Another words liberals should be taken at their word and you would want a different standard for conservatives?
That's between you and who you discuss with. For me, if you wish to know something, I'll see what I can do to explain. Let me explain this...
The military has spent 8 years in Afghanistan developing cultural knowledge and wisdom. It has spent 11 years studying the Iraqi culture (ignored by the Rumsfeld coven) and another 6 years in Iraq up close with the culture. Couped with my persoinal dribve to undertand my enemy and my personal education in Middle Eastern studies I feel confident enough to carry on a discussion (if only to understand things a bit better for myself).
They are two different cultures and thusly two diffferent kinds of people. If you still refuse to see this then let me put it to you a different way...
The Russians were at a crossroad after the Berlin Wall came down. They could have traveled the western world of success or sought something familiar. In the later part of Yeltsin's presidency and throughout Putin's, they chose to surrender their individual liberties and freedoms one by one in exchange for security. Is something western Europeans could do? Americans? These are different civilizations with different cultures and histories. The Middle East is no different.
But if you prefer to "nu-uh" what I offer or to fall back on the "prove it" dismissals while refusing to perform a simple google search, then live in ignorance and do me a favor - ignore me.
What about Afghanistan? No higher education there?
As compared to Iraq? No. Don't confuse the difference between individuals and a society. The population of Afghanistan is largely "clan" based. Iraq is "tribal" based. Those who are educated in Afghanistan spend an enormous amount of time focused on clan power and preservation over national good.
Iraq spent a few years battering their way through their historical tendency's to hate each other. The Shia sought revenge while the Sunni sought to further prove their superiority. In the end, the two distinct tribes grew tired of swimming in Muslim blood. What they have is their long line of educational base amongst its population to push foreward. Afghanistan does not have this advantage. They are clan (gang, thugs, warlords,) based. Those who lived in the cities were only somewhat educated if they were males and they were subjected to Saudi built Madrasahs where religious Sharia was a big part of curriculum. Or do you think the secular Saddam Hussein and the religious Tali-Ban had similar goals in its education systems?
Think of Somalia and the almost impossibility of national unity and you will have an idea of what your troops are dealing with in Afghanistan while our politicians far away in Washington profess to know what's best.
