We aren't so different, you and I: The U.S.'s secret love affair with the Taliban

So, for those who haven't seen it yet, that was the conclusion to last weeks episode of South Park (aired 10/13/10). The episode itself dealt with vilifying everything that is or is represented by the state of New Jersey, specifically the "reality" television show on MTV called "Jersey Shore." It get's down to the wire when Randy and the gang have been turned down by all their allies in the fight against New Jersey when they have the brilliant idea to turn to their enemies for help.


(South Park Studios, 2010)

That's right, the boys turned to Osama bin Laden and the forces of Al Queda to come to the rescue of the United States. Suffice it to say the end result involves a fleet of airliners (747's or the like) crashing into swarms of Jersey "guidos," (offensive imagery much?). The American view of the Arab, let alone a member of the Taliban or Al Queda is twisted to a great extent by the mass media which influences our perspectives more than we are able to control or comprehend in some cases.

What we don't realize is that we are the ones who ultimately put these people into power and we are fighting to keep them in control as far as their separate microcosm is concerned because it allows us to keep a "stronger" hand on the wheel and control the conflict to work to our advantage. Whether it is something on the smaller scale like U.S. former-C.I.A. agents paying off insurgents for protection, or Afgani figure-heads assisting American troops in the transport of valuable materials, etc, behind the scenes the United States and the Afghani people are all working for the same goal, to make money.

Even still, people are just starting to notice that something is not right with this whole image. as the source article points out,
"Both the New York Times and the Washington Post have covered part of the story on their front pages. Both mentioned President Hamid Karzai’s cousin, and both acknowledged that in all likelihood money is making its way to the Taliban. Neither paper mentioned the US connection..."
So as much as we are willing to open our eyes to the concept that our government might be acting inappropriately, and our media is lying to us about it, we are really still hesitant as a society to see the whole truth behind the situation and more importantly accept it.