Afghan Tribalism Impairs the Formation of the State

In america, we're used to hearing a narrative puts nationalistic patriotism and family values over on the same side of the ideological spectrum. But that's only because the battle's over. Strong family identity is an obstacle to the construction of larger symbolic identity formations like the nation state. Figuring out how to get non kin to co operate in a sustainable way is a basic human social equation that very few groups ever solve. And sustaining it is a balancing act, a very delicate one.