from Friday's SLATE news summary: >>In an important front-page piece, the NY [TIMES] reports on a so-far mostly >>overlooked factor that helped the Taliban gain control over Pakistan's Swat >>Valley: class warfare. In order to gain power, the Taliban skillfully >>exploited class divisions and ultimately forced out the approximately four >>dozen landlords that held the most power in the region. In order to do so, >>the Taliban organized armed gangs of landless peasants "that became their >>shock troops." The Taliban gained popularity by offering peasants, who were >>frustrated with their living conditions and a corrupt government that was >>deaf to their needs, what amounted to rich economic rewards and a feeling of >>self-determination. The ease with which the Taliban were able to exploit >>these entrenched class divisions is raising worries that the same series of >>events could play out in other parts of Pakistan, particularly in the >>populous Punjab province, which largely remains a feudal society. << -- Jim Devine / "Segui il tuo corso, e lascia dir le genti." (Go your own way and let people talk.) -- Karl, paraphrasing Dante. _______________________________________________ pen-l mailing list [email protected] https://lists.csuchico.edu/mailman/listinfo/pen-l
