M/N Skyler Stone
Modern World History
Paper 2: Analysis on Nick Cullather
Nick Cullather’s “Damming Afghanistan: Modernization in a Buffer State” discusses and analyzes the attempt of modernization of Afghanistan by the United States. During the beginning of the Cold War, “the United States made southern Afghanistan a showcase of nation building.” However, as time passed the attempt to keep the showcase eventually failed. After the overview of the American policies, such as the Helmand project, in Afghanistan, Cullather informs the readers of the history of Afghanistan. Originally “Afghanistan “was an empty space on the map that was not Persian, not Russian, not British, a purely accidental geographic unit” (515). Additionally, Cullather …show more content…
Throughout Afghanistan, the people were nomadic, semi-nomadic, or lived in settled communities. This proved to be a difficulty for the American’s as they attempted to make the nomadic people settle into communities. The lack of “cadastral maps, city plans, or housing registries… made Afghanistan less legible, and therefore less governable” (518). This is one example that Cullather used in order to explain the failure of modernization of Afghanistan. In his essay, Cullather believes that the evidence points to the dams that were being built were a catastrophic failure from the beginning, however the “illusions… created and sustained it [the project]” (537). As the failures mounted, they provided a few years of stability through the illusion of success. After time, Cullather believes that these constant failures could not go …show more content…
At this point in time, President Truman linked development to American strategic and economic objectives. With Afghanistan so close to the Soviet Union, the United States believed that having them as an ally would hold a strategic advantage in the region, which could be used to slow the spread of communism. Cullather said that “Afghanistan… suddenly became “underdeveloped” and, owing to its position bordering the Soviet Union, the likely recipient of substantial assistance. While many forms of aid could be given, the dams were chosen as they signified a “reproduction of an American developmental triumph” (524). The goal was to completely transform the economy in Afghanistan, similar to the changes that occurred in the Upper South through the Tennessee Valley Authority. This was America’s “alternative to Communist land reform… Instead of a “crude redistribution” of land, American engineers could create wonderlands of vegetation and power from the desert” (524). While the British attempted to curb the tribal wars that were occurring in Afghanistan was to script fueds of blood, honor and faith, the United States “set aside the maps and replotted tribal enmities on hydrologic charts” (524). This as explained by Cullather, “further displaced conflict into the future; if all sides could be convinced that resource flows would increase,
Modern World History
Paper 2: Analysis on Nick Cullather
Nick Cullather’s “Damming Afghanistan: Modernization in a Buffer State” discusses and analyzes the attempt of modernization of Afghanistan by the United States. During the beginning of the Cold War, “the United States made southern Afghanistan a showcase of nation building.” However, as time passed the attempt to keep the showcase eventually failed. After the overview of the American policies, such as the Helmand project, in Afghanistan, Cullather informs the readers of the history of Afghanistan. Originally “Afghanistan “was an empty space on the map that was not Persian, not Russian, not British, a purely accidental geographic unit” (515). Additionally, Cullather …show more content…
Throughout Afghanistan, the people were nomadic, semi-nomadic, or lived in settled communities. This proved to be a difficulty for the American’s as they attempted to make the nomadic people settle into communities. The lack of “cadastral maps, city plans, or housing registries… made Afghanistan less legible, and therefore less governable” (518). This is one example that Cullather used in order to explain the failure of modernization of Afghanistan. In his essay, Cullather believes that the evidence points to the dams that were being built were a catastrophic failure from the beginning, however the “illusions… created and sustained it [the project]” (537). As the failures mounted, they provided a few years of stability through the illusion of success. After time, Cullather believes that these constant failures could not go …show more content…
At this point in time, President Truman linked development to American strategic and economic objectives. With Afghanistan so close to the Soviet Union, the United States believed that having them as an ally would hold a strategic advantage in the region, which could be used to slow the spread of communism. Cullather said that “Afghanistan… suddenly became “underdeveloped” and, owing to its position bordering the Soviet Union, the likely recipient of substantial assistance. While many forms of aid could be given, the dams were chosen as they signified a “reproduction of an American developmental triumph” (524). The goal was to completely transform the economy in Afghanistan, similar to the changes that occurred in the Upper South through the Tennessee Valley Authority. This was America’s “alternative to Communist land reform… Instead of a “crude redistribution” of land, American engineers could create wonderlands of vegetation and power from the desert” (524). While the British attempted to curb the tribal wars that were occurring in Afghanistan was to script fueds of blood, honor and faith, the United States “set aside the maps and replotted tribal enmities on hydrologic charts” (524). This as explained by Cullather, “further displaced conflict into the future; if all sides could be convinced that resource flows would increase,