Clinton and Democracy in Afghanistan

It was reported this morning that Secretary of State Clinton declared that the U.S. will not provide any more civilian aid unless the Afghan government takes steps to curb the rampant corruption that the government has exhibited. "We are going to expect more from the Afghan government...we've got some very specific asks (sic) that we will be making." It was also reported that Obama is expected to "announce" a troop increase later in the week.

It is of note that Clinton "declared", and Obama "announced." It is also of note that the U.S. aid Clinton threatened to withhold was civilian aid. Military aid is not in jeopardy. Clinton stated that U.S. aid was contingent on the Afghan government having ministries that the U.S. can hold accountable. Evidently the Afghan government, in addition to being accountable to the people of Afghanistan, must be accountable to the U.S. as well.

Part of the problem in Afghanistan is that the U.S. in not simply insisting upon an accountable and responsible government for the sake of the Afghan people, but for U.S. interests as well. Moreover, the only form of government that can be accountable and responsible, by U.S. standards, is democratic government. For a country which has never known democratic government, and lacks the social and political infrastructure for it's existence, it hardly seems reasonable to expect democracy to take root in the matter of a few years. Democracy is a little more complicated than passing laws and erecting voting booths. A democratic government does not create a democratic people. A democratic people create a democratic government. If the U.S. goal in Afghanistan is to create a democratic people, we had better be prepared for a very long occupation.