Tribes and Civilization
by Warren Coats

I arrived in Dubai on my way to Kabul to the breaking news of the Virginia Tech massacre. I was secretly hoping that the shooter (did we switch to shooter because it was more gender neutral than gunman?) would be the deranged ancestor of a Plymouth Rock pilgrim. He turned out to be a deranged legal Korean immigrant and VA Tech student. It could have been much worse, though that may not be a good choice of word. Thank God that his poor family has finally spoken up.

The embarrassed reaction in Korea set me thinking about the strong role that tribe, clan, and family have always played in civilized life. The protection of the clan may have helped make civilization possible, but this hard wired affinity to family and suspicion of, if not aversion to, “otherness” is now a potential impediment to a good life. The fierce commitment to ones ethnic group here in Afghanistan (Pashtun 42%, Tajik 27%, Hazara 9%, Uzbek 9%, Aimak 4%, Turkmen 3%, Baloch 2%, and other 4%) is a driving and potentially ruinous reality in public life and could subvert efforts to establish a viable and just democracy.

Denying the reality of such emotions is neither honest nor helpful. Like the embarrassed Koreans I am embarrassed when one of my fellow Americans misbehaves abroad and proud when one does well (e.g., an Olympic Gold metal). Though I am a WASP, my shame or pride is pretty much the same whatever her color or ethnic background. She is a member of my team. I know there are other good teams out there, but America is my team and I care how it performs. Civilized societies find constructive ways to temper, live with, and balance these powerful instincts. I also think that America is exceptional, not just another team, in providing a society in which we may each pursue our own goals and ambitions freely while allowing others to do the same. It is because of this exceptionalism that our moral failures of recent years (e.g. torture and imprisonment without charges, etc.) are so especially appalling, a point I have made many times.

When I made my first appearance of this trip at Da Afghanistan Bank (DAB – Afghanistan’s central bank), young Masood, the girl Friday (house boy really) at the IMF office in DAB, unlocked the security door and greeted me warmly with his big smile and double handshake. His bare feet, which makes them easier to wash before prayer, added to the family like atmosphere in the well fortified IMF suite on the third floor of DAB. I love returning to familiar people and places.

On this occasion Masood, who spends a lot of time making tea, opening the locked door and watching TV, asked me: “Sir, what is the meaning of ‘Make yourself at home?’” I am not sure whether his question came from an English lesson he might be taking, something he heard on English language TV, or something he heard me say to a visitor to my office (the one with sandbags in front of the window that is nearby). I did my best to explain. The next day as I left he asked: “Sir, what is the meaning of ‘Good fences make good neighbors?’” Being an economist I naturally said something about the virtues of well defined property rights, but feel free to send me how you would have answered him.

Warren Coats is an international monetary consultant.