Afghan boys

Several years ago I wrote a short essay on the concept that the United States was supposed to respect the culture of other countries. This was at a time when the government was trying to appease some of the different things taking place in Muslim countries. I used absurdity to press the point that not all cultural differences can be ignored. I said if we saw soldiers tossing babies in the air and catching on bayonets would we be obligated to intervene. While this was a ridiculous idea, the news today is striking in its ridiculousness. American soldiers are told to turn a blind eye to the practice of Afghan soldiers who tie up young boys and rape them as this is a part of their culture. This story was in the New York Times today but similar stories have appeared over the past few months. An American soldier who intervened on behalf of a young Afghan boy was discharged from the service. Rampant sexual abuse of children has long been a problem in Afghanistan,particularly among armed commanders who dominate much of the rural landscape and can bully the population. The practice is called bacha bazi, literally “boy play,” and American soldiers and Marines have been instructed not to intervene — in some cases, not even when their Afghan allies have abused boys on military bases, according to interviews and court records.