Episode
#244 – Robert Crews: Afghanistan, Taliban, Bin Laden, and War in the Middle East
2:49:20
Published: Sun Nov 28 2021
Description
Robert Crews is a historian at Stanford, specializing in Afghanistan, Russia, Islam, Central Asia, and South Asia. Please support this podcast by checking out our sponsors: - MUD\WTR: https://mudwtr.com/lex and use code LEX to get 5% off - Ten Thousand: https://www.tenthousand.cc/ and use code LEX to get 15% off - Four Sigmatic: https://foursigmatic.com/lex and use code LexPod to get up to 60% off - Magic Spoon: https://magicspoon.com/lex and use code LEX to get $5 off - Onnit: https://lexfridman.com/onnit to get up to 10% off EPISODE LINKS: Robert's Twitter: https://twitter.com/RobertCrews22 Robert's Stanford page: https://profiles.stanford.edu/robert-crews Afghan Modern (book): https://amzn.to/3nYL5rX PODCAST INFO: Podcast website: https://lexfridman.com/podcast Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/2lwqZIr Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2nEwCF8 RSS: https://lexfridman.com/feed/podcast/ YouTube Full Episodes: https://youtube.com/lexfridman YouTube Clips: https://youtube.com/lexclips SUPPORT & CONNECT: - Check out the sponsors above, it's the best way to support this podcast - Support on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/lexfridman - Twitter: https://twitter.com/lexfridman - Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lexfridman - LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lexfridman - Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lexfridman - Medium: https://medium.com/@lexfridman OUTLINE: Here's the timestamps for the episode. On some podcast players you should be able to click the timestamp to jump to that time. (00:00) - Introduction (06:42) - U.S. invasion of Afghanistan (21:30) - September 11 (39:05) - Bin Laden (1:14:35) - Withdrawal of U.S. troops (2:06:47) - War (2:18:01) - Leadership (2:34:11) - Afghan people (2:43:40) - Rumi
Chapters
The podcast host advertises Mudwater, a coffee alternative, and Four Sigmatic mushroom coffee.
00:00 - 06:57 (06:57)
Summary
The podcast host advertises Mudwater, a coffee alternative, and Four Sigmatic mushroom coffee.
Episode#244 – Robert Crews: Afghanistan, Taliban, Bin Laden, and War in the Middle East
PodcastLex Fridman Podcast
The podcast host invites a guest to share his thoughts and feelings about the events of 9-11 and the subsequent invasion of Afghanistan.
06:57 - 13:37 (06:40)
Summary
The podcast host invites a guest to share his thoughts and feelings about the events of 9-11 and the subsequent invasion of Afghanistan. The guest reflects on his initial reactions to the attacks and the resulting crisis of legitimacy within the White House.
Episode#244 – Robert Crews: Afghanistan, Taliban, Bin Laden, and War in the Middle East
PodcastLex Fridman Podcast
The guest discusses the importance of properly pronouncing the names of countries and the potential harm caused by mispronunciations, particularly in the context of recent events in Afghanistan.
13:37 - 21:09 (07:31)
Summary
The guest discusses the importance of properly pronouncing the names of countries and the potential harm caused by mispronunciations, particularly in the context of recent events in Afghanistan.
Episode#244 – Robert Crews: Afghanistan, Taliban, Bin Laden, and War in the Middle East
PodcastLex Fridman Podcast
The conversation about the events in Afghanistan is concerning due to the lack of understanding by the imperial power, the US, which goes beyond Afghanistan's history and religious traditions.
21:09 - 27:12 (06:02)
Summary
The conversation about the events in Afghanistan is concerning due to the lack of understanding by the imperial power, the US, which goes beyond Afghanistan's history and religious traditions. The speaker highlights the need to shift perspectives and analyze the situation from a broader perspective.
Episode#244 – Robert Crews: Afghanistan, Taliban, Bin Laden, and War in the Middle East
PodcastLex Fridman Podcast
The Afghanistan War was motivated by a desire for revenge, the need to show the legitimacy of the Bush administration, and the belief that intimidating the Taliban would prevent future attacks.
27:12 - 37:30 (10:18)
Summary
The Afghanistan War was motivated by a desire for revenge, the need to show the legitimacy of the Bush administration, and the belief that intimidating the Taliban would prevent future attacks. However, alternative policies could have been pursued at that time.
