Ah for the days of the Taliban!

Have just read Stephen Lendman's review of the new John Pilger book on znet.com. It's the usual leftist stuff but one quote stood out in particular for me:

"Life was no bed of roses under the Taliban. But despite their ultra-puritanical ways and harsh treatment for the disobedient, at least they kept order and wouldn’t tolerate banditry, rape or murder."

Ah how nice of them! How did they keep 'order' I wonder?

Well they punished thieves by chopping their hands off for a start. Order was also kept in family affairs as they stoned to death women who committed adultery. Talking of women, weren't they the ones who were prevented from wearing what they liked and barred from attending schools?

The Taliban certainly did not tolerate banditry particularly bum banditry. Homosexuality was illegal and men were executed for committing sodomy.

Oh, but those glorious days are gone forever now as the Americans came in and ruined the party. Suddenly the country is awash with anal sex, adultery and educated women (sounds like Australia to me). Damn those yanks! If only the Taliban were back in power, they wouldn't tolerate this one bit! Hell no. They'd be stoning people left right and centre and hanging gays for fun. But hey, that'd be OK. Why? Well they'd be keeping order of course but more importantly, they hate the Yanks. And let's face it that's the real reason the likes of Lendmen get misty eyed in reminiscing about those good Taliban folks - all of their niggling faults (hey, who hasn't stoned an adulterer to death before) can be forgiven if they stand up to the big bully uncle Sam.

How has the left come to this?