Thomas P.M. Barnett :: Weblog

ARTICLE: "Afghan Ministry Bans the Broadcast of 5 Foreign Soap Operas," by Abdul Waheed Wafa and Carlotta Gall, New York Times, 22 April 2008, p. A6.

Would I like no censorship at all? Actually no. Even I, living in the decadent West, want some controls, especially when kids are involved.

So no surprise, after four years in which boundaries are tested by foreign shows, Afghan conservatives strike back and demand more control—just too much for "Afghan religion and culture."

Afghan version of "American Idol"? Okay and hugely popular.

But the Indian soap where the heroine tries to convince her husband that she is not having an affair with a tycoon? Apparently, a bit much for now.

And I emphasize the "for now." We didn't jump from 1920s sensibilities to modern crassness over night, so why expect anybody else to do the same.

Better to focus on the connectivity and allow the content control. The former does its long-term magic, and inevitably, the latter comes under assault by the next generation uninterested in living in the walled garden.