Bribing the Taliban to stop: has it really come to this?

News flash from Roubini Global Economics:

New Afghan Plan: Financial Incentives to Give up Arms?

• At the London Conference on Afghanistan co-hosted by British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, Afghan President Hamid Karzai and UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, it was decided that a fund would be set up to provide employment and housing to Taliban fighters that give up the fight. Conference participants are expected to pledge about US$500 million for the fund.

We're gonna bribe them so they stop fighting?

Um, er... I'm not sure what to say.  It would be great if it works.  But I think this proposal reflects a serious misunderstanding of who the Taliban fighters are.  Part of their zeal in this battle is their utter disdain for the West and its materialist/capitalist ways.  The notion that cash will make them lay down their weapons seems absurd.  It will only serve to reinforce their notion that Westerners worship money and are willing to abandon any cause to acquire more money.  It's like trying to make amends with your vegetarian wife by inviting her to dinner at Al's Steakhouse. 

Besides, don't you think that anybody that accepts this offer will be considered a traitor in the eyes of the Taliban?  How long do you think traitors will survive?  I think the odds are pretty good that they would be killed and subsequently blown up (just to be doubly sure).

This plan is unfortunately doomed to fail.  The Taliban will probably spit on the letter of offer.

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Are you ready for retirement?

There's an interesting parable that many people find difficult to understand.  I was fortunate to have a priest explain it to me.  It's often called the parable of the dishonest manager or crafty steward (Luke 16:1-8).  Let's read it:

Then Jesus said to the disciples, ‘There was a rich man who had a manager, and charges were brought to him that this man was squandering his property. So he summoned him and said to him, “What is this that I hear about you? Give me an account of your management, because you cannot be my manager any longer.”

Then the manager said to himself, “What will I do, now that my master is taking the position away from me? I am not strong enough to dig, and I am ashamed to beg. I have decided what to do so that, when I am dismissed as manager, people may welcome me into their homes.” So, summoning his master’s debtors one by one, he asked the first, “How much do you owe my master?” He answered, “A hundred jugs of olive oil.” He said to him, “Take your bill, sit down quickly, and make it fifty.” Then he asked another, “And how much do you owe?” He replied, “A hundred containers of wheat.” He said to him, “Take your bill and make it eighty.”

And his master commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly; for the children of this age are more shrewd in dealing with their own generation than are the children of light. And I tell you, make friends for yourselves by means of dishonest wealth so that when it is gone, they may welcome you into the eternal homes.

On the surface, the story isn't too hard to understand: The manager wants to make friends and build "connections" so that he can receive favours in return

Find the true meaning of Christmas

This Christmas, why don't you try something different?