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In this metaphor, the first boyfriend being cheated on is the Taliban? That's not really a "his girlfriend got seduced by another guy" situation so much as a "when he tried to help his murderer friend hide from the cops, his abuse victim made a break for it and told them" situation. Maybe it's a risky idea to date this girl, but if the guy gets off on a technicality it still seems cruel to send her back.
Yes, and I think the "her boyfriend is evil/abusive (but she was still staying with him until I came along) and I am much better so surely she wouldn't cheat on me, a much better man" sentiment is part of the trope as well. We need to be careful how much we buy into American propaganda about the Taliban being an unpopular dictatorship - of course they would say that because "we're not invading, we're bringing liberty to oppressed peoples" is an important part of their narrative. The actual observations, including the evident low enthusiasm of most Afghans to defend the American-installed government, the doggedness with which the Taliban and their supporters continued fighting and the ease with which they reestablished themselves after the US withdrawal, as well as the continuous trickle of information about the depravity the US had to enable to keep at least a portion of local elites committed to their cause, is really quite consistent with the Taliban having a Mandate of Heaven over Afghanistan.
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This.
The idea that anyone would naturally own allegiance to the Taliban just by being born in Afghanistan and would be some kind of oath-breaker if he helped the US is absurd.
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