Episode#244 – Robert Crews: Afghanistan, Taliban, Bin Laden, and War in the Middle East
PodcastLex Fridman Podcast
Modern Muslim authorities with secular university educations in fields such as natural sciences and engineering are applying their educational background to the religious sciences, a field traditionally requiring decades of training before one becomes authoritative to speak on certain topics.
37:30 - 44:43 (07:12)
Summary
Modern Muslim authorities with secular university educations in fields such as natural sciences and engineering are applying their educational background to the religious sciences, a field traditionally requiring decades of training before one becomes authoritative to speak on certain topics. The backgrounds of global jihadists are primarily in practical sciences and professions rather than Islamic scholarship.
Episode#244 – Robert Crews: Afghanistan, Taliban, Bin Laden, and War in the Middle East
PodcastLex Fridman Podcast
The podcast discusses the need for a more pluralistic accommodations approach to our enemies, as suggested by Barnett Rubin, an Afghanistan expert.
44:43 - 51:10 (06:26)
Summary
The podcast discusses the need for a more pluralistic accommodations approach to our enemies, as suggested by Barnett Rubin, an Afghanistan expert. The conversation centers around the shock young people feel when they hear about the US's situation during 9-11 and how some interpreted the Soviet retreat across a bridge as a sign of world-changing possibilities.
Episode#244 – Robert Crews: Afghanistan, Taliban, Bin Laden, and War in the Middle East
PodcastLex Fridman Podcast
The feminist argument about honor killings is often misunderstood and portrayed as an irrational and cultural practice.
51:10 - 55:55 (04:45)
Summary
The feminist argument about honor killings is often misunderstood and portrayed as an irrational and cultural practice. However, this argument starts with acknowledging that honor killings are a form of murder, and there is nothing honorable or justified about them.
Episode#244 – Robert Crews: Afghanistan, Taliban, Bin Laden, and War in the Middle East
PodcastLex Fridman Podcast
The subculture of Islamist jihadists uses invisibility as a productive force of power by staying in the shadows and inviting the idea of authority, making it a mode of political contestation beyond religious augmentation.
55:55 - 1:08:55 (13:00)
Summary
The subculture of Islamist jihadists uses invisibility as a productive force of power by staying in the shadows and inviting the idea of authority, making it a mode of political contestation beyond religious augmentation. This mode of political contestation should be considered for factors such as geopolitics, inequality, climate crisis, and various other matters that evoke the subculture's response.
Episode#244 – Robert Crews: Afghanistan, Taliban, Bin Laden, and War in the Middle East
PodcastLex Fridman Podcast
The US’ status as a hyper power in the early 2000s made it an irresistible target, leading to schadenfreude in Latin America.
1:08:55 - 1:14:43 (05:47)
Summary
The US’ status as a hyper power in the early 2000s made it an irresistible target, leading to schadenfreude in Latin America. This episode looks into the factors that led to Osama Bin Laden and other radical groups gaining support in the region.
Episode#244 – Robert Crews: Afghanistan, Taliban, Bin Laden, and War in the Middle East
PodcastLex Fridman Podcast
The Taliban, despite being a hodgepodge of different actors and people with competing interests, has a powerful brand that results in the behavior of its members and draws in new recruits who are drawn to radicalism.
1:14:43 - 1:23:47 (09:03)
Summary
The Taliban, despite being a hodgepodge of different actors and people with competing interests, has a powerful brand that results in the behavior of its members and draws in new recruits who are drawn to radicalism.
Episode#244 – Robert Crews: Afghanistan, Taliban, Bin Laden, and War in the Middle East
PodcastLex Fridman Podcast
The Taliban faces challenges in understanding and accepting women's rights and other ideas that are alien to them, according to journalist Anand Gopal.
1:23:48 - 1:30:48 (07:00)
Summary
The Taliban faces challenges in understanding and accepting women's rights and other ideas that are alien to them, according to journalist Anand Gopal. Also, many Taliban foot soldiers have lost their families in bombing raids, making peace even more complex to achieve.
Episode#244 – Robert Crews: Afghanistan, Taliban, Bin Laden, and War in the Middle East
PodcastLex Fridman Podcast
The Putin administration is concerned about the possibility of the Taliban expanding its influence in Central Asia, potentially infecting countries such as Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, and Kazakhstan and moving into Russia's sphere of influence.
1:30:48 - 1:39:19 (08:31)
Summary
The Putin administration is concerned about the possibility of the Taliban expanding its influence in Central Asia, potentially infecting countries such as Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, and Kazakhstan and moving into Russia's sphere of influence. Meanwhile, current arrangements allow Uzbekistan to make money from contracts and keep the pipeline dream alive.
