lynbrown - a major part of the problem in Afghanistan is the cultural gluf between the Afghan people and the west.
They basically live in a twelfth-century society, and it is collosssally arrogant of Western society to think it can simply march in and demand that they live as we do, and expect them to be grateful and non-resistant.
America tried this with a nation who want nothing more than a bowl of rice a day and political independence, and look what happened.
The purpose of history is to prevent us making the same mistakes over and over again.
Albert Einstein, who knew a lot about a lot said that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.
Of course, he wasn't a politician, or a solider.