{"id":6299,"date":"2021-09-05T19:58:50","date_gmt":"2021-09-05T23:58:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/marianne2024.com\/?p=6299"},"modified":"2025-06-19T23:01:58","modified_gmt":"2025-06-20T03:01:58","slug":"radio-kabul","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/marianne2024.com\/es\/radio-kabul\/","title":{"rendered":"Radio Kabul"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><iframe title=\"Conversations with Marianne | RADIO KABUL: Tom Freston&#039;s Memories of Afghan Culture\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/q28d653IVyE?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>The phrase \u201cYou live and you learn\u201d doesn\u2019t always apply, as sometimes people live through things and seem to learn nothing at all.<\/p>\n<p>Such was the case with America\u2019s war in Vietnam. Obviously we learned basically nothing, given that decades later we enacted pretty much the same debacle in Afghanistan: a war fought with ferocious brute force followed by more ferocious brute force followed by more brute force, only to ultimately reveal the futility of all that brute force.<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s why it\u2019s so important that this time, we learn something. Many will prefer to get off the topic of Afghanistan as quickly as possible now, congratulate ourselves on the fact that we finally got out of a war that no one had a stomach for anymore, delude ourselves (or not) that the evacuation was a huge success, and go on about the business of acting pretty much the way we\u2019ve always acted.<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s exactly how America got into this mess, or these messes, however you wish to refer to our current state of affairs. From environmental degradation to military misadventures to economic hardship for almost half of all Americans, one reason for most of those problems is a big \u201cHo Hum\u201d on the part of way too many of us. We\u2019ve been lulled to sleep, advertised to sleep, amused to sleep, propagandized to sleep, literally and figuratively drugged to sleep\u2026if I may say so, while the proverbial Rome has already begun to burn.<\/p>\n<p>How do we turn that around? By waking up now, looking around, and refusing to go back to sleep. By learning. By thinking. By reading. By observing. By listening. By refusing to go along with the program, which in this case would mean saying, \u201cYeah, too bad about Afghanistan. That was awful. Well at least thank God it\u2019s over now. Pass the salt please?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>We must not look away.<\/p>\n<p>TRANSFORM exists as a daily agenda for transformation, and if these posts transform one perception for you, open up one new idea, suggest even one new insight on any given day, then I\u2019m pleased. And none more so than with our conversations called <em>Reflections on Afghanistan, <\/em>my interviews with the wise and heartfelt <a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/6rPjZBNBPrY\" rel=\"\">Sarah Chayes<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/e26wcgI4DH0\" rel=\"\">Zainab Salbi<\/a>, and now my friend Tom Freston. There will be more to come over the next two weeks.<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019ve known Freston for a while, often having heard him express great enthusiasm about his frequent travels and creative projects in Afghanistan. Having lived there originally in the 1970\u2019s Tom was excited to go back again after the fall of the Taliban, this time as a successful American media executive who would play a major role in establishing Afghanistan\u2019s first television and radio stations.<\/p>\n<div>\n<figure>\n<div><picture><source srcset=\"https:\/\/substackcdn.com\/image\/fetch\/w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep\/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9fa9360d-ab2c-47df-b5a4-19948783fe27_1024x682.jpeg 424w, https:\/\/substackcdn.com\/image\/fetch\/w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep\/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9fa9360d-ab2c-47df-b5a4-19948783fe27_1024x682.jpeg 848w, https:\/\/substackcdn.com\/image\/fetch\/w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep\/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9fa9360d-ab2c-47df-b5a4-19948783fe27_1024x682.jpeg 1272w, https:\/\/substackcdn.com\/image\/fetch\/w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep\/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9fa9360d-ab2c-47df-b5a4-19948783fe27_1024x682.jpeg 1456w\" type=\"image\/webp\" sizes=\"100vw\" \/><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/substackcdn.com\/image\/fetch\/w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep\/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9fa9360d-ab2c-47df-b5a4-19948783fe27_1024x682.jpeg\" sizes=\"100vw\" srcset=\"https:\/\/substackcdn.com\/image\/fetch\/w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep\/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9fa9360d-ab2c-47df-b5a4-19948783fe27_1024x682.jpeg 424w, https:\/\/substackcdn.com\/image\/fetch\/w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep\/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9fa9360d-ab2c-47df-b5a4-19948783fe27_1024x682.jpeg 848w, https:\/\/substackcdn.com\/image\/fetch\/w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep\/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9fa9360d-ab2c-47df-b5a4-19948783fe27_1024x682.jpeg 1272w, https:\/\/substackcdn.com\/image\/fetch\/w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep\/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9fa9360d-ab2c-47df-b5a4-19948783fe27_1024x682.jpeg 1456w\" alt=\"\" width=\"364\" height=\"242.4296875\" data-attrs=\"{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/bucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com\/public\/images\/9fa9360d-ab2c-47df-b5a4-19948783fe27_1024x682.