JIM KLUSMAN introduced fellow Ratarian ZARJON BAHA, who gave us a lesson in the “yesteryears” of Afghanistan. 
Growing up in a village 60 miles southwest of Kabul, where the 100 or so families were related, he was among the first to have a school to attend. He walked five miles each way for the first 6 years. That was the extent of formal education unless you were the first in your class, which meant a scholarship to attend boarding school. ZARJON was that student. His uncle was the chief of the village, but could neither read nor write. It was hoped that ZARJON would be able to help his uncle.
The economic situation was bleak. Most people lived a very primitive life. Families lived in a tribal system. They needed to work hard to make any progress in life. He feels he was very lucky. Opportunities kept presenting themselves as he progressed through school. His decision not to work for a corrupt government led him into academia, where he had the opportunity to receive his Masters Degree from Purdue and his Ph.D from North Carolina State University. He was Dean of the Engineering School in Kabul when life became intolerable and he moved permanently to the U.S.
When asked how the Taliban became so powerful, he explained that there was a power vacuum after the Soviet Union pulled out of Afghanistan. There was no rule of law. The Taliban brought security, so people invited them in.