Comments on: Getting it exactly backwards on Afghanistan http://www.democracyandsociety.com/blog/2009/11/11/getting-it-exactly-backwards-on-afghanistan/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=getting-it-exactly-backwards-on-afghanistan Wed, 08 Feb 2012 18:57:55 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Jack http://www.democracyandsociety.com/blog/2009/11/11/getting-it-exactly-backwards-on-afghanistan/comment-page-1/#comment-246 Jack Thu, 12 Nov 2009 15:40:27 +0000 http://www.democracyandsociety.com/blog/?p=484#comment-246 *aspirants with acceptable democratic credentials, that is. *aspirants with acceptable democratic credentials, that is.

]]> By: Jack http://www.democracyandsociety.com/blog/2009/11/11/getting-it-exactly-backwards-on-afghanistan/comment-page-1/#comment-245 Jack Thu, 12 Nov 2009 15:36:37 +0000 http://www.democracyandsociety.com/blog/?p=484#comment-245 Josh is probably right, all else being equal, to advise holding local elections before national ones. In the context of US Afghanistan policy, however, this prescription suffers from a political obstacle. The premise of our occupation is that it's really not an occupation. We are ostensibly there to replace Taliban rule with popular government. Telling Afghans that they can't elect national leaders until they are ready (i.e. until local elections sufficiently confer incumbent advantage on aspirants to national office) is contrary to our stated mission. How does one limit self-government when one occupies a country to defend self-government? Josh is probably right, all else being equal, to advise holding local elections before national ones. In the context of US Afghanistan policy, however, this prescription suffers from a political obstacle.

The premise of our occupation is that it’s really not an occupation. We are ostensibly there to replace Taliban rule with popular government.

Telling Afghans that they can’t elect national leaders until they are ready (i.e. until local elections sufficiently confer incumbent advantage on aspirants to national office) is contrary to our stated mission. How does one limit self-government when one occupies a country to defend self-government?

]]>