Illiterate Doesn't Mean Stupid

The Associated Press is reporting that the Afghan army is hard to train. This struck me as a tad disingenous, and military blogger Thomas Ricks was similarly moved, writing:

"Why? Because the soldiers are illiterate. Pop quiz: How many of the Spartans at Thermopalye were literate? One reason armies have had officers is to ensure that for every 100 or so soldiers, there is someone who can decipher a map and read orders."

Photograph by Massoud Hossaini/AFP-Getty Images