An Apt Quote for Afghanistan

“The error of Wilson in Mexico, of Nixon in Vietnam, of our whole quest for “self determination,” is clear: we have reversed the order of cause and effect.  Free elections are created by free men, not vice versa.  The machinery of election will not call up, establish, or guarantee political freedom.

From Gary Wills in Nixon Agonistes, copyright 1969, 1970 and 2002.

Gary Wills started his education by studying to be a Jesuit.  This didn’t last long.  Although he remains a Catholic, he never became a priest.  Eventually, he earned a Ph.D. in the classics, and has been both a successful teacher and writer, having written many works about politics, history and religion.  He was an early protégé of William F Buckley, but after he published Nixon Agonistes, he lost his place in conservative circles.  In fact, he became a Nixon enemy.

The quote is especially apt now, as we grope for a solution regarding Afghanistan.  Frankly, there is none, for Afghanistan is but a name on a map, peopled by a group of brave but completely disunited tribes.