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Afghanistan
Afghans fear for future when Nato forces leave
2012-03-26
Sucks to live in a backwards country, doesn't it. Perhaps you should choose sides...
Posted by:Besoeker

#13  There are no 'Afghans'. There are Pashtuns, Uzbecks, Tadjiks, Azaris and a few others.
Posted by: phil_b   2012-03-26 21:22  

#12  non-reciprocal culture CANNOT create enough comparative advantage to have the wealth to lift it towards "democracy and freedom"
Posted by: Bright Pebbles   2012-03-26 21:05  

#11  Yosemite Sam, I agree. I've become a believer in the J curve. Once a society makes a high enough GDP democracy and freedom generally follow. Try to force democracy and freedom in before the population is ready and you will be disappointed.

Should have creamed the Taliban, hunted Al Queda and put the Northern Alliance in power (with the old constitution as a fig leaf). Then made war on drug growers and Al Quesa for a year, then decide what to do but always keep a small footprint and avoid nationbuilding.

Having said that I think we will be happier knowing we tried before turning our backs ones third world nations sink into conflict.
Posted by: Rjschwarz   2012-03-26 18:54  

#10  It would have been a HELL of a lot easier for all concerned (and cheaper for us) if we'd just bombed the hell out of them on September 12, 2001. And bounced the rubble every year or so. >:-(
Posted by: Barbara   2012-03-26 18:15  

#9  If we're lucky, after the last Afghan murders the next to last Afghan, he will eat himself.
Posted by: Shimble Guelph5793   2012-03-26 18:14  

#8  The real problem with democracy in Afghanistan is that an electorate consisting of vicious barbarians will not select a government any better than itself. FIFY.
Posted by: Anguper Hupomosing9418   2012-03-26 17:23  

#7  we will have have no peace.
Posted by: Zhang Fei   2012-03-26 16:01  

#6  The real problem with democracy in Afghanistan is that it put our enemy (the Pashtuns) in power. Until the Pashtuns are defeated, with millions of their young men dead, we have have no peace.
Posted by: Zhang Fei   2012-03-26 16:01  

#5  In other words:

You cannot impose freedom on a people.

The most you can do is to allow them to have the opportunity to be free. They have to bleed and die and yes even kill to obtain it.
Posted by: CrazyFool   2012-03-26 14:05  

#4  That's the fundamental problem with all of this. It is not our job to provide the "opportunity of freedom". Our only job is to protect our own freedom - that is it. You cannot make a culture want to be free, they have to earn it.
Posted by: Yosemite Sam   2012-03-26 12:22  

#3  Tough noogies. Blow up a couple of 1000 year-old Buddhas, it'll make you feel better.

PS: Make sure we wreck anything above a 14th-century tech level before we leave.
Posted by: mojo   2012-03-26 12:14  

#2  We provide 'opportunity'. You have to provide the rest. If you don't, what follows is your problem. Don't make it our problem again cause we probably won't do the same thing again if we have to come back.
Posted by: Procopius2k   2012-03-26 12:00  

#1  Someone please remind me who they voted to run the place?
Posted by: gorb   2012-03-26 10:01  

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