A Reporter Plays Afghan Police Officer

I just finished reading this CSM story about a US filmmaker who pretends to be a cop and sets up a roadblock in Afghanistan. But, instead of soliciting bribes from people, he gives them money. The story explains that McClatchy reporters bought police uniforms and equipment ($13) and then set up the roadblock. Once there, they gave drivers $2 each and apologized for the fact that police officers normally take bribes. Some drivers refused. The story says that at the end, the reporters had about $8 left, which when the real cops asked for it, they gave them.

This strikes me as a pretty silly stunt and a useless one at that: doing this kind of thing is supposed to help how exactly? I really don't get what they hoped to accomplish. We know Afghan cops are corrupt, underpaid, that their work is dangerous, and that they suffer a disproportionate amount of casualties.

On a different note, for the duration of the World Cup, I've given up my French citizenship. Seriously--between the coach (incompetent and crazy) and the players (selfish idiots), they don't deserve to move to the next round.