Taliban PR
The Taliban needs a better image. They seem to be polishing
it up bit by bit. Picture: armed warrior helping a woman regain her footing;
ushering children out of harms way; guarding elders from being trampled in the
rush to get out of Kabul.
Rhetoric to the contrary, the Taliban needs to help escapees
leave the country. Why? Because it will be easier to manage the country once
these people are gone: fewer mouths to feed; fewer impoverished souls to nurture
and tend; better management of scarce resources of food, water, housing and
services.
The Taliban also needs international cooperation to journey
towards nationhood and fulfillment of their long term objectives. We can argue
over what those objectives are and whether we agree with them or not. Our
argument doesn’t matter. Afghanistan now belongs to the Taliban. Let them make
it what they will. They have asked for this; let them deal with it.
For our part – America’s and the rest of the global
community – we must be alert to peace and its threat of terrorism. That is what
we live with. That is what we must guard against. What will we do to ensure
that Afghanistan will not become the seat of terrorist attacks on other
nations? Rebuilding that nation is not on our options list. We and others have
tried that. It did not work. Ever. Move on to other options.
The Taliban has much at stake if it is to be understood and
respected. It needs this to get things accomplished. Plain and simple, they now
have nothing to complain about. This is their mess to clean up and deal with. Let us see what they do with what we have left for them.
COVID Progress
Booster shots will soon be available for those with
suppressed immune systems. Soon thereafter others will be able to increase
their defenses against COVID and its variants. This is good news and progress.
The FDA has fully approved Pfizer’s vaccines and will soon complete approval
for Moderna’s. J&J’s will follow soon enough.
Pfizer is already working on improved vaccines for COVID
variants, not just booster shots. Meanwhile vaccine testing for young
recipients continues on the path toward universal inoculations. This is the answer
to school safety regarding COVID. That is when we can rest easy for our kids to
be in school with other kids. In the meantime, masks are required to protect
themselves and each other.
We are making progress toward a better future. The speed of
that progress relies solely on cooperation of all of us. That is our history.
It is our future as well.
August 27, 2021
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