Revolution Unending: Afghanistan, 1979 to the Present (The CERI Series in Comparative Politics and International Studies) - Hardcover

Dorronsoro, Gilles

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0231136269 ISBN 13: 9780231136266

Publisher: Columbia University Press, 2005

Synopsis

Having traveled and researched in Afghanistan since 1988, Gilles Dorronsoro has developed a rich and nuanced understanding of the country's history and people. In Revolution Unending he draws on his extensive firsthand experience to consider the political, historical, economic, and ethnic factors that will influence Afghanistan's future. He argues that U.S. optimism about Afghanistan following Western intervention and recent elections fails to appreciate the divisions that continue to define the country.

While not underestimating the oft-cited "ethnic factor" in Afghan politics, especially Pashtun dominance, Dorronsoro argues that class and the competition for employment and education are key factors in explaining the country's recent past. The 1990s saw the triumph of religious authorities (the ulema) and the marginalization of the traditional elites. With coalition intervention in 2001 and the subsequent deposition of the ulema-dominated Taliban, the educated elites are back in power. However, as Dorronsoro argues, patching up the country by means of short-term ethnic alliances and a new division of the spoils will only perpetuate the schisms in society. The Afghan civil war, Dorronsoro suggests, is set to continue and perhaps worsen over time.

About this title

About the Author

Gilles Dorronsoro is professor of political science, Paris I (Pantheon-Sorbonne). He has written extensively on Afghan and Central Asian politics and is a member of the editorial committees of Cultures and Conflicts and Central Asian Literature.

Reviews

The ongoing violence in Iraq has forced Afghanistan off the front pages. Some staunch supporters of Bush foreign policy even point to the "great success" in Afghanistan. But, as this vital and disturbing work asserts, this is a story still being written, and the ending is far from certain. Professor Dorronsoro (of the Sorbonne) has traveled and researched extensively in Afghanistan since 1988, and his book is not balanced; he seems to have an anti-American bias, and he often recklessly accuses the U.S. of "hegemony," "imperialism," and "war crimes." Nevertheless, he knows his subject, and he provides a necessary examination of Afghanistan's recent past, present, and future possibilities. He offers a convincing explanation for both the Soviet invasion and failures, and his account of the rise of the Taliban and their connections to Pakistan is particularly interesting. Despite the elections last year, Dorronsoro views the current "national" government as a virtual creation of foreign governments and international organizations. The challenge is to somehow create a national identity that can transcend ethnic and class differences. A timely and valuable work. Jay Freeman
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Edition details

• Publisher: Columbia University Press
• Publication date: 2005
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0231136269
• ISBN 13: 9780231136266
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 385