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:682,&quot;width&quot;:1024,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:364,&quot;bytes&quot;:101263,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image\/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:null}\" \/><\/picture>\n<div>\u00a0<\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption>Afghan presenter records her morning program at the Zan TV (Women&#8217;s TV) station in Kabul 2017. Photo: Shah Marai<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>I hadn\u2019t seen Tom in years but I thought about him immediately when the United States made its exit. Knowing how much he loved Afghanistan and its people, I wanted to know his thoughts. I asked if he\u2019d be willing to share his feelings with us not only about the past but also about the future of Afghanistan. His insights are deep, they\u2019re important and at times they\u2019re heartbreaking. But they are also hopeful. He knows the story will continue.<\/p>\n<div>\n<figure>\n<div><picture><source srcset=\"https:\/\/substackcdn.com\/image\/fetch\/w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep\/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F52c3e1a2-691f-4d40-bd11-c6aa62d5daa6_4437x2951.jpeg 424w, https:\/\/substackcdn.com\/image\/fetch\/w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep\/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F52c3e1a2-691f-4d40-bd11-c6aa62d5daa6_4437x2951.jpeg 848w, https:\/\/substackcdn.com\/image\/fetch\/w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep\/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F52c3e1a2-691f-4d40-bd11-c6aa62d5daa6_4437x2951.jpeg 1272w, https:\/\/substackcdn.com\/image\/fetch\/w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep\/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F52c3e1a2-691f-4d40-bd11-c6aa62d5daa6_4437x2951.jpeg 1456w\" type=\"image\/webp\" sizes=\"100vw\" \/><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/substackcdn.com\/image\/fetch\/w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep\/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F52c3e1a2-691f-4d40-bd11-c6aa62d5daa6_4437x2951.jpeg\" sizes=\"100vw\" srcset=\"https:\/\/substackcdn.com\/image\/fetch\/w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep\/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F52c3e1a2-691f-4d40-bd11-c6aa62d5daa6_4437x2951.jpeg 424w, https:\/\/substackcdn.com\/image\/fetch\/w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep\/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F52c3e1a2-691f-4d40-bd11-c6aa62d5daa6_4437x2951.jpeg 848w, https:\/\/substackcdn.com\/image\/fetch\/w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep\/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F52c3e1a2-691f-4d40-bd11-c6aa62d5daa6_4437x2951.jpeg 1272w, https:\/\/substackcdn.com\/image\/fetch\/w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep\/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F52c3e1a2-691f-4d40-bd11-c6aa62d5daa6_4437x2951.jpeg 1456w\" alt=\"\" width=\"380\" height=\"252.63736263736263\" data-attrs=\"{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/bucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com\/public\/images\/52c3e1a2-691f-4d40-bd11-c6aa62d5daa6_4437x2951.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:968,&quot;width&quot;:1456,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:380,&quot;bytes&quot;:2292821,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image\/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:null}\" \/><\/picture>\n<div>\u00a0<\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption>Afghan cricket fans watch the live television broadcast of their national cricket team victory in the World Cup 2015. Photo: Noorullah Shirzada<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>Above all, Tom\u2019s stories make the people come alive. Things that seem as common as young people gathered at a coffee shop to watch a cricket match, to women TV anchors reporting the news\u2026all of that is in peril now for the people of Afghanistan. By listening to the voices of those who were actually there, we can bear witness. And we can learn.<\/p>\n<p><em>The audio of the interview:<\/em><\/p>\n<p><iframe src=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/embed\/episode\/5J5NkOF4HB5W7BlNSXwD6u\" width=\"300\" height=\"150\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\" data-attrs=\"{&quot;image&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/i.scdn.co\/image\/ab6765630000ba8a4d30aab957c5f899efaa76bf&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;Conversations with Marianne: Tom Freston&quot;,&quot;subtitle&quot;:&quot;By Marianne Williamson&quot;,&quot;description&quot;:&quot;Podcast episode&quot;,&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/episode\/5J5NkOF4HB5W7BlNSXwD6u&quot;,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true}\" data-component-name=\"Spotify2ToDOM\"><\/iframe><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The phrase \u201cYou live and you learn\u201d doesn\u2019t always apply, as sometimes people live through things and seem to learn nothing at all. Such was the case with America\u2019s war in Vietnam. Obviously we learned basically nothing, given that decades later we enacted pretty much the same debacle in Afghanistan: a war fought with ferocious [&hellip;]<\/p>","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":8131,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[30],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6299","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-afghanistan"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/marianne2024.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6299","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/marianne2024.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/marianne2024.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marianne2024.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/13"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marianne2024.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6299"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/marianne2024.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6299\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marianne2024.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8131"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/marianne2024.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6299"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marianne2024.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6299"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marianne2024.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6299"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}