The international intervention in Afghanistan started more than ten years ago. It built on new institutions according to the democratic model, complete with concepts generalized in the Western world since the 18th century, and among them the principle of equality. This model had founded the Amirs’ wished socio-political changes all along the 20th century, but ended in an on-going 30-year chaos with ever-renewed adversaries since the 1970’s. As operated in Afghanistan, tribalism and modernity – meant as an ideology, result in opposition prevaling as a social behaviour, which produces fragmentation or destruction and deals with equality demands through group honor. Consequently, traditionalism prevails in communities constrained by a feeling of insecurity and results in an equalizing insignificance of individuals. However, hospitality and reparation are social precepts meant to overtake the feeling of insecurity; they are the Afghan way for a social praxis enhancing equal dignity as a benefit for all. For as much as security permits its social prevalence, the honor of being human is the basic component for an open and evolutive society. An emphasis on security, as well as dogmatism in international programs are however comforting tribal-traditionalist behaviours, gearing up in violence that can only be checked by group balance rather than enabling original and creative ideas – such as starting a universal social protection system that would free individuals from their group allegiances. Implementing such a maximin only could overcome the inequality walls that are built on the country’s geo-strategic location, a fault in the world-system.
Afghanistan and the language of equality : a social contract in the making on a world-system fault