cross-posted from: https://scribe.disroot.org/post/4824110
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The country is currently experiencing a “total internet blackout” according to internet watchdog Netblocks - a move that has paralysed the country’s essential services.
International news agencies say they have lost contact with offices in the capital Kabul. Mobile internet and satellite TV has also been severely disrupted across Afghanistan. Flights from Kabul airport have also been disrupted, according to local media reports.
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Anas, a money changer in Takhar province, says his business has faced “enormous problems” since the internet shutdown, saying that much of his work depends on the internet.
“Our business has been affected by about 90%,” he says. “Yesterday, my brother who is also my business partner tried to send an email to a client. He couldn’t get it through.”
But his main concern are his three daughters - all of whom used to take online classes.
"The night before, we heard the Taliban had cut internet access in Mazar, and my eldest daughter came to me with tears in her eyes and said she feared the same would happen here.
“Their last opportunity to study is now gone. Seeing my children so helpless… [that was] the hardest for me. Only God knows what will happen to them and to me.”
Seems like I see a “Women in Afghanistan have no freedom” post every week or two practically since the day US troops pulled out of the country. Never see anything like this regarding Saudi Arabia. There’s virtually no coverage of the violent anti-feminist street protests in India. Vanishingly little about women’s liberation in The Philippines or El Salvador. Even the rapidly deteriorating condition of women’s rights within the United States fails to get the kind of coverage afforded our old conquest.
I have to wonder what the public response to these articles is supposed to be. Trump’s currently demanding that the Afghans turn over Bagram Airbase to the US military. We’ve also seen him float the idea of re-invading in response to China.
Is that where all this is heading? Seems like the drumbeat exists to manufacture consent for another war. After Hegseth’s latest speech, how long until we try and take another bite at the Afghani apple?
Awesome, no education for 50% of the population. What’s next? Replacing homes with caves and electricity with fire?
Fuck religion and authoritarian governments that use it as an excuse to keep the population cowed and under educated.
Connectivity breed hope. For much the same reason why internet access is considered a part of human rights in the modern world, they know just how big a threat access to new ways of thinking, of possibility can be to their control.
only God knows what will happen
Man, he put you into this mess, and you’re still slobbin on his knob.
They must be hoping their citizens don’t pull a Nepal.
I think what’s happening now is the revolution for the most part, this might be what those citizens would be pushing for. It’s hard to find objective data on ‘popularity of the taliban in afghanistan’, but you can find a thousand articles on how unpopular every other possible idea has been there. The Taliban are seen as the only option for stability and security for some in the region. There are still protests against the taliban going on, but the numbers are kinda scary when you compare it to the size of the Taliban forces…
Have to remember that priorities as to what constitutes a successful society can be radically different in other countries and sometimes it feels very unhinged and short sighted.
Eh. I look at the Taliban more as local self-determination. Those with political power in these small towns don’t want anything that can jeopardize their power and control.
Maybe it’s because POTUS is talking about a return of US troops.
Well, he needs them home to oppress American citizens.
I think you misunderstood. Trump wants to send troops back to the sandpit. He wants one of our bases we gave away back. Or something.
Yep, misread entirely. Makes sense, though, he only wants to put his hands where they don’t belong.
It’s difficult not to extrapolate the U.S’s current trajectory to something approximating Taliban-rule. It feels like it relative to what the old-normal was.
Theocratic rule like this is absolutely the goal of the GOP.
I kind of want that to mean we can now insult and impugn the Taliban on the internet without fear of retribution but 1) that’d be cruel even if they are wilfully backward, 2) it would undoubtedly devolve into racism and Islamophobia from the less bright among us, and 3) you can bet the top brass of the Taliban won’t have given it up.
I bet at least one of them is a closet Swiftie.
There is nothing wrong with insulting authoritarian shitholes without civil rights.
Orginized religion is social cancer.
Gross
