You do realise the Taliban are specifically opposed to Western education, especially the education of women. You have groups like Boko Haram (literally "Western education is sinful").

Dropping books on villages when the security situation hasn't been established is akin to dropping landmines - anyone who picks one up and takes it home risks being killed.

There is a very good reason the Afghan campaign was about providing security in an area first then building schools, providing power, healthcare etc.

The problem is that Helmand province (especially) is so close the Pakistani border, and thus limitless reinforcements, providing the security there to do anything else is nigh on impossible.

Educating new generations is vital to the effort to replace these heinous groups with sane, functioning societies. Just because 'its hard to educate' doesn't justify the continued killing of innocents.

No-one is saying that we shouldn't try to educate our potential enemies, especially in places like Afghanistan. I'm just pointing out that your "drop books on them instead" it fatuous and wouldn't work.

Provide the security so that people won't be killed for being educated, and education is best. Educating without security just leads to dead kids.

Look, take the amount of technology developed to murder, kill and maim - and instead use that same degree of technology to educate, enlighten, and liberate. How hard is it to understand this concept?

It was once very, very difficult to drop a bomb on a childs head from afar - you used to have to do a lot more. Now its 'easy', relatively speaking. Imagine if that same scale of efficacy were applied, instead, to educating - to healing - to helping instead of killing.

What would the "B1 Bomber" of education systems look like? Lets develop it, and deliver.

Most Americans think we already spend too much on foreign aid. So, politically what you are proposing isn't going to work. Perhaps a privately funded solution. The "Three Cups of Tea" author was doing some of this but it turned out he wasn't completely honest.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_Cups_of_Tea

>>Most Americans think we already spend too much on foreign aid.

I've yet to meet an American who thinks the Trillion dollar military-industrial debt that they owe has been worth it.

At all.

My statement was in response to someone who thought we should give more money in foreign aid, which I would be in favor.

Your statement is simply a complaint that really has no relevance. Are you in favor of giving more in foreign aid, to help build schools, etc?

Do you realis that the US presence in the Midle East is fundamental for the empowering of the Taliban, don't you?

Of course, if not for the US, some other bully would be there, I perfectly understand that. Thus, no need of answering anything along those lines.

It isn't just the military presence that drives fundamentalist Islam. "The Great Satan" is evil because of culture - educating children will also be seen part of the same evil - Westernisation.

cf Boko Haram - the Nigerian group whose name is literally "Western education is sinful".