The little blue bomb wins us wars everywhere!
"Whatever it takes to make friends and influence people – whether it's building a school or handing out Viagra," one veteran CIA officer told The Washington Post.
According to the newspaper, pills to boost the libidos of Afghan tribal patriarchs are the latest in a long line of inducements including medicine or operations for family, toys and school equipment, tooth extractions and visas.
In one case, a warlord aged 60 who was struggling to satisfy his four younger wives was also holding back information that could be crucial to American interests.
A clandestine CIA operatives who was visiting sensed an opportunity and reached into his bag for a small gift of four blue pills. "Take one of these," he said. "You'll love it."
Four days later, the CIA man returned to a beaming warlord – whether there were any smiles form his wives was not reported. The warlord furnished the CIA with invaluable details of Taliban supply routes and movements before requesting more pills.
I picked this particular quote on the funny-ha-ha Viagra story, because it at least refers to the warlord's four wives and the possibility that they might not have been asked about their desire for those little blue pills (or for their desire to marry the man in the first place). And of course it's a different society and of course women don't have a voice about any of these issues. Still, it's weird to read so many funny-ha-ha interpretations of the story, with the very silent four wives somewhere in the background as targets for the miraculous effect of the pill.