Iraqis got the same treatment. They went from Evil Sand N-Words to Brilliant Freedom-Loving Patriots as soon as boots hit pavement in Baghdad. Then they vacillated between the two as necessary for domestic media consumption, alternating between oppressed freedom fighters yearning for democracy and soulless jihadist savages who would rather do America-Hating terrorism than accept our enlightenment.
Afghanistan took the same route, particularly at the beginning and tail end of the occupation, when "Poor hard working all-girls high school robotics team" played opposite "Scary bearded man yelling at nice blonde reporter lady in foreign devil tongue" on the evening news.
Either way, it is always the White Man's Burden to rule these countries until they can be brought into the light of modernity, like in... uh... checks notes Qatar and Saudi Arabia.
Iraqis got the same treatment. They went from Evil Sand N-Words to Brilliant Freedom-Loving Patriots as soon as boots hit pavement in Baghdad. Then they vacillated between the two as necessary for domestic media consumption, alternating between oppressed freedom fighters yearning for democracy and soulless jihadist savages who would rather do America-Hating terrorism than accept our enlightenment.
Afghanistan took the same route, particularly at the beginning and tail end of the occupation, when "Poor hard working all-girls high school robotics team" played opposite "Scary bearded man yelling at nice blonde reporter lady in foreign devil tongue" on the evening news.
Either way, it is always the White Man's Burden to rule these countries until they can be brought into the light of modernity, like in... uh... checks notes Qatar and Saudi Arabia.