American Style Democracy

Maybe they were offering the locals a lesson in traditional lynching techniques when US soldiers and psy-ops personnel held their sickening bonfire in Afghanistan the other day. Yet another milestone on the path to democracy.

I wonder when Rummy or one of the uniforms will allude to some chapter in American Revolutionary history for a corollary...

Juan Cole also notes in passing yet another fine democratic tradition--the jury quickly returning a verdict of "Not Guilty!"

A former regional governor who oversaw the destruction of two massive 1,500-year-old Buddha statues during the Taliban's reign was elected to the Afghan parliament last month, officials said Tuesday as results from two provinces were finalized.

Mawlawi Mohammed Islam Mohammadi, who was the Taliban's governor of Bamiyan province when the fifth-century Buddha statues were blown up with dynamite and artillery in March 2001, was chosen to represent the neighboring province of Samangan.

Sure was mighty hot in the deliberation room...and they didn't even have a Coke machine.