Nation Faltering

Nation Faltering, Afghans’ Leader Draws Criticism - New York Times:

The insurgency, along with the other issues, has brought an eruption of doubts about Mr. Karzai, who is widely viewed as having failed to attend to a range of problems. That has left more and more Afghans asking what the government is doing.

Corruption is so widespread, the government apparently so lethargic and the divide between rich and poor so gaping that Mr. Karzai is losing public support, warn officials like Ahmad Fahim Hakim, deputy chairman of the Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission.

Amazing, isn't it, how easily the name of the country and its respective leader could be switched to, say, Iraq or maybe the U.S., and it would still seem to be accurate? For example:

The insurgency (in Iraq), along with the other issues, has brought an eruption of doubts about Mr. Bush, who is widely viewed as having failed to attend to a range of problems. That has left more and more Americans asking what the government is doing.

Corruption is so widespread, the government apparently so lethargic and the divide between rich and poor so gaping that Mr. Bush is losing public support....

See what I mean? Apparently we are spreading the BushCo brand of democracy to every country we invade and doing it so well it's having the same effect there as here. Mission accomplished!