Red, White, and Blue Dawn

The 2012 remake of "Red Dawn," wasn't a great movie by any means, but it did stir some interesting ideas that I wasn't old enough to ponder when I saw the original.  For those of you who aren't familiar, "Red Dawn" describes the occupation of the United States by the USSR (original) or North Korea (remake) and a band of high-school age kids who start a guerrilla movement to fight the invaders.  It's a classic example of a "defend your home" type of movie, but it made me think:  how does the portrayed occupation of the United States relate to the actual US military presence in Afghanistan?

As Americans, we are constantly reminded that our troops are doing good, and our cause is just.  However, the film contests those notions, as it forces the audience to wonder how we would feel if a foreign nation invaded the United States.  If we would be so opposed to an occupying army, why shouldn't the Afghans feels the same way?  This comprehensive study, conducted by ABC in 2010, shows that while opinions of the United States are not particularly high in Afghanistan, there is a considerable amount of support for US forces.  According to the report, the overall opinion of the United States has fallen in the minds of Afghanistan, but areas with significant amount of American presence actually have a better outlook on the occupation.  To Americans, this may seem counter-intuitive.  Why is there a conflict between American and Afghan opinions of occupation?

It seems that there are two overarching reasons.  The first and probably more important is the nature of the occupying force and the country being occupied.  The United States is united by a single dominant culture that prides itself on democracy and liberty, while Afghanistan is a country with many different ethnic groups that have distinct cultural histories.  When Americans think of occupation, they often imagine the presence of an oppressive regime.  For many Afghans, that American nightmare was a reality under the Taliban prior to 2001.  While American soldiers weren't welcomed into Afghanistan as liberators, they certainly had the opportunity to win the "hearts and minds" of the local people.  The second explanation is that many Afghans live under constant threat from extremist groups, and they have the United States military for a police force.  That is supported by the fact that, in regions where violence is declining, American presence is significantly more popular, according to the study.

I think I am secure in concluding that, to some extent, the claim that our troops are doing good is true.  Yes, many Afghans reject the occupation of Afghanistan by American soldiers, but it is not a uniform rejection.  The relative stability imposed by American troops is appreciated by many Afghans, meaning that the situation hardly resembles the Soviet/North Korean invasion depicted in Red Dawn.