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As an Afghan I can tell you that no, you would not have been able to convert them to Democracy. Afghans will never be able to convert to democracy. Not just Afghanistan, but pretty much all the countries in the middle east are NOT ready for democracy. From cultural mores and attitudes to logistical issues, democracy will just not work there. Especially in Afghanistan.

As a "rich white american", it tweaks my liberal guilt to say or even agree with something like that, because I do believe that democracies are the best form of government that we've come up with yet (not that it doesn't have its faults), and I don't want to believe that other people are less than we are. Even you say "not ready for democracy" (emphasis mine), implying that they're not sufficiently advanced to use it.

But as an Afghan, you have far more experience with other Afghans than I do. So I have to at least admit that you're more of an expert than I am. But your word just doesn't cut it for me. (No offense intended.) Can you explain why Afghans wouldn't want the ability to help choose their own destiny? Do they want to be lorded over by an authoritarian regime that tells them what to do? I mean, I seem to recall when the Taliban fell that there was a large amount of simple rejoicing, like women deciding not to wear burqas, or at least not such sever ones, men shaving their beards, and so on. It wasn't the hysterical reaction that seems to be so common in those situations, but more a feeling of relief at once again being able to express themselves.

Of course, I'm making a gross generalization in assuming that the Taliban is equivalent to all other non-democratic governments.

But democracy doesn't mean non-authoritarian, either. The Afghans would be able to choose an authoritarian government under a democracy if they wanted to. But they would also have the potential to change that when they outgrew it.

Of course, I'm also making a big assumption that non-democratic means authoritarian. They could have an archo-syndicalist collective.

Anyway, I'd be very interested to hear your opinions on the problems of the adoption of democracy in the Middle East and Afghanistan.
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Bitt Faulk