Why we fight

You may have missed it, in between Emmy talk, and Bush ordered spaceborne-lasers to redirect Katrina straight into New Orleans talk, but Afghanistan just saw another successful round of elections. Free elections.

Afghanistan's first parliamentary and provincial poll in thirty years passed without major incident on Sunday, with a high degree of voter participation, election officials report.

"The election was held in a peaceful manner…there was also a high level of political awareness and participation amongst the Afghan people," Bimillah Bismal, chairman of the Afghan-UN Joint Electoral Management Body (JEMB) said as polling booths closed across the country.

As Americans, we should applaud the hard work, the deadly work, done by the US military, diplomatic corps, the NGOs, the Afghans themselves, and others, who have worked and sacrificed to help freedom take root and grow in Afghanistan.

An American Forces Press Service article illustrates the resolve of the Afghan people. And isn't it edifying to see that purple finger again?

"I am not afraid to go and vote. I want to vote. It is how we can fight this terrorism. I want to be able to choose who represents me in our government," said Saifullah Haqmal, an Afghan student from Khost province. "I think it is important for everyone to participate in the vote for national and local parliament. This election will bring a bright future for us."

Enemy efforts to disrupt the elections proved to be insignificant, with no reports of effective attacks against polling stations.

Captain's Quarters noticed the high voter turnout:

Our last national election elicited a 60% turnout, considered extraordinarily high over the past few decades. Americans did not face the credible threats of violence that voters in Afghanistan faced yesterday, either. According to some political leaders, a handful of long lines induced Americans to forego their right to vote, "disenfranchising" themselves. Afghanis went to the polls even though they had been threatened with death for doing so.

Can anyone doubt that democracy has taken root in Afghanistan, and that its appeal truly crosses all cultural and economic lines? People willingly face death for the right to control their own nation and the leaders who have power over them. Only hope accounts for the massive march to polling stations in the face of fear, and only an honest democracy brings that hope. Contrast this with the wan response to the rigged Egyptian election, which only attracted less than 20% of eligible voters despite a lack of any threats of violence. People know the difference.

(Recall this dispatch, talking about what it means to participate in democracy.)

Why are these elections taking place, in this country, where not that long ago women were executed in public? Could it be because of the hard work done by US soldiers, such as the ones in this photo essay? Celebrate them!

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Shot in the Dark anticipates the Lefty response.
Bill Roggio looks at the violence that did, and did not, happen.
Austin Bay links to a Ralph Peters column that notices the lack of attention.