I’ve been astonished by some of the commentary on Afghanistan’s election, a term that is often preceded by the modifier “flawed.” Well, duh. It’s a matter of comparison. No process is not, in some ways, flawed. But is it an improvement?
Hamid Karzai is also subjected to frequent sniping attacks by people who do not face and cannot imagine facing the risks of assassination to which he exposes himself on a daily basis. He could enjoy a prosperous life virtually anyplace else on the globe, but instead he risks his life to try to bring more peace, rule of law, and individual freedom to his country. I don’t understand those who dismiss him with a sneer as merely “the Mayor of Kabul” and who insist on withdrawing his U.S.-provided body guards, who have saved his life on several occasions. Those who don’t want a return to the savage rule of the Taliban and the reestablishment of terrorist training camps should be grateful to him, not sneeringly dismissive.