Comments on: What “Intimate Knowledge?” http://registan.net/index.php/2008/09/29/quote-of-the-day-8/ All Central Asia, All The Time Fri, 25 May 2012 20:24:26 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: TCHe http://registan.net/index.php/2008/09/29/quote-of-the-day-8/comment-page-1/#comment-378515 TCHe Mon, 29 Sep 2008 22:35:17 +0000 http://www.registan.net/index.php/2008/09/29/quote-of-the-day-8/#comment-378515 I'm to tired to elaborate that further but … All that seems to be infinitely better than what's happening in Germany. You DO have discussions, some genuine interest in the subject and more or less informed commentators! I spent my evening at a book presentation in Berlin and so called experts (including a former ambassador to AFG) talked continuously about "the Taliban" (Hardcore, moderates, AQ and druglords, that's all. Who would have guessed it was that easy?!), that the poppy cultivation wasn't a big problem, that "the Taliban" had provided security in the 90s, something the West did not, and so on. Oh, and after seven years they realized they needed a strategy! I'll stop my short rant now and go to bed. But I had to do it ;-) I’m to tired to elaborate that further but … All that seems to be infinitely better than what’s happening in Germany. You DO have discussions, some genuine interest in the subject and more or less informed commentators!

I spent my evening at a book presentation in Berlin and so called experts (including a former ambassador to AFG) talked continuously about “the Taliban” (Hardcore, moderates, AQ and druglords, that’s all. Who would have guessed it was that easy?!), that the poppy cultivation wasn’t a big problem, that “the Taliban” had provided security in the 90s, something the West did not, and so on. Oh, and after seven years they realized they needed a strategy!

I’ll stop my short rant now and go to bed. But I had to do it ;-)

]]> By: steve http://registan.net/index.php/2008/09/29/quote-of-the-day-8/comment-page-1/#comment-378514 steve Mon, 29 Sep 2008 20:23:35 +0000 http://www.registan.net/index.php/2008/09/29/quote-of-the-day-8/#comment-378514 I agree with your point that we should all, readers and writers alike, work from the understanding that embedded reporting is mostly about the unit the journalist is with at any one time. That it is limited in its scope. All too often, however, we're presented with journalists who cloak themselves in a mantle of authority merely because they take their meals in the DFAC with the rest of the soldiers. I agree with your point that we should all, readers and writers alike, work from the understanding that embedded reporting is mostly about the unit the journalist is with at any one time. That it is limited in its scope. All too often, however, we’re presented with journalists who cloak themselves in a mantle of authority merely because they take their meals in the DFAC with the rest of the soldiers.

]]> By: Joshua Foust http://registan.net/index.php/2008/09/29/quote-of-the-day-8/comment-page-1/#comment-378513 Joshua Foust Mon, 29 Sep 2008 18:50:51 +0000 http://www.registan.net/index.php/2008/09/29/quote-of-the-day-8/#comment-378513 Steve, I agree that other units might get you "closer" in some way, but that still doesn't address the fundamental selection bias: way too many Afghans of all stripes simply will not talk with armed white people. That's the problem: the ones we do talk to are already inclined to do so; the ones we need to win over are the ones who don't come rushing out of their compounds to get candies and blankies. Some reporters can get at these people (Carlotta Gall among the few westerners who can). Most, especially those on short-term embeds, cannot. I don't think it would be that big a deal if it was just understood that embedded reporting is much more about the unit itself than the environment in which it operates. Ackerman indirectly got at this, when he mentioned (earlier in that diavlog) that the locals don't seem to connect militancy with a poor quality of life and high prices. To me that says there is a wide gap between Western and local perceptions that is not being addressed by current policies. Steve, I agree that other units might get you “closer” in some way, but that still doesn’t address the fundamental selection bias: way too many Afghans of all stripes simply will not talk with armed white people. That’s the problem: the ones we do talk to are already inclined to do so; the ones we need to win over are the ones who don’t come rushing out of their compounds to get candies and blankies.

Some reporters can get at these people (Carlotta Gall among the few westerners who can). Most, especially those on short-term embeds, cannot. I don’t think it would be that big a deal if it was just understood that embedded reporting is much more about the unit itself than the environment in which it operates. Ackerman indirectly got at this, when he mentioned (earlier in that diavlog) that the locals don’t seem to connect militancy with a poor quality of life and high prices. To me that says there is a wide gap between Western and local perceptions that is not being addressed by current policies.

]]> By: steve http://registan.net/index.php/2008/09/29/quote-of-the-day-8/comment-page-1/#comment-378512 steve Mon, 29 Sep 2008 18:14:58 +0000 http://www.registan.net/index.php/2008/09/29/quote-of-the-day-8/#comment-378512 Hey J. - Actually, it's not that hard to get off the FOB, especially if, as a journalist, you've been in-country for more than a few weeks like Ackerman. It might be difficult to get off the FOB with _combat_ elements, but, as you know, combat elements are only one type of boot on the ground. PRTs, CA teams, ETTs, etc., are out in the field regularly, almost daily, and they're more than happy to have journalists along. Their 'feel' for the locals is somewhat more nuanced than what you might find among combat troops. I think that selection bias you speak of is more a product of a certain laziness combined with deadline demands than it is a product of the obvious difficulty and danger involved in getting off the FOB. We can demand more from our journalists than what we've been getting. Hey J. – Actually, it’s not that hard to get off the FOB, especially if, as a journalist, you’ve been in-country for more than a few weeks like Ackerman. It might be difficult to get off the FOB with _combat_ elements, but, as you know, combat elements are only one type of boot on the ground. PRTs, CA teams, ETTs, etc., are out in the field regularly, almost daily, and they’re more than happy to have journalists along. Their ‘feel’ for the locals is somewhat more nuanced than what you might find among combat troops. I think that selection bias you speak of is more a product of a certain laziness combined with deadline demands than it is a product of the obvious difficulty and danger involved in getting off the FOB. We can demand more from our journalists than what we’ve been getting.

]]>