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| Afghanistan |
| Afghanistan deal |
| 2014-09-22 |
| [DAWN] THE election deal secured in Afghanistan by the international community yesterday cannot really be called democratic, but at least it has given the country a chance to establish relative peace and stability. Unhappily, three elections into a new era aspiring towards democracy, the Afghan electoral process remains hostage to back-room deals, powerbrokers and warlords. Without forgetting Pakistain's own struggles with democracy over more than six decades, the most worrying part about the post-2001 Afghan political system is that it does not quite give an impression of being sustainable. If elections are to be a complete sham -- the winner was announced yesterday by the Independent Election Commission chairman without even sharing a final vote count -- and do not incrementally move towards the goal of transparency and fairness, then surely at some point behind-the-scenes powerbrokers inside Afghanistan may dispense with the façade altogether. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #6 Re:#2 Syngman Rhee (South Korea) |
| Posted by: borgboy 2014-09-22 17:33 |
| #5 a depot who improved his barbarians enough to enjoy a democracy. Or a republic. What about Taiwan, Bobby? I understand that was the plan. |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2014-09-22 15:46 |
| #4 Franco, #2. |
| Posted by: g(r)omgoru 2014-09-22 12:24 |
| #3 The struggle between Liberty and Authority is the most conspicuous feature in the portions of history with which we are earliest familiar, particularly in that of Greece, Rome, and England. The struggle still goes on. |
| Posted by: JohnQC 2014-09-22 10:26 |
| #2 Interesting, g(r)om. I am trying to think of a depot who improved his barbarians enough to enjoy a democracy. Or a republic. |
| Posted by: Bobby 2014-09-22 09:12 |
| #1 Despotism is a legitimate mode of government in dealing with barbarians, provided the end be their improvement, and the means justified by actually effecting that end. Liberty, as a principle, has no application to any state of things anterior to the time when mankind have become capable of being improved by free and equal discussion. Until then, there is nothing for them but implicit obedience to an Akbar or a Charlemagne, if they are so fortunate as to find one. J.S. Mill On Liberty |
| Posted by: g(r)omgoru 2014-09-22 03:09 |