That famous line - what have the Romans ever for us? - from the hilarious
activists' (Reg and the lads) scene in the wonderfully funny "Life of Brian" film is
concluded with:
"All right... all right... but apart from better sanitation and medicine and education and irrigation and public health and roads and a freshwater system and baths and public order... what have the Romans done for us?
And so it has been throughout history. People disaffected with their society form their own little groupings in protest, sometimes to just sit around and complain verbally, others to take a more direct action. Whether social, political, military or even terrorist. All have their own little agenda, some, far more legitimate than others, whether for a genuine cause in protest, simply as an easier route to making money than entering gainful employment, or to ultimately be awarded in the Queen’s Honours.
Some leave behind a legacy that enters the history books as a landmark - the ending of apartheid in South Africa, the Arab Spring, Gerry Adams shaking Ian Paisley’s hand or even the government acceding to lorry drivers’ protests and not increasing the price of diesel.
However, there is one group who, uniquely leave behind a legacy of total nothingness.
A group who have not developed anything of value, have won no accolades or awards for helping their people, have no famous scholars, scientists or inventors.
A group that has, in reality, contributed absolutely nothing whatsoever to the fabric of their or anyone else's society.
A barbaric group of sub-humans who know only how to murder and repress and have absolutely zero family values. Something, which, in the 21st Century, might be seen as rather bizarre.
This group takes pride in the fact that it shoots young schoolgirls who want to go to school. It threatens and then murders the children of men who are in the police force and refuse to leave. It enforces a ban on women studying at schools, universities or any other educational institution, cuts their fingers off if they are seen wearing nail polish, stones them to death as adultresses if they are are smelled by a man to be wearing perfume, and in fact, simply bans women from doing virtually anything in public or being seen to enjoy themselves, in essence relegating them to a housebound, meal-producing, housekeeping baby factory just there not to be seen and not to be heard.
The group also bans music, films, applause, Western forenames, the internet, kills converts from its religion, expects its people to pray five times a day, expects non-faith members to wear a badge (like the Nazis did to the Jews), its men must have long beards and must wear a turban at all times.
And so on. Ad nauseum.
And who are these wonderful people?
The Taliban.
"All right... all right... but apart from better sanitation and medicine and education and irrigation and public health and roads and a freshwater system and baths and public order... what have the Romans done for us?
And so it has been throughout history. People disaffected with their society form their own little groupings in protest, sometimes to just sit around and complain verbally, others to take a more direct action. Whether social, political, military or even terrorist. All have their own little agenda, some, far more legitimate than others, whether for a genuine cause in protest, simply as an easier route to making money than entering gainful employment, or to ultimately be awarded in the Queen’s Honours.
Some leave behind a legacy that enters the history books as a landmark - the ending of apartheid in South Africa, the Arab Spring, Gerry Adams shaking Ian Paisley’s hand or even the government acceding to lorry drivers’ protests and not increasing the price of diesel.
However, there is one group who, uniquely leave behind a legacy of total nothingness.
A group who have not developed anything of value, have won no accolades or awards for helping their people, have no famous scholars, scientists or inventors.
A group that has, in reality, contributed absolutely nothing whatsoever to the fabric of their or anyone else's society.
A barbaric group of sub-humans who know only how to murder and repress and have absolutely zero family values. Something, which, in the 21st Century, might be seen as rather bizarre.
This group takes pride in the fact that it shoots young schoolgirls who want to go to school. It threatens and then murders the children of men who are in the police force and refuse to leave. It enforces a ban on women studying at schools, universities or any other educational institution, cuts their fingers off if they are seen wearing nail polish, stones them to death as adultresses if they are are smelled by a man to be wearing perfume, and in fact, simply bans women from doing virtually anything in public or being seen to enjoy themselves, in essence relegating them to a housebound, meal-producing, housekeeping baby factory just there not to be seen and not to be heard.
The group also bans music, films, applause, Western forenames, the internet, kills converts from its religion, expects its people to pray five times a day, expects non-faith members to wear a badge (like the Nazis did to the Jews), its men must have long beards and must wear a turban at all times.
And so on. Ad nauseum.
And who are these wonderful people?
The Taliban.
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