Posted by
Maliginerf on Tuesday, October 27, 2009 5:43:05 PM
I have spent a lot of time thinking about the US governments efforts to bring democracy to Afghanistan and i have concluded that its a waste of time. We are not fighting in that country so they can have ellections, a president and a congress but we are there to kill those terrorist that would kill us. Many have argued that defeating Al Qaeda and the Taliban is not enough and that we must leave that country with a democracy. I just don't see it happening.
Afghanistan is not a nation state, its a collection of people whose greatest focus is in their local communities. They really don't have much use for a central government, all they want is to be left alone to raise their kids and grow their villages. This country has been one mostly controlled not by top down governments but by local malitia war lords who would provide protection for his kingdoms. This is the system that they have survived under for thousands of years and the ones they wish to keep.
No democracy can be imposed by an outside nation, and must evolve over a period of time by the will of the people. So what can we do?
I would argue that we bring together a collection of the local chiefs to form a pact government. These tribal leaders would not be there to impose their will on the others but to help establish greater trade and security. By creating regional armies that can work together they will bring peace and stability to the region allowing for commerce to build and expand. They should push for a greater expansion of village to village economic growth. This will take years but evantually could lead to a country wide market system. As the villages begin to depend on one another their view of the world slowly begins to expand and they stop seeing themselves as a villager but as a member of a larger community. With the expansion of trade will come the need for unifomed laws. The government pact should be there to set up courts to enforce contracts between businessmen.
Eventually as the economy grows and people become more dependent on one another the people will develope a desire for a greater role in government and out of this desire a democracy may spring up.
So in closing victory for the US in Afghanistan shouldn't be setting up a democracy but the absolute crushing defeat of our enemies. Its their country and it will be their choice if the want a democracy or not. If we impose one on this nation and it collapses the people will denounce the whole idea of democracy and turn their back on all the good it may bring.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
5:40:29 PM