#8
Date: Tue, 18 Sep 2001
From: Andrew Gentes <katorzhnik@yahoo.com>
Subject: The Soviets in Afghanistan--A False Analogy
Much is being made in both Russia and the US about the
Soviet experience in Afghanistan as being an analogy
as to what would happen were the US to invade. It
surprises me that so far I've neither seen nor heard
anyone point out the falsity of this analogy.
First, the Soviet Union's invasion of Afghanistan
began over thirty years ago. Consider the
technological advances in weaponry that have been made
during that time, as well as the fact that the Taliban
holds weaponry which in large is decades old.
Second, there is no equivalence between the US today
as a military power and Brezhnev's Soviet Union. Just
in terms of sheer scale, the US's military capacity is
many times larger. Also, a comparison of economies
further demonstrates the falsity of this analogy.
Albeit recent developments, the American economy is
easily the largest and most powerful in the world,
whereas the Soviet economy at the time of their
invasion was experiencing negative growth and
imploding. Even after the stock market drop of
yesterday, we are in no such position.
Third, the USSR invaded Afghanistan for imperialist
ends, thus uniting much of its nationals against them.
Any invasion we would undertake is clearly not for
imperialist ends, but rather would be a necessary
defensive measure. Certainly, an invasion will draw
some Afghanis into a common cause against us. But the
Taliban is a group of some 50,000 fanatics who have
waged war on their own people, and therefore through
effective propaganda the US could turn as many
Afghanis against this regime as would rally to its
defense. Moreover, the mujahadeen enjoyed significant
support from the US in its war against the USSR. Given
its isolation from the world community, and what is
now Pakistan's tacit alliance with the US, it is
doubtful that any outside country would risk giving
the Taliban military support.
Finally, there are the lessons of history itself.
Surely US military strategists have studied what the
Soviet army did wrong in Afghanistan, and have and are
incorporating these lessons into their plans. Thus the
notion that just because Afghanistan has supposedly
never been defeated does not mean that it by
definition cannot be defeated. Indeed, there is an
enormous amount of bluffing going on right now by the
Taliban, which is in fact scared to death of US
military retaliation. There is also bluffing going on
by Russians, who do not want the US to invade because
of their own statist concerns. The US should not let
this mythification of Afghanis' military ability blind
it to its own military capabilities, which are awesome
and without comparison in world history.
The US spends the money that it does on defense to be
prepared precisely for moments such as this.
Reluctance to use this power in an appropriate fashion
smacks not so much of judiciousness but rather of
cowardice. It is now up to us to decide how we want to
live, both as individuals and as a nation.
Andrew Gentes, Instructor
e: katorzhnik@yahoo.com ph: 207 753-6938
Department of History 119 Pettengill Hall
Bates College Lewiston, ME 04240
