Conquering the unconquerable?

War Machine 2017
Written & Directed by: David Michôd

Just a bit of trivia. Afghanistan indeed does get mentioned in the Mahabaratha. In fact, Shakuni, the villain from the Gaurava clan, is known to have had used biased dice to cheat the Pandavas blind in a dice game, is from the kingdom of Gandhara, the old name for Afghanistan. He is the brother of the Queen of Kauravas, Gandhari, who is the mother of the Kaurava brothers of Hastinapur. The town of Kandahar in Afghanistan is said to have been derived from its old name.

Afghans are proud people. They do not like to be told what to do. That is what every superpower of the world seems to be doing, from Alexander to Mongols all the way to the British, Soviets and recently the Americans. Perhaps Maharajah Ranjit Singh of Punjab is the only King in living history to successfully conquer such fierce mountain people.  

The recent turn of events in Kabul saw American troops just absconding from the scene, leaving all their military equipment and facilities on a platter for the Taliban to utilise to their satisfaction. Twenty years of American 'occupation' of Afghanistan with the premise of bringing a semblance of peace and democracy to this war-ravaged country brought nothing except dropping it where it was before their arrival. The de facto leader of Afghanistan had absconded overseas with his loot. A brand new modern military airbase complete with military hardware was just there for the Taliban soldier to use. Formerly underground organisations like ISIS have started rearing their ugly head, and more deadly terror groups like IS-Khorasan have sprung from nowhere. In short, it is pre-9/11 Taliban Afghanistan all over again.

1975 Vietnam once more?

This movie is a sarcastic look at the American fiasco in Afghanistan. It showcases the constant bickering between the gung-ho American generals who perpetually ask to increase their troops and the American leaders who are interested in lip service and maintaining a positive image as the world's only superpower. Here, a 4-star General who genuinely thinks that the US Army will make a change to this war-torn region into a healthy Western-style democracy finds out the hard way that his endeavour is futile. Venting candidly to the media is a double-edged sword. The press is brutal in painting a picture suited to the agenda.

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