until the country becomes a nation, and literacy exceeds 50%.
3. The geography itself supports a tribal culture. We know this happens in Andean countries; why are we surprised that rugged mountainous terrain promotes isolation? In Colombia, I learned that the mountain-enforced isolation led to development of multiple mutually-incomprehensible dialects of Spanish. I'm astounded that standard Pushtu is understandable throughout Afghanistan, although I did discover that use of Castillian Spanish - Spain's version of the Queen's English - let me be understood everywhere. I still couldn't understand many of the responses.
I think the Russians never got this about the Caucasus either. The Durand line between Pakistan and Afghanistan--what a foolish reach. I grew up going to church with a Latin Mass but nobody spoke Latin. Interesting about Columbia & Spanish.
I think I will reread Kim. I wish we could get some of those older books back into the schools so that Americans would not grow up with such an isolated American view of the world. So many of us have no idea about the long history of international relations and how we have to pay attention to the history of places we get involved with. This is a sad day for us.
I read it as a youngster but really didn't understand the geo-political aspects. I think I will re-read it too. At 10 reading about an Indian-Irish boy spying for the Russians or English didn't make all that much sense to me.
I decided to watch Kim after watching the trailer....only 2 bucks...cool
Thanks for the lead.
Kim
1951 | G | CC
4.5 out of 5 stars 353
Prime Video
$1.99 to rent
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Thanks. I will look. I tried to re-watch "Charlie Wilson's War" on Netflix yesterday but guess what? Netflix said, "unavailable in the US." Since it is about the US arming the Mujahideen maybe someone thought censoring it for US audience was a good idea.
Oh no! I saw that...Tom Hanks played Wilson... it was okay, more of a comedy than a serious history,
Dean Stockwell plays Kim in this film. My middle name is Dean, my mom just loved Stockwell. She told me about the Boy with the Green Hair, which he starred in. Kinda a wierd flick actually. He was great in Blue Velvet too..."a candy colored clown they call the sandman, tiptoes to my room every ight"... great song...Lynch has used Orbison songs in a lot of his films...
Try Amazon, they msy have Charlie Wilson's War....
\\][//
Casting was so different in 1950. But of course we did arm them. And yes! it was funny as well. Here is a link to one of RO's last concerts. Look who is backing him: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_PLq0_7k1jk
Quite a backing band there...
I used to sing just like Orbison. I did 'Crying' with my band the Oracle from Lake Clarles LA. We were playing a small club in Missisppi for a week in the mid 60s. One night the waitress came up to us just before the end of our last set and handed me a shot of Grand Marnier. She said it was from the two guys sitting at a table about mid-club. She said that they had requested that we do 'Crying'. I nodded and told the guys to do that song to end the set rather than the one we were going to. They were fine with that and it was one, two, three..."I was alright for awhile I coud smile for a while"...
When we finished the song, I walked up to the table the guys were sitting at.
They asked me to sit down for another drink and a chat.
Turned out these gentlemen were, a talent scout from the Grand Ole Opry, abd a management guy. Someone had called them and told them that they had to get to the club and hear me sing. (probably the waitress??)
So they told me their plan. They wanted me to join up with them and develop a "Roy Orbison Show" to tour with the Grand Ole Opry review, that did gigs all over the US. They saw $$$Dollar$igns...
Hmm...I saw cutting my long hair and dressing in western garb ... and just coulnd see doing this..
So I passed on it. I have often wondered about that decision. During the talk they were adimant that with a voice like mine, that it would be just a start, they said there would be record deals and songs written for me, and all sorts of great promises. I probably should have taken them up on it. They were gonna make me a big star. Lol Probably would have worked. I could mimic almost any voice I heard, and I could sing in my own style too...
But there was this loyalty to my band too. I was an English Rocker at the time, and I liked it. "Goood Eefning this is one from milions and millions of ah years ago..." I practiced the accent so much I just spoke like a Brit for years.
https://youtu.be/u-LshdcyaFs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T1zqEsb1Kzw
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That would have been quite a career turn. I always liked country western.
You would like Tony Joe White if you have been to Lake Charles. Elvis covered this and made it famous. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MCSsVvlj6YA
Oh yea...I heard this version by Tony Joe White! Yea this is a nic chuggin down home sorta thing. I like it.
In fact I never heard the Elvis one.
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Maybe a better version: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JyXHxh3Sye0
My high school Principal was independently wealthy. Years before I met him he had backed over his only son in his driveway and killed him; he never drove again. One evening he asked me to stop by for a chat. Bottom line, he was going to pay my way through Indiana University with a major in vocal performance, and alter his will to leave me 40% of his fortune, about $30M in 1966. He considered me the son he didn't get to support.
The next day his wife called me. He had died overnight, and was letting me know because she knew we were close. No scholarship, no $30M. I don't regret it. instead, I attended a state school in Maryland, joined a garage band that landed a contract that included nothing for us but paid the owner a hefty sum; we disbanded after about 14-15 months. Most importantly, I met my wife of now fifty years. Priceless.
Bloomington has a stellar music school but you got lucky finding her. A garage band was the best.