Greg Mortenson Comes to Utah - My thoughts on his book.

The Standard Examiner had a little review of Mr. Greg Mortenson in preparation for his visit to Utah on Friday. Reporter J. Michael Call has a little phone interview with the author of the best selling book, Three Cups of Tea.  It is a very interesting book about a man who spends his time in Pakistan and Afghanistan building schools.  These schools have the noble mission of teaching young women and others to be educated.  They learn to read and understand Arabic, to grow and develop their minds so radical ideology will simply skim off the surface when they are faced with it.

However I have a number of issues with Mr. Mortenson's book.  Though I love his mission, I find him kind of a hypocrite and self serving in the end.  His book is an amazing story but he contradicts himself which causes me to often question his motives.

For example, Mr. Mortenson mentions a visit with Mouzefer Ali, his porter, and says the following:

"But what Mortenson found most impressive about Mouzafer was that he’d never mentioned his accomplishments in all the time they’d spent walking and talking."

Greg often brags about his ability to get things done and make things happen.  Many of the chapters were filled with his terrible situation, when it could have been spent on more details on how we can help bring his cause to light.

His constant challenge for his mission is--money.  Regularly he shows his frustration for the "laptop warriors" and refuses any money from the United States government.  Even when they find ways to anonymously funnel the money into his program he refuses it.  He feels his reputation would be destroyed because he associates with the government.  However he quickly defends Mother Teresa for taking money from criminals when he says the following:

"Mortenson had heard the criticism of the woman who lay on a cot before him ratchet up in the years before her death. He’d read her defense of her practice of taking donations from unsavory sources, like drug dealers, corporate criminals, and corrupt politicians hoping to purchase their own path to salvation. After his own struggle to raise funds for the children of Pakistan, he felt he understood what had driven her to famously dismiss her critics by saying, “I don’t care where the money comes from. It’s all washed clean in the service of God.”

You see! He complains about America doing nothing, refuses to take the money offered him (Millions I may add) and denies it under the guise that American Government would be evil in Afghanistan.  People wouldn't trust his program if he used our money. How does that differ from what Mother Teresa did? How does this excuse his defense of her means?

Then he turns around and acts embarrassed when the money is spent not in the way he wants it to be, even though we [the government] offered it to him first.

“But where was the aid? I’d heard so much about what America promised Afghanistan’s people while I was at home—how rebuilding the country was one of our top priorities. But being there, and seeing so little evidence of help for Afghanistan’s children, particularly from the United States, was really embarrassing and frustrating for me.”

In then end he cheers the fact he never took any money from the government out a worry for his reputation, but really did his own mission and goals a disservice. I am not claiming to be an expert in Afghan relations and understand his reasoning, but they offered solutions to his problem.

I wish him the best of luck and I think what he is doing is amazing.  But please don't come here and trash on America. Especially when we offered to help you and then go around claim you are better than our money.