Here are a few of Karzai’s American hired guns. Aren’t they so kewl with their goatees? It’s too funny that we’re having this much trouble installing a corrupt regime in Afghanistan. We’re normally pretty good at propping up dictatorships. The Afghans must be of a tougher weave than most 3rd worlders. 
Given that the American occupation of Afghanistan is going so badly, I’d imagine that the Bush gang doesn’t intend to have any screwups when they takeover Iraq. We’ll probably have to occupy it for the next 30 years. Karzai has to have around the clock protection to keep people from blowing him away. Doesn’t that call into question his supposed democratic authority? Yeah, I realize he wasn’t really elected, but that’s the what you’re supposed to believe. Of course, Bush has thousands and thousands of paid bodyguards in the Secret Service, and he wasn’t really democratically elected either, but he doesn’t seem to be having any similar problems.
Well, no, I don’t think Karzai’s difficulty staying one step ahead of assasination attempts is a particularly good indicator of the strength or weakness of his mandate. Rather I think it is an indication of the level of violence to which Afghan society is accustomed. I think he would have similar problems whether he was supported by 1%, 10%, 50%, 90% or 99% of his people, provided that his enemies are well-armed and ruthless.
I’m not very well read in political theory, but I’ve heard the phrase “monopoly of violence” used to describe the norm in functioning nation-states, whether democratic or not: when the police and/or the military have overwhelming firepower and are subject to a unified authority, you don’t see a lot of violence in the streets. Afghanistan is a good example of a place where there is no monopoly of violence — although it’s now moving in that direction.
I have no particular belief that Karzai represents democracy in the here and now, but then it strikes me as pretty naive to think that democracy is even a possibility so soon after a “regime change” in an occupied country that’s had a war within its borders for 30+ years. Karzai is supposed to be a first step in the direction of democratic institutions. You may have information about how he falls short of even that modest goal; if so, I’m all ears. But to fault him for not being democratically elected strikes me as a straw man argument.
Wahhhhhhhhhh
Wahhhhhhhhhh
Sob moan
Please please
Protect my house and home
You big strong hairy man
You idiot I don’t respect you
Givin it his all all he can
I’m not backin what you do
My split personality allows
Me to think it coincidence
That I’m safe here and it’s Not my head that’s dense
I talk talk peace
That make me good
You on the other hand
Have not been misunderstood
I not small spoiled child
I not arrogant twit
I cool with my hampshire drool
And intellectual snit
Mommy mommy mommy
Big man make me cry
Somebody protect me
I no wanna die
But I ok
It’s those vests and guns
It never take that
To get things done
I angel wonderful and sweet
I friendly and smart
I blow up hot air balloons
I like to tear you apart
From far away
It my right to whine
And tantrum throw
My light know how to shine
Look girls look
I against war
Aren’t I sexy
All the way to core
Look girls look
Like a cock I crow
Dos men moving
Dey don’t know
I real man
They bad
I ghandi..almost
Not some passing fad
Here me when I Wahhhhhhh
I Wahhhhhh sometimes the best
I salivate my preadorned fate
I pass the racetraitor.org
Litmus test
Neils
9:58 pm
9/10/2002
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Way to go
Way to extend your learning curve..I remember you said somethin about bikers..bein cool to watch..why don’t you find some real ones and give them some of this column and stand their all popular culture like in some small town or off on some lone rest stop somewhere…
N..again