The first thing to recognize not just about Afghanistan but about any poor undeveloped country is that as big as it looks on the map, it's much bigger when you're there.
Robert D. KaplanRead
Wherever you have weakening states and turmoil, you will have a fertile petri dish for terrorism.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Turbulent environments often breed conditions that foster terrorism.
This quote by Robert D. Kaplan suggests that areas experiencing instability and chaos are more likely to become breeding grounds for terrorism. When states are weak and plagued by disorder, it creates an environment where extremist ideologies can flourish, taking advantage of the void left by ineffective governance and societal unrest.
Themes
TerrorismTurmoilInstabilityWeak StatesChaos
In practice
Example use cases
During a speech on national security, the leader referenced Kaplan's quote to emphasize the need for strong international cooperation.
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All quotes →What does the earth look like in the places where people commit atrocities? Is there a bad smell, a genius loci, something about the landscape that might incriminate?
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