Tonight, America has a new ally in the war against terror. It is the free people of Afghanistan. We took a risk, we bet on the people of Afghanistan and I think it was a good bet. I dont know for sure, but I'm willing to bet the Afghanis think it was a good bet.

great stuff... soon we will have another ally in a free Iraq and the rest of the region will be on notice that freedom is on the march as we learned in easter europe it can't be stopped and happens to really like america, think Poland!

Kerry was gasping for air, barely keeping his head above water, for most of the debate. His distress was palpable.

Most Kerry-philes are claiming the debate was a draw--a sure sign that Kerry lost.

What a beautiful post!! I can't believe there are no comments yet!

---Tom Nally, surfing over here from Vodkapundit

Well put! I was directed here from Glenn Reynolds' InstPundit, and I have just added you to my list of must-reads!

Be well,

Jamie Irons

Last night I was consumed by the debate and subsequent punditry, and then started worrying about the elections in Australia. I was too emotionally exhausted to even think about Afghanistan until this morning.

Thank you for your eloquence. I've got a daughter, too. I share your views on the war. I, too, will be standing with the women of Afghanistan.

I said the same thing back in May (5/20):
http://www.mandelinople.com/blog/2004/05/what-is-kerrys-plan-for-winning-war.html

"Second, the fact that he is more concerned with how we are getting out of Iraq is most troubling. For all his positions on Iraq and the war on terror, he has never talked of winning. The only thing he has offered is a way for us to leave."

Thanks for the concurrence.

Like America herself, long may you shine, my friend.

Bush finally showed up!! Watched the reruns and the talking heads with their comments and opinions. Good job by the President.

Good posting. We have two successes we need to let everyone know about and let them know often. The overwhelming victory by Howard in Australia and the first free election in Afghanistan even if they did have some problems. Democracy starts with one small step. Now, let us break into a full run.

Hey, my dad grew up in Centerville way back when too! My Aunt worked at the theatre, they lived in an old house on Eggers Drive.

I was so surprised to see the photo on powerline. My grandmother still lives in Fremont and we have gone by there many times.

Great to see!

My favorite memory of living in Fremont was when we went to the grocery store and in the meat section was a stack of lambs tongues. Now, Lambs tongue is small and roughly the same size and shape as human tongue. I knew that there was a feast holiday being held by the local afghani population, and that lambs tongue was a favored delicacy but my wife didnt.

When she saw the stack of lambs tongue, she had a look on her face I'll never forget. The "silent scream", bugged out eyeballs, outstreched arm with finger pointing look of horror.

I laughed my ass off.

At the Old Women's Protest today, they looked at my sign that said: Thanks to Bush and the U.S. Military, Afghani Women Voted Yesterday. Who have you liberated lately? - and they sneered. "Oh yeah, right. Get a clue!" I was surprised that they didn't get it. I walked a little further down their ranks. "Ohh! The morons are here." Sigh. A little ways down the line I heard, "Get your facts straight!"

Obviously I was the only woman standing on that sidewalk who has watched the news, read the paper, or even spoken to anyone from Afghanistan.

The U.S. did the right thing. It's not been easy. It's not been pretty. Until now. Liberty is one of the most beautiful things in the world.

Last night ...after finally getting tired of perusing (and sometimes commenting on) the blogs about the debate ...I saw somewhere on some blog, a pix of some old-looking ("looking", because life in the Third World can age you quick) Afghani in his traditional dress, with the caption about his having PROUDLY just voted.

I closed it down then, a wee bit teary-eyed, and headed off to bed. And very ...well, as corny as I know this sounds, just bloody proud to be part of the nation, the culture that helped that old man to have a choice in the future of his grandkids. Damn, but that made me feel good.

So ...yeah, a few of us did "notice" that.

And when I awoke this morning, I was almost as bloody happy to see the Aussies re-elected Howard, too.

Geez, any minute now and I'm going to break out into "A Small World After All" or "I'd Like To Teach The World To Sing" or something.

Not.

And. Thanks for that Costco bit about the college kids, and for the ABC theatre pix.

(Sorry, but I'm not going to try and find the link to the Afghani pix ...and there's plenty of others at this point anyways. Try Glen R.)

Followup ...I just stumbled across that pix, as I was surfing through my usual evening Look-See; it was at Allah Is In The House ...I must have added the caption in myself, as there wasn't one.

Old Gent Casting His Vote

I hate to interrupt this charming love-fest by cutting through the mindlessness, but there are some points which need making about this post:

Three years ago, if an afghani woman was found just talking to men, they would be beheaded publicly in the soccer stadium.

This was a rarity. Women talked to men all the time and didn't get beheaded. Yes, occasionally, they'd be beaten; it depended on the circumstances and the place.

Today, they are standing in line and voting. Today, they are enfranchised for the first time in their history.

Nonsense. Women first voted in Afghanistan in 1963.

the Kerry crowd was, both young and looked quite concerned. That told me everything I needed to know about what happened.

The fact that they were young told you everything you needed to know about what happened? You have a curious way of forming your political opinions.

But then one shouldn't be surprised to find this sort of error-filled post on a blog which takes as its strapline the slogan "liberty, freedom, victory". A Soviet propagandist would have been proud of the empty-headedness of this sort of mantra; and he might have avoided following "liberty" with the redundant "freedom".

Why not "liberty, hugely-successful grain harvests, victory"? Just a suggestion.

Great post and a great blog.

Isn't it wonderful that the problem with the Afghan election was a failure to have the right kind of ink and not mass deaths or voters too afraid to vote?

There are a lot of scared thugs in the Middle East today.

"Women talked to men all the time and didn't get beheaded. Yes, occasionally, they'd be beaten; it depended ..."

Oh. Well. I guess since they were only occasionally beaten, we should all reprise our emotional involvement with the current contrast with their life under the eminently beneficent Taliban regime, and advocate a more "enlightened" view of the "proper correctional procedures" to use on wrong-headed young miscreant females?

What a, well, quaint way of expressing your approval of the Taliban.

"Horrid Man" (hmm, and what a particularly apropos nom de plume ...and how often have you beat your young lady friend today, sirrah), I for one would like to extend my personal thanks for such a sincere and heartfelt admonition ...I'm sure we'll all promise to mend our erring ways in the future.

Now. Where did I put that whip?

...clueless troll.

Brandon, I think Horrid was doing a satire.

I ...don't (after re-reading) think I can agree with you Aaron.

NOT that I'm always correct in my recognition of humour in general, but I think that within the context of his statements, the absence of wit is glaring.

IF he was merely being ironic (and I can see that, if I strain somewhat), then I believe my response to have been as equally appropriate and incisive ...and far less "clueless".

However, I grant you that he may have responded on point, just very badly.

Now ...as to my reply ....

Heh.