Obama's Cairo Speech

First rate. As he admits, of course, it's much harder to actually bring about better relations. But a US President is now actually a positive force.

We Need to Stay in Afghanistan

The Manley Panel's report is pretty sensible. If Canada were to leave Kandahar, we would wrong those who trusted us, undermine our international reputation and provide a victory for al Qaeda and the Taliban. So we should stay. If we can guilt other NATO countries into helping out, great. But if we can't, we have our duty.

My own view is that every day the Taliban is out of power is a day when the world is safer than it was in September 2001. And it is also a day when Afghanistan has some hope of progress.

Manley's criticisms of the Harper government for allowing its centralized media strategy to undermine public confidence in the war is well-taken.

Here's hoping Manley can turn Canadian public opinion around somewhat.

What Should Our War Aims in Afghanistan Be?

The cabinet shuffle gives as good an occasion as any to have this discussion. Dave at Intimations says universal liberal democracy is excessively grandiose, and an editorialist for the National Post shows up in his comments box to concede (at least some of) the point.

How about, "We're there to keep the Taliban/al Qaeda on the defensive?" That seems doable and connected to our national interest.

The Folkways of the Pathan, Law and Humanitarioimperialism

The Economist publishes two thick issues at the end of each December. "The World in ---- [next year]" invariably sucks. But the Christmas double issue is snooty English journalism at its best.

This year, they had a must-read article (subscribers only) on the customary law of the Pushtuns (formerly Pathans), the largest ethnic group in Afghanistan, and the source of the Taliban.

Why is it a must-read? Well, I have some legal positivist readers (BKN and Fred S.) who think that law is the command of the sovereign, and it would be good for their souls to read about a longstanding legal system that functions without any sovereign at all. I don't want to spoil the ending, but customary arbitration can be pretty hardcore.

Not to say that all is well. Any paleo-anarcho-libertarian readers would also benefit from reading about how the Pathan clans resolve their disputes -- first by killing each other in nasty ways and, once they have tired of that, by trading their women.

But the most important audience would be the naive democracy promoters. I, for one, would be happy to have the Pathans continue in their folkways. Those folkways are the main obstacle (and main target) of the legalistic and textual Talibs. But those folkways are obviously a million miles from our ideas of human rights. The Taliban, unlike the tribes, are connected into an international jihadist network that would like to kill you and me, gentle reader, so I see some point in fighting them. But we shouldn't get all moralistic about it. The society they are reacting against is just as foreign to us as they are.

Democratic Imperialism: Once again on why it is a bad idea

I know many of you like to see bloody-minded arguifying. The Pithlord has been busy for personal and work reasons, but the Pithlord understands. So I point you to a fight I get into with ex-pat philosopher "Akrasia" on the subject of whether Canada's foreign policy should involve "democracy promotion".