And speaking of adventure tourism…
…[T]he Taliban are now selling tickets to visit the ancient monuments that they demolished in 2001, in an attempt to boost Afghanistan’s flagging economy.
The Washington Post reported that Afghanistan’s tourist plan includes a pair of 1,400-year-old giant stone Buddhas that they turned to rubble in 2001, “in a purge of non-Islamic art.”…
…[I]n 2022, around 200,000 tourists visited the crumbled Buddhas. Local official Saifurrahman Mohammadi told The Post that since the Taliban’s return to power in 2021 the country’s finances “have plummeted.” However, it is reported that Afghan officials believe such sites have potential “to bring in significant tourist money.” And with destroyed ancient sites serving as infrastructure hubs, Mohammedi said he is planning to build a souvenir market nearby, the Washington Post reported.
I well remember the destruction of those statues.
Count me out on this particular excursion.
I have seen the fallen statue, near Luxor, Egypt, which inspired Shelley’s poem “Ozymadias.” But it’s not rubble; the pieces lie on the ground and are identifiable. Why go look at a pile of rubble like these blown-up Buddhas?
I, too, remember the destruction of those ancient Buddhas. I also remember telling friends and co-workers that their destruction reminded me of Kristallnacht in that it should be taken as a sign of things to come; and, everyone back then thought I was being “overly dramatic.” Ha!
Yes, count me out of that on excursion too.
Sitting on billions worth of free armaments is much more worth than a few tickets to a debris site
What’s next? Six Flags over Afghanistan: a theme park that recreates the various wars and invasions and revolutions the country has been through?
Well at least they can be thankful they don’t have a Glass Parking Lot to show for their struggles.
Thinking… we’ve seen a lot of our statues destroyed/removed recently also, no difference in the mentality of those doing and allowing the destruction in both cases, imo.
I remember as well.
I remember Western preservationists offering to send in stonemasons to cut the statues out of the cliff face, put them on flatbed trucks, drive them to the airport, load them onto cargo planes, and leave the country so that the Mohamedans would no longer be offended by their presence.
Was that satisfactory? No. The Taliban sent in tanks to destroy them. Tanks designed and built by westerners of course.
Erronius
Looks like a possible coup attempt in Russia. Wagner mercenaries angry at Russian military.
Trying to follow on Twitter. Lefties on Twitter are sick. Accusing Flynn and other Republicans as being on Putin payroll.
Hatred turns people stupid and then insane. Is there a Democrat left who has a working brain?
cb at 7:25 pm:
“we’ve seen a lot of our statues destroyed/removed recently also, no difference in the mentality of those doing and allowing the destruction in both cases, imo.”
Great point, I agree.
cb:
Iconoclasts.
The leftists are definition #1, the Taliban are definition #2. See this.
Garry Kasparov is an interesting follow.
I think Neo got snookered by the Babylon Bee. 🙂
Perhaps the Taliban are hands-across-the-water to the postmodernists.
Deconstruction is a many-splendored thing.
Tell Joe there will be ice cream and he will buy a dozen or so tickets.
Thoughts from Germany:
http://schnitzelrepublic.blogspot.com/2023/06/this-russia-thing.html
Talk about “Adventure tourism,” how about visiting the downtown in any one of the Democrat run major cities in this country, and don’t forget your helmet, bulletproof vest and armored, disposable booties.