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| Afghanistan/South Asia | ||
| Afghanistan: The Little Election That Could | ||
| 2004-10-08 | ||
Very encouraging article. EFL.
Good for them! Such is the wonderful world of Afghan democracy. And a wonderful world it truly is, despite the naysaying in certain circles. Gee, wonder who that would be? But so far, it's been the little election that could. And barring a catastrophic attack that somehow manages to shatter the stubborn faith of the average Afghan in this process, it should go down as a successful one regardless of whether it is considered "free and fair" by Who collectively aren't worthy of shining Karzai's shoes. The critics might want to stop and consider the context before they pass judgment. But they won't. It's more important to them to tell everyone how superior they are. And, by the way, BushHitler and Halliburton. This is a country that existed in a semi-feudal state through the 20th century and in many respects still does. Two-thirds of the people can't read or write, and subsistence is most people's main concern. For two and a half decades they've been terrorized by foreign troops, ruthless local militias or religious zealots. Voting was never high on the list of priorities. Survival was. Afghans have never been asked who they wanted to lead the country. THINK about that, Democrats and LLL assholes. Decisions were always made by weathered old men sitting over tea and nan, or by the guys with the biggest guns. The last time they even saw a ballot was in 1969, in a parliamentary vote in which fewer than seven percent understood enough about it all to participate. The whole Democracy thing is a totally novel experience here, and they aren't taking it anywhere near as lightly as foreign human rights groups and former secretaries of state who are convinced that it's all a cynical plot by George W. Bush to put a good face on his war on terror before the U.S. election. Preach it, brother! Smack those LLL bastards around some more. Afghans know better. What's making it a success -- violence or no violence and regardless of who wins -- is that the Afghans are being handed a fishing rod instead of being given a basketful of fish. Which is absolutely killing the LLL and the NGOs, who aren't happy unless they are in total control of the basket and the fish. Bless the Afghans, and best of luck to them. They once had a beautiful, vibrant country; hopefully they will again. No thanks to the Left.
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| Posted by:Barbara Skolaut |
| #12 #6 Mike - Well said! Now if somebody could just explain that to the Left.... (Funny thing is, Ted Turner not only bankrolled the movie Gettysburg, he had a bit part. Too bad he didn't get its message.) |
| Posted by: Barbara Skolaut 2004-10-08 6:22:03 PM |
| #11 Afghanistan Website |
| Posted by: BigEd 2004-10-08 3:24:14 PM |
| #10 Afghani Presidential Candidates II |
| Posted by: BigEd 2004-10-08 3:06:59 PM |
| #9 Afghani Presidential Candidates |
| Posted by: BigEd 2004-10-08 3:05:01 PM |
| #8 Carter? Rex- Let's hope if he wants to snoop around, Karzai denies his visa... |
| Posted by: BigEd 2004-10-08 3:00:43 PM |
| #7 Thank God Carter is nowhere near this election. |
| Posted by: Rex Mundi 2004-10-08 2:45:21 PM |
| #6 I'm reminded of Col. Chaimberlain's great speech in The Killer Angels (paraphrased): "This army is different. Some men fight for gold, or land, or some other loot, or because a king tells them to, or because they think killing is fun. We--well, we're something that hasn't happened much in history. We are an army that is fighting to set other men free." Thus be it ever so. |
| Posted by: Mike 2004-10-08 2:39:50 PM |
| #5 This is the wrong election, in the wrong place, at the wrong time. |
| Posted by: John F Kerry 2004-10-08 2:14:36 PM |
| #4 Steve - thank you. |
| Posted by: Barbara Skolaut 2004-10-08 1:58:58 PM |
| #3 LOL, Matt. Yes, the Afghans deserve a special award for that. :-p |
| Posted by: Barbara Skolaut 2004-10-08 1:57:36 PM |
| #2 I can soon imagine the day when Pakistanis will request Afghan asylum to get away from the hell hole the Islamists are making of Pakistan. |
| Posted by: ed 2004-10-08 1:28:47 PM |
| #1 Great post, great comments. Remember, this was going to be the Humanitarian Disaster of All Time because of the Brutal Afghan Winters yada yada yada. I'll always have a soft spot in my heart for the Afghans for beating the crap out of Robert Fisk. |
| Posted by: Matt 2004-10-08 1:25:06 PM |