How Do Groups Like the Taliban Become So Powerful?

For every misguided action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.

Two women walk past the huge cavity where one of the ancient Buddhas of Bamiyan, known to locals as the “Father Buddha,” used to stand, June 17, 2012. The monumental statues were built in A.D. 507 and 554 and were the largest statues of standing Buddha on Earth until the Taliban dynamited them in 2001. 7th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment. Photo by Sgt. Ken Scar. Date Taken:06.17.2012 Location:BAMYAN PROVINCE, AF. (DVIDSHUB)

The news coming out of Afghanistan in recent weeks has troubled the world. It is 2021, and the revolution (for good or ill) will be live-streamed.

As bad as the violence has been on the ground in Afghanistan, the worst is far from over for the Afghan people. The Taliban, well-known…