Episode#244 – Robert Crews: Afghanistan, Taliban, Bin Laden, and War in the Middle East
PodcastLex Fridman Podcast
The US has a lack of knowledge about Afghanistan despite its involvement and aid over the years, with coverage of the country barely present in mainstream media today.
1:39:19 - 1:47:38 (08:18)
Summary
The US has a lack of knowledge about Afghanistan despite its involvement and aid over the years, with coverage of the country barely present in mainstream media today.
Episode#244 – Robert Crews: Afghanistan, Taliban, Bin Laden, and War in the Middle East
PodcastLex Fridman Podcast
The speaker discusses different narratives about why Americans are in Afghanistan and emphasizes the complexity of the region and its history of trade and movement.
1:47:38 - 1:54:08 (06:30)
Summary
The speaker discusses different narratives about why Americans are in Afghanistan and emphasizes the complexity of the region and its history of trade and movement.
Episode#244 – Robert Crews: Afghanistan, Taliban, Bin Laden, and War in the Middle East
PodcastLex Fridman Podcast
Despite low literacy rates, technology and access to information has played a large role in Afghanistan's 20 years of war, particularly for women who were disproportionately affected by the Taliban's rise to power in 2001.
1:54:08 - 2:03:59 (09:51)
Summary
Despite low literacy rates, technology and access to information has played a large role in Afghanistan's 20 years of war, particularly for women who were disproportionately affected by the Taliban's rise to power in 2001.
Episode#244 – Robert Crews: Afghanistan, Taliban, Bin Laden, and War in the Middle East
PodcastLex Fridman Podcast
The discussion revolves around how ideas like neoliberalism, capitalism or humanitarianism affect power in ways that often harm people and how military veterans have worked towards getting out people they know are owed something.
2:03:59 - 2:17:01 (13:01)
Summary
The discussion revolves around how ideas like neoliberalism, capitalism or humanitarianism affect power in ways that often harm people and how military veterans have worked towards getting out people they know are owed something. The theme of research showcased by the speaker is empire and the way big states work on big territories along with the projection of power beyond state boundaries in ways that aren’t highlighted.
Episode#244 – Robert Crews: Afghanistan, Taliban, Bin Laden, and War in the Middle East
PodcastLex Fridman Podcast
The aftermath of the Afghanistan war calls for a conversation with American veterans about their experiences, leading to a reckoning regarding America's militaristic tendencies and budget allocation towards military power.
2:17:02 - 2:22:58 (05:56)
Summary
The aftermath of the Afghanistan war calls for a conversation with American veterans about their experiences, leading to a reckoning regarding America's militaristic tendencies and budget allocation towards military power.
Episode#244 – Robert Crews: Afghanistan, Taliban, Bin Laden, and War in the Middle East
PodcastLex Fridman Podcast
In this podcast, the speaker talks about the importance of truth and transparency in leadership during a crisis, particularly in the current moment of democracy crisis in the US, which includes the drone strike on a family in Kabul during the US's exit from Afghanistan.
2:22:58 - 2:34:07 (11:08)
Summary
In this podcast, the speaker talks about the importance of truth and transparency in leadership during a crisis, particularly in the current moment of democracy crisis in the US, which includes the drone strike on a family in Kabul during the US's exit from Afghanistan.
Episode#244 – Robert Crews: Afghanistan, Taliban, Bin Laden, and War in the Middle East
PodcastLex Fridman Podcast
The hospitality, humor, and generosity of Afghan culture are often overshadowed by geopolitics and language barriers.
2:34:08 - 2:43:33 (09:24)
Summary
The hospitality, humor, and generosity of Afghan culture are often overshadowed by geopolitics and language barriers. Understanding and appreciating these aspects of Afghan culture is important for building connections and relationships.
Episode#244 – Robert Crews: Afghanistan, Taliban, Bin Laden, and War in the Middle East
PodcastLex Fridman Podcast
The speaker discusses how Afghans, who have had to adapt out of necessity and survival, have a complex understanding of the poet Rumi, whom they see as a spiritualist, ethicist, and moralist.
2:43:33 - 2:49:00 (05:27)
Summary
The speaker discusses how Afghans, who have had to adapt out of necessity and survival, have a complex understanding of the poet Rumi, whom they see as a spiritualist, ethicist, and moralist.