Salmorin

1
MarkSalmorin
Cpcceng111
22March2016
U.S.AvsAfghaniculture

Asapersonthathasseenbothsidesoftheworldasasoldierandahumanbeing.
TherearesomesimilaritiesanddifferencesbetweentheUnitedStatesandAfghani
culture.Throughmyexperienceasasoldier,Ivewitnessedmanythingsgoodandbad.It
issadinawayhowtheylivetheirdailylivesandthecruelthingstheydotoeachother.
Womenarebeatenfornotobeyingtheirhusbandseverycommand,theyaremarriedoff
andusedascurrency,andtreatedasslaves.Afghaniculturestillstonesandbeatswomen
todeath.TheUnitedStatesandAfghaniculturearedifferentthroughlaws,government,
educationandpoverty.

UnitedStatesandAfghanilawsareoftwodifferentworlds.Afghanisocietyis
mainlycomposedoftriballawwhichislawsmadeupbytheeldermeninthevillagethe
livein.Theeldersdonotrecognizeformaljusticeintheirculturewhichisdominatedby
menintheirsociety.Afghanistanswesternstyleofjusticesystemhaslittleimpacton
thistypeoftraditionalconservatism,wherewomenwhoarerapedareimprisonedrather
thanthemenwhorapedthem,andwomenwhotrytoescapehardshiparepunishedfor
settingfootoutsidetheirhomes.Anythingtheydo,intheirsocietythatresemblesany

Salmorin
2
formofexpressionthatisnotacceptabletothemenintheirvillagehavedire
consequencesincludingdeath.Ontheotherhand,theUnitedStateshaslawsbasedona
judicialsystem.Crimesandfeloniesaredealtwithonacasebycasebasis.TheUnited
StatesjusticesystemoperatesmorefairlythanAfghanitriballaw.Oneofthereasons
theircultureislackinginlawislackofeducation.
AfghaniculturedoesnotemphasizeeducationliketheUnitedStatesdoes.
Afghanimenchoosetolimittheeducationofwomenandchildrenintheirhouseholds.
Theybelieveitisawomansplacetotakecareofthehouseandwork,ratherthanreceive
aneducation.SomeAfghaniwomenmakedealsandgetengagedtoamanoftheir
parentschoosing,justasaploytobeabletogotouniversity.Womenandmenarenot
allowedtobefriendsintheirculturetheyareassumedtobenotofgoodmoralcharacter
iftheyhaveamalecompanionotherthantheirhusbandtheyarelookeddownuponand
outcast.Theirsociety,andcultureforbidavastmajorityofinteractionwithmembersof
theoppositesexunlessitistheirhusband.Womenusuallyloseoutonthesenegotiations,
whileoldermen,therepresentativesofconservativetraditionalsociety,havetheupper
handwhichtheyusetotheiradvantage.TheUnitedStatesisbasedonamandatory
publicschoolingforallchildren.Startingatage5until18yearsofageyoumustbe
educatedwithintheschoolsystemnoexceptions.Publicschoolingismorebeneficialtoa
societyinordertoinspirechildrentobecomethenextgenerationofdoctors,engineers
andleaders.Careerssuchasthesewillensurelivingalifefreeofpoverty.

Salmorin
3
TheUnitedStatesandAfghanistanarebothnostrangerstopovertyintheirown
ways.Over35.8%ofAfghanistanispovertystricken.(Ruralpovertyportal.org)These
statisticsincludewomenandchildrenstrugglingwitheverydaylife.Otherreasonsare
disease,poornutrition,badwater,andabuse.TheUnitedStatesishometoover49,933
homelessveterans.(NCHV.orgnationalcoalitionhomelessveterans)Another1.4million
areatriskduetolackofsupportsystems,lackofcare,andpropertreatment.Theones
whodefendourwayoflifeareoftenmistreated,andneglected.Itisalearningprocessto
dealwithsomeoftheinjuriessoldierscomebackwith,oftentheyareinvisiblewounds
anddifficulttodiagnose.Theyhaventfiguredoutawaytotreatthesementalillnesses
andaredealingwiththemthebestwaytheycan.Alotofpeoplearelearytohirea
veteranforfearofaflashbackorsomethingthatmaysetthemoff.Andwithbeingable
tofindemploymentandpaybillsveteransarelosingtheirhomesandeverythingthey
holddearbecausetheirsupportsystemsarentstrongenoughtohelpsustainthem.
Subsidizedhousingisavailabletosomeveterans,butisusuallysubstandardandgrossly
overcrowded.Povertyasawholeputsastrainontheeconomyandtheaveragetaxpayer.

Throughstudyingtheirlaws,educationalsystems,andpovertystatistics,youcan
seethattheUnitedStatesandAfghanistanarenotunalike.TheUnitedStatesisnot
perfectbyanymeans.ComparedtoAfghanistan,whoseemtobestuckinthestoneage
asfarastheirlawsandculturalbeliefsgo.TheUnitedStatesistakingstrideintheright
direction.IfAfghanistancouldbemoreopentoembracingchange,theircultureand
societymightthrive.Untilthattimecomes,theywillalwaysbeinastateofcivilunrest.

Salmorin
4