worldpol, numerology, culture, military abuses
I have a hunch that (a) these two facts are not going to go well together (b) we're never gonna hear a goddamn thing about it in Western news:
[1] Australian special forces unlawfully killed 39 Afghani civilians.
[2] The number 39 is a widely reviled and insulting cultural trope in Afghanistan.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curse_of_39
I mean, I only knew about this because, well, I'm me. I have a lot of spare time on my hands and a lifelong borderline-mystic obsession with numbers. And I'm sure it's a coincidence. But this is a BIG DEAL in Afghanistan and it's weird not seeing anyone else be shocked at seeing that big ol' 39 popping up in this potentially disastrous context...