Why I’d Never Travel to . . .

            By conscious choice I would never travel to quite a few countries. The reasons for that decision are various, some political (e.g. China), others from indifference (e.g. Finland or Indonesia), and others because I've been there before and wouldn't return for any amount of money short of eleven billion dollars (e.g. Nigeria and Saudi Arabia). In a class by themselves are those nations of unrepentant savages that systemically treat women as chattel, as nothing more than property to be disposed of at the whim of patriarchal authorities, whether husband, father, uncle, brother, cousin, village elders, male mobs, policemen, judges, or nationally elected officials.

            This rant was occasioned by the recent news articles about an Afghani woman named Gulnaz who was raped by her cousin’s husband and then was faced with a horrific dilemma — marry him or spend many years in jail for the “crime” of adultery, or sex out of marriage since male Afghanis can not seem to be persuaded that rape is a crime or even exists because, of course, it’s the woman who entices the man into sex. Yeah. That’s no exaggeration.

            As Gulnaz was debating her harshly limited choices she realized she was pregnant by the rapist. When she summoned her courage and accused him publically of rape she was arrested for adultery, found guilty, and sentenced to 12 years in prison by the “justice” system extent in Afghanistan.

            Now, that’s the truly enlightened nation Americans are supporting with our national treasure and the blood of our military. A patriarchal nation of women haters and despoilers who would rather girls be kept at home than sent to primary schools where their silly minds are filled with such utter nonsense as reading, writing, and mathematics when they should be learning to crawl in front of every man they meet.

            If that isn’t enough to make your blood boil, Gulnaz was recently released from prison by order of President Karzai and is now hiding from her family. Hiding from her family? Why in the world would she do that, you might ask. Because her male relatives would almost certainly slaughter her in the street out of the shame she has brought on them by being raped and getting pregnant. So, naturally, the bitch should die. What other possible course of action is there?

            That’s why Afghanistan tops my list of countries to which I will never travel, even displacing the hell holes of Nigeria and Saudi Arabia. As are all other countries where women are treated like dog shit. And no, America isn’t perfect in that regard but we are light years removed from shit holes like Afghanistan.

            If I were President I’d pull our military out tomorrow and fuck the political consequences. We couldn’t change those ignorant savages if we stayed five centuries and spent 900 gazillion dollars. And yes, that’s a culturally biased judgment but it’s one I stand